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| One of the world's truly outstanding aeroplanes, the DC-3 resulted from American Airlines' requirement for a sleeper aircraft for its US transcontinental route. The DC-2 fuselage was too small for this, so, reluctantly, in the autumn of 1934 Douglas agreed to build the DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) as an enlarged DC-2, with lengthened fuselage, increased span and, most important, an increase of 66cm in fuselage width - allowing up to 28 seats or 14 sleeping berths.
The prototype DST, with 633.4-745kW Wright Cyclone SGR-1820 engines, made its first flight on 17 December 1935 (not inappropriately the 32nd anniversary of the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers). The type entered service with American Airlines on 25 June 1936 over the New York-Chicago route, with transcontinental sleeper services starting on 18 September. The DC-3/DST soon proved itself and orders grew rapidly, with KLM becoming the first operator outside the US. Including 40 DST, 430 DC-3 had been delivered when the USA entered the war - one flew more than 84,000 hours.
The aircraft had such enormous potential that it was ordered in very large numbers by the US armed forces and when production ceased in 1947 Douglas had built 10,654 examples of all civil and military variants; Nakajima and Showa in Japan had built 485 (L2D) and about 2,000 had been built in the USSR as PS-84, but later redesignated Lisunov Li-2 with 742kW Shvetsov engines.
The DC-3 was built in numerous versions and with a wide range of Wright Cyclone and Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines ranging in power from 742 to 894kW. The aircraft were operated on wheels and skis - one even had floats (the XC-47G-DL) - and there was the XCG-17 experimental troop-carrying glider version. Original US military contracts covered 10,047 aircraft of which more than 9,500 were versions of the C-47 Skytrain with reinforced floor and double doors, and 380 G-53 Skytroopers. The US Navy ordered the DC-3 as the R4D. A wide range of military designations was given to civil aircraft impressed by the services before delivery including G-48, C-49, C-50, C-51, G-52, G-68 and C-84. Many military DC-3 were supplied to the US's allies and the 1,900 plus supplied to the RAF were given the name Dakota - a name which has been widely used in place of the correct DC-3 designation.
C-47 made such an important contribution to the US war effort that General Eisenhower considered them to be one of the four most significant weapons of World War II. In the China-Burma-India theatre they 'humped' supplies over the Himalayas from India to China and carried airborne troops on all major invasions. Post-war they contributed to the Berlin Airlift, carried supplies and troops into and wounded men out of Korea, and even fought as heavily armed gun-ships in Vietnam.
After World War II very large numbers of military DC-3 became surplus and were acquired by most of the world's airlines. In the early post-war years they formed the backbone of most airline fleets, initially with austere interiors but later brought up to much higher standards. Some were equipped to carry as many as 36 passengers but 21-28 was standard. Many others were used for cargo and mail.
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| MODEL | DC-3E |
| CREW | 2-3 |
| PASSENGERS | 21-28 |
| ENGINE | 2 x 1200hp Pratt Whitney R-1830-93 Twin Wasp |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 12700 kg | 27999 lb |
| Empty weight | 7697 kg | 16969 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 28.96 m | 95 ft 0 in |
| Length | 19.57 m | 64 ft 2 in |
| Height | 5.16 m | 17 ft 11 in |
| Wing area | 91.69 m2 | 986.94 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 369 km/h | 229 mph |
| Cruise speed | 293 km/h | 182 mph |
| Ceiling | 7071 m | 23200 ft |
| Range | 2414 km | 1500 miles |
| Jay Friedman, e-mail, 19.09.2010 15:55 I'm 70 years old, so have flown in many DC3s. There must have been flights previous to this, but the first I definitely remember was with North Central Airlines from Milwaukee to Chigago in 1963. In 1972 I went to work for the World Health Organization in Nepal, where Royal Nepal Airlines had several in their fleet, which the crews referred to as a "Dakota". Since I constantly traveled all over the country in my job, frequently taking a bicycle with me to use at the destination, I became friendly with many of that airline's pilots. On one trip I was going from Dhangadi in SW Nepal to Nepalganj about 100 miles to the east in an aircraft that was in C-47 configuration in which the passengers sat in rows on each side with their backs to the windows and baggage was carried in strapped down piles in the middle. The pilot was Capt. Ratna Shahnker Shrestha, now living in London UK, whose family I'm still friendly with. I was standing in the back of the cockpit, watching him and his co-pilot fly the plane, when I looked to my left. There a brass plaque screwed into the wall said this particular aircraft had been built or assembled by Hindustan Aviation in India in April 1940, my month of birth! Anyway, Ratna then said to me that the flight was way behind schedule, so he was going to overfly Nepalganj as he had to get back to the airline's base in Kathmandu before dark (where there were no runway lights). I said something like "Come on, man, I gotta get to Nepalganj, and I only have my knapsack and a bicycle. Can't you just quickly land and let me jump out with my stuff?" The Nepalganj airport was a very long unpaved strip, so he did just that. He landed, braked to a stop partway down the field, the stewardess opened the door, I threw out my knapsack and climbed down, she handed me down my bike and Ratna opened the throttles and took right off again. All this took just a couple of minutes. reply | | Charles, e-mail, 14.09.2010 16:25 My first flight was in the University of Ky's DC-3, which was used mostly to transport the football or basketball teams. It smelled of stale beer, and I marveled at having to climb UP to get to my seat.
