Douglas XP3D-2 Navy Flying Boat Photo 8×10, Sole Prototype Built, 1936
Douglas XP3D-2 Navy Flying Boat Photo 8×10 Sole Prototype Built, 1936. The Only One Built… It Later Crashed With Future Fleet Admiral Ernest King Aboard. DESCRIPTION This 8×10 photograph documents the Douglas XP3D-2, a twin-engine U. Navy patrol flying boat and the only aircraft ever built to this exact configuration. The print is dated directly on the negative, May 19, 1936, and shows the aircraft riding on the water with its distinctive retractable wingtip floats lowered and its nose turret in place, both features unique to the rebuilt XP3D-2 version. The story behind this airframe is what sets it apart. In 1933 the Navy ordered single prototypes from both Douglas and Consolidated Aircraft to compete for a new patrol bomber contract. That Consolidated design became the PBY Catalina, the most-produced flying boat in history. Douglas rebuilt its prototype in one more attempt to win follow-on orders, raising the wing, moving the engines to the leading edge, and adding retractable floats and a nose turret. The rebuilt aircraft, redesignated XP3D-2, was re-delivered in May 1935, but the Navy again went with Consolidated. With no production contract to follow, the sole XP3D-2 was reassigned as a VIP transport with Patrol Squadron VP-11F. Less than a year after this photograph was taken, on February 8, 1937, the XP3D-2 suffered an engine failure and crashed in Acapulco Bay, Mexico, destroying the only example of the type ever built. The VIP aboard, Rear Admiral Ernest J. King, walked away from the wreck. King went on to become Commander in Chief of the U. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II, one of only four officers in U. Navy history to hold the rank of Fleet Admiral. This print carries a period caption inscribed directly on the negative, “9342 XP3D-2 5-19-36, ” identifying both the aircraft type and the exact date the photo was taken. Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you’re unsatisfied with the item, please reach out and I’ll make it right. CONDITION Vintage period photographic print with good overall detail and solid contrast throughout the image. The period caption in the lower right (“9342 XP3D-2 5-19-36″) is clear and legible. The reverse shows the natural toning expected of a photograph this age, along with small patches of adhesive/paper residue in a couple of corners from previous album mounting; no writing is present on the back. No tears, creases, or emulsion loss are visible. Please review all photos closely, as they are the best representation of actual condition.