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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Donald W. Douglas Jr., who as president of Douglas Aircraft Co. introduced the DC-8 airliner that brought the firm into the jet age, has died. He was 87.
Douglas, who had been in declining health since suffering a fall two months ago, died Oct. 3 at Menifee Valley Medical Center near Hemet.
Douglas was the son of Donald Douglas, the famed aircraft designer who founded the company in 1920.
Douglas Jr. worked his way up through the ranks and was named president in 1957. A decade later, the financially ailing company merged with McDonnell Aircraft, and the combined company merged with Boeing in 1997.
Born July 3, 1917 in Washington, D.C., Douglas studied mechanical engineering at Stanford University and aeronautical engineering at the Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute in Glendale.
He started with his father's company in 1939 as an engineer. In 1943 he became manager of flight testing, overseeing such warbirds as the C-54 transport.
He later was appointed director of the testing division and under his direction the DC-6 and DC-7 airliners were certified. They became the most successful propeller-driven passenger aircraft ever made.
He was president when the DC-8 was introduced in 1958.
Douglas retired in 1974 but remained on the board of directors until 1989.
In 1993, Douglas became involved in a dispute with management of McDonnell-Douglas. The financially troubled company planned to end health benefits for 20,000 company retirees, including the Douglas family.
Douglas sued on behalf of the retired workers but the action failed.
Besides his aircraft work, Douglas founded Capistrano Bank in 1975 and Biphase Energy Systems, a geothermal energy firm, in 1976.
More recently, he had been looking for backers for a new design for a small aircraft.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; a daughter, Victoria Douglas Thoreson; brothers
Douglas, who had been in declining health since suffering a fall two months ago, died Oct. 3 at Menifee Valley Medical Center near Hemet.
Douglas was the son of Donald Douglas, the famed aircraft designer who founded the company in 1920.
Douglas Jr. worked his way up through the ranks and was named president in 1957. A decade later, the financially ailing company merged with McDonnell Aircraft, and the combined company merged with Boeing in 1997.
Born July 3, 1917 in Washington, D.C., Douglas studied mechanical engineering at Stanford University and aeronautical engineering at the Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute in Glendale.
He started with his father's company in 1939 as an engineer. In 1943 he became manager of flight testing, overseeing such warbirds as the C-54 transport.
He later was appointed director of the testing division and under his direction the DC-6 and DC-7 airliners were certified. They became the most successful propeller-driven passenger aircraft ever made.
He was president when the DC-8 was introduced in 1958.
Douglas retired in 1974 but remained on the board of directors until 1989.
In 1993, Douglas became involved in a dispute with management of McDonnell-Douglas. The financially troubled company planned to end health benefits for 20,000 company retirees, including the Douglas family.
Douglas sued on behalf of the retired workers but the action failed.
Besides his aircraft work, Douglas founded Capistrano Bank in 1975 and Biphase Energy Systems, a geothermal energy firm, in 1976.
More recently, he had been looking for backers for a new design for a small aircraft.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; a daughter, Victoria Douglas Thoreson; brothers
