Welcome to Douglas Park. At Ground Zero you find yourself facing a sculpture of Donald Wills Douglas. The sculpture is the center piece of this little park and the gateway to Long Beach. Behind the sculpture, what is now a shopping center, is where once his huge Aircraft Factory was located.
This sculpture represents Donald Douglas with an 11'0" diameter propeller of a DC-2 and his beloved dog. The design of the park is to celebrate the visionary qualities of Donald Douglas and the spirit of the Aviation Industry. The plaques at the entries to the sculpture garden describe the life and legacy of Donald Douglas.
He founded the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 (the company later merged with McDonnell Aircraft to form McDonnell Douglas Corporation). Under his leadership, the company became one of the leaders of the commercial aircraft industry, engaging in a decades-long struggle for supremacy with arch-rival William Boeing and the company he founded, Boeing. Douglas gained the upper hand, particularly with his revolutionary and highly successful Douglas DC-3 airliner and its equally popular World War II military transport version, the C-47; at the start of the war, his airplanes made up 80% of all commercial aircraft in service. However, he lagged behind in the jet age and was overtaken and surpassed by Boeing. He retired in 1957, and passed on February 1, 1981 at the age of 88.
The puzzle is centered around this sculpture and is not meant to be difficult.
Instructions:
1. What is the last name of the artist that made (cast) the bronze statue? (hint: it is not De l’Esprie. The name is engraved on the statue.)
2. What is the name of Donalds dog?
There are a number of round plaques around the sculpture. Find the plaque "Life and Legacy".
3a. Who inspired his passion for aviation (3 words)?
3b. how many airplanes were produced at this location.
Put the answers in the checker like this, including the dashes (-):
LASTNAME-DOGNAME-INSPIREDBY-25347
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
"Cache seekers assume all risks and responsibilities involved in seeking this and any cache. We never intend for anyone to cross onto private property. The cache is not on/in buildings. No tree climbing. No Bush Whacking. A keen eye and a gentle hand is all that is needed to discover and retrieve the cache."
4/13/2018: added minor clarifications to the puzzle due to the large number of failed checkers. Read carefully and don't rush to a solution.