Howard DGA-11
« AIRCRAFTA Darn Good Plane
Howard made its name during the 1930s by producing some of the most famous racing aircraft of the Golden Age of Aviation. The DGA-11 was one of several commercial version of the 1935 Bendix and Thompson Cup winning DGA-6 known as "Mister Mulligan." Howard Aircraft Corporation, formed to capitalize on the success of the Mister Mulligan's design. The 11 and 12 models were versions of the DGA-9, the 1937 descendant of the DGA-8. The DGA-8 was a four-seater built in 1936 immediately after the publicity generating wins of the Mister Mulligan. The DGA-9 followed, using a 285-hp Jacobs L-5 instead of the Model 8's 320-hp Wright R-760-E2. The success of the 8 and 9 led to the creation of Howard, who turned to producing the models 11 and 12.
Custom-built, the DGA line was designed by Benny Howard and Gordon Isreal. The DGA-11 was the king of the line, reportedly the fastest four-seat personal aircraft available in the late 1930s. Powered by a 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior, the nine-cylinder radial gave the DGA-11 a maximum speed of 200 mph.
There was a price to pay for such speed and power -- approximately $16,500 in 1938 which made the DGA-11 one of the most expensive private aircraft of the period. The Learjet of its day, the DGA-11 was the plaything of the rich and famous, with several owned by movie stars.
A factor in the cost was the nature of Howard Aircraft. The total production was just 30 aircraft from 1936 to 1939, ranging from the DGA-8 to the DGA-12. The 12 model was a slower version of the 11, using a mere 300-hp Jacobs for its powerplant.
Howard introduced a DGA-15 in 1940 with around forty aircraft built. A four- or five-place monoplane, the DGA-15 used one of three powerplants: a 350-hp Wright R-760-E2, a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior or a 300-hp Jacobs L-6. The variants were known by the first letter of the engine manufacturer: DGA-15W, 15P and 15J, respectively. The company ceased commercial production in 1943 to build the DGA-15 for the Navy as an air ambulance known as the Nightingale (GH-2 & GH-3), a four-seat utility transport (GH-1) and an instrument trainer (NH-1). In all, 525 DGA-15 were built. The U.S. Army also procured Howards as utility aircraft: UC-70A (DGA-12), UC-70B (DGA-15J), UC-70C (DGA-8) and UC-70D (DGA-9).
