Douglas having lost to Lockheed on the presidential floatplane, they jumped on the next proposed airframe and were determined not to lose. Through some questionable and possibly illegal business tactics, Douglas won the contract for a luxurious, short-range turboprop transport. The design features a much more traditional wing layout leading to faster repairs and easier maintenance. The plane was designed specifically to out run all commercial aircraft that may be modified to act as interceptors. It is considerably faster than the L77 and can land on much shorter runways, allowing it to be easily hidden on remote airstrips. Similarly, thanks to the powerful Wright P31A turboprop, the D221 can take off on short runways as well. These design features make it a perfect emergency escape aircraft for a president constantly on the move.