In the spring of 1933, the U.S. Army Air Corps tested the prototype Curtiss T-32 <i>Condor II</i> twin engine biplane transport. During the early 1930s, the Army General Staff still believed that a large biplane was more reliable than a monoplane aircraft, so two T-32 transports were purchased with the designation YC-30. The plane featured a retractable landing gear operated by electric motors making it among the first transports with retractable landing gear. The YC-30 also had many access panels designed for easy and speedy ground maintenance tasks. The basic structure of the YC-30 was a steel and aluminum alloy framework and fabric covering. The first YC-30 (S/N 33-320) was received by the Air Corps on 12 May 1933. Both planes were initially used as VIP transports and then as regular staff transports until withdrawn from service in 1938. (USAF text)
USAAC
1933
USAF Museum YC-30 factsheet <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3288">[1]</a> photo No. 051202-F-1234P-016 <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/051202-F-1234P-016.jpg">[2]</a>