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The Howard DGA-6 'Mister Mulligan'


 

Mister Mulligan

Mister Mulligan

Mister Mulligan

Mister Mulligan

Mister Mulligan

Mister Mulligan

DGA-6 at Floyd Bennett Field

DGA-6 at Floyd Bennett Field (1935)

Mister Mulligan

Mister Mulligan

Replica : 2 O'Clock

Replica : 3 O'Clock

Replica : 5 O'Clock

Replica : 7 O'Clock

Replica : 10 O'Clock

Replica : 11 O'Clock

Replica : 12 O'Clock

Replica : 12 O'Clock

Replica : Nose Detail

Replica : Empennage Detail

Replica : Wing Tip Detail


History

The sole DGA-6 was constructed in 1934 by Gordon Israel and Benjamin Howard. It featured a steel tube fuselage with a plywood skinned wing. While enroute to the 1934 air races, oxygen and fuel system troubles forced an off field landing which damaged the gear and prop. The aircraft could not be repaired in time and missed the 1934 season. In the 1935 Bendix race the aircraft was loaded with 300 gallons of gasoline, 30 gallons of oil and oxygen equipment for two giving it a capacity for 7 ours at 22,000 feet. At that load the aircraft required 1,500 feet of runway and had an initial climb out of close to 2000 fpm. With Benny Howard as Pilot and Gordon Israel as Co-Pilot, Mister Mulligan placed first in the 1935 bendix with an average speed of 238.7 mph between Los Angeles and Cleveland. Harold Neumann flew 'Mister Mulligan' in the 1935 Thompson Trophy and captured first place after Roscoe Turner lost his engine and dropped out. The aircraft shed a prop blade in the 1936 Bendix race was lost totaled without loss of life in an off airport landing. Howard went on to produce a commercial version of the ship, the DGA-8 which was followed by the DGA-9, DGA-11, and DGA-12.


Performance

Wingspan:                               31 ft 8 in
Length:                                 25 ft 1 in

Wing Area:                             150.7 sq ft
Airfoil:                                 NACA 2412

Fuel - Normal cat (Total):                 200 gal
     Wing:                                  25 gal
     Center Section:                        50 gal
     Belly Tank:                           100 gal

Fuel - Bendix Race (Total):                300 gal

Oil                                         30 gal

Powerplant:         P & W Wasp SE Special s/n 5640
     Displacment:                1344 cubic inches
     Compression ratio:                     6.05:1
     Supercharger ratio:                   13.85:1
     Normal rating:              500 hp @ 2200 rpm
     Racing rating:                         830 hp

Empty Weight: 2600 lb Gross Weight (Normal Category): 4100 lb Gross Weight (Bendix Race): 5355 lb

Wing Loading (Normal Category): 30.7 lb/sq ft Wing Loading (Bendix Race): 39 lb/sq ft Power Loading (Normal Category): 7.65 lb/hp

Maximum Speed: 287 mph at SL (830 hp)(Thompson Trophy Race 1935) Top Normal Speed: 251 mph at SL (550 hp) Cruising Speeds (550 hp): 292 mph at 17,000 ft 262 mph at 11,000 ft 231 mph at Sea Level

Landing Speed with Flaps: 64 mph Rate of Climb, Initial SL, 550 hp: 2800 fpm Rate of Climb, Initial SL, 830 hp: 4450 fpm


Howard DGA-6 Links

Fiddler's Green - Mr. Mulligan Page

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