DC-6 Introduced

On February 15, 1946, Douglas Aircraft introduced the DC-6, a new four-engine passenger aircraft developed from the wartime DC-4. The DC-6 used the same basic wing design as the DC-4, but Douglas gave it a longer fuselage, more powerful engines, and a pressurized cabin, making it faster, more comfortable, and better suited for long-distance commercial service. In its early configuration, it could carry about 52 passengers, helping airlines meet the growing demand for postwar air travel.

The DC-6 became one of the important piston-engine airliners of the late 1940s and 1950s. Douglas eventually produced 702 aircraft, including three main civilian versions and two military versions. Used by major airlines and armed forces around the world, the DC-6 helped bridge the gap between the earlier unpressurized transports of World War II and the larger, faster airliners that dominated commercial aviation before the arrival of the jet age.