Eastern Air Lines   Douglas DC-2  NC14970            (c/n  1373)

                                             

                                               In 1933 control of North American Aviation (owners of Eastern Air Transport) passed  to General
                                               Motors Corporation.  No sooner had that happened (early 1934) then the government cancelled all
                                               the air mail contracts and gave them to the U.S. Army.  After a disastrous  month in which five aircraft
                                               crashed and night flying was abandoned altogether, the government reversed itself and re-issued civilian
                                               air mail contracts.  However, the stipulation was that no holder of a pre-1934 contract could bid on a
                                               new one.  So it was that Eastern Air Transport was re-structured and became Eastern Air Lines.   In
                                               1935, while still a vice-President of North American Aviation, former WW I hero Captain  Eddie
                                               Rickenbacker took over at the "new" Eastern Air Lines.   His first act was to get rid of all the old
                                               Condors and Kingbirds and replace them with a fleet of new DC-2s and Lockheed 10A Electras.
                                               The DC-2 cut the flying time from New York to Miami to 8 hours and was an instant success.   It was
                                                in vogue in those days to display the airline slogan trade mark name instead of the corporate name itself,
                                               and hence all Eastern's equipment bore the legend "The Great Silver Fleet".  This trend continued until
                                               after WW II.   In the line-up below the DC-2s distinctive nose mounted landing lights can be seen.
                                               At least eight Eastern DC-2s were impressed into military service with the Royal Australian Air Force
                                               in the early days of WWII