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The Howard Aircraft Corporation made its name with high-profile racing successes in the mid-1930s. The most famous Howard aircraft, a DGA-6 known as "Mr. Mulligan," won both the Thompson and Bendix Trophy races in 1935. The racers helped to sell the company's DGA ("Damn Good Airplane") series of high-wing, high-performance monoplanes to corporations and wealthy private customers.
The DGA-15 model, introduced in 1939, was somewhat larger than its predecessors and could comfortably accommodate five passengers. Many DGA-15s were commandeered by the military following the outbreak of World War II. The U.S. Navy ordered several with particular specifications, designated GH-1, GH-2, GH-3, or NH-1. These DGA-15 variants were used for liaison, air ambulance, utility, and instrument training purposes during the war. A total of about 520 aircraft in the DGA-15 family were eventually produced.
Popular for its spacious cabin and relatively long range compared to its peers, many DGA-15s continued in civil service in the decades following the war. Several dozen are still flying in the United States.
The Museum's DGA-15P was operated as a GH-1 by the U.S. Navy. It was converted to civil status and purchased by W. H. Belk, Jr. in 1947. It was later owned by Bob Richardson and donated to the Museum in 1990. The aircraft is currently in storage awaiting restoration.
The Howard Aircraft Corporation made its name with high-profile racing successes in the mid-1930s. The most famous Howard aircraft, a DGA-6 known as "Mr. Mulligan," won both the Thompson and Bendix Trophy races in 1935. The racers helped to sell the company's DGA ("Damn Good Airplane") series of high-wing, high-performance monoplanes to corporations and wealthy private customers.
The DGA-15 model, introduced in 1939, was somewhat larger than its predecessors and could comfortably accommodate five passengers. Many DGA-15s were commandeered by the military following the outbreak of World War II. The U.S. Navy ordered several with particular specifications, designated GH-1, GH-2, GH-3, or NH-1. These DGA-15 variants were used for liaison, air ambulance, utility, and instrument training purposes during the war. A total of about 520 aircraft in the DGA-15 family were eventually produced.
Popular for its spacious cabin and relatively long range compared to its peers, many DGA-15s continued in civil service in the decades following the war. Several dozen are still flying in the United States.
The Museum's DGA-15P was operated as a GH-1 by the U.S. Navy. It was converted to civil status and purchased by W. H. Belk, Jr. in 1947. It was later owned by Bob Richardson and donated to the Museum in 1990. The aircraft is currently in storage awaiting restoration.