We flew into that W. Va. airport made by cutting the top off of a mountain. Looking down, I saw a valley and a moment later, I saw the runway about 10 feet below our wheels.
As it rev-ed up, each panel and other items in the plane found its resonance and vibrated, but as the engines built up, one panel would quiet down while others took up the song of vibration. I was thrilled !
Flying out of that airport, the DC-3 sank a bit after leaving the end of the mountain runway. My debate team beat W.Va. and we flew home.
Then, in love with it, I built the DC-3 model kit. reply | | Wiliam Ramsey, e-mail, 24.06.2010 00:25 The immortal C-47 was my first operational acft. out of flight school in 1944. We flew 'em over the hump and to deliver food, ammo, med supplies, etc. to Chinese troops in Burma. It was the best time of my pilot life. Later we flew 'em in Korea as flare ships doing night interdiction on roads, tunnels, vast supply yards, etc. What an airplane. reply | | James C. "J.C." Wheeler, e-mail, 07.08.2010 19:42 I served as a Flight Mechanic and SEFE at Sheppard AFB, Texas in 1963-1966. Then I was selected to join the group at war in Vietnam.
In Vietnam with the 361st Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron, I again served as a Flight Mechanic and as Standardization Evaluation Flight Examiner (SEFE). I was part of a Ferry Flight Crew to take I believe the 3rd of some 70 EC-47 versions of the C-47 to Veitnam across the Pacific using the northern route.
During my tour, 1966 /67, I remained with the crew I had ferried over with and flew 114 of the 7 hour Airborne Radio Direction Finding Missions over South Vietnam, Laos and the Ho Chi Mihn Trail and along the southern cost of North Vietnam. We were the only crew during the 8 years of this mission to ferry over and remain and fly as a CREW for the entire tour, each member was SEFE for their particular crew position. I believe the EC-47 Mission was the last Combat Flying for the C-47, the mission ended on May 15th, 1974 as it was flying out of Thailand in the end. Today I am the sole survivor of my crew.
I have a 13 year old Web-Site "The EC-47 History Site" on this Last Mission for the C-47. If you care to visit, go to ec47.com Be advised this is a Very Large Web-Site, be prepared to spend several hours to see it all. Hope you enjoy it.
James C. Wheeler
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| | d france, e-mail, 18.06.2010 20:07 First job at 22 was flying the DC-3 out of Pontiac & Willow Run MI. Century Airlines. Logged 1000 hrs between 1988-90. Best A /C ever flown so far including B-767. ALBERT- Do you remember the sound the tires made on the concrete when you greased it on ? reply | | Jim Hamilton, e-mail, 21.08.2010 00:26 I flew the C-47 in ww 2 dropped troops and towed gliders in all the operations never had a bit of trouble what a great plane reply | | Jim Chandler, e-mail, 03.05.2010 03:59 I spent about 1200 hours (11 Air Medals and 2 DFC's) on the AC-47 variant at Bien Hoa, RVN in 1967 /68. This ship was also known as "Puff The Magic Dragon". I started out in "BS Bombers", C-47's with speakers and leaflet chutes, but I figured if I was going to get shot at, I wanted to be able to shoot back. I was a Loadmaster and my job was to stand in the open rear door and kick flares out. I never felt unsafe in the C-47 and the only time we had a problem with one of our birds was when a rocket attack started on Bien Hoa just as our main gear touched down after seven hours of flying CAP out north of the base. I think the pilots blew every seal out of both engines when they cobbed them to get the heck out of Dodge. reply | | Darryl Johnston, e-mail, 15.04.2010 16:38 There is a song about the bird - "Methusela With Wings". SAA still has an operational one, used along with a Ju52 for nostalgic flights. If I recall correctly, Atlas Aircraft Corporation modified some SAAF ones to turboprops. reply | | Dave Masson, e-mail, 15.03.2010 23:51 Truly an outstanding aircraft. I have 208 combat missions in southeast asia on EC-47's and have witnessed the tough
AC-47 in action. reply | | John Hancocks, e-mail, 07.03.2010 09:48 What an incredible aircraft whether flying along the West African coast in 1956 deafened by the rain striking the fuselage or in 1967, Libya, watching the sky outside turn yellow /orange as the pilot strove to climb above the sand storm - and most passengers fell asleep through lack of oxygen, and yet another safe landing. Truly an amazing feat. reply | | joe bernabo, e-mail, 27.02.2010 21:32 Did and how did this plane ever fly across the Pacific orr
portiions of it??? STUPID ME - I had a close friend who
was a Flight Engineer on one in ww2 ( he also even trained
a pilot the well known movie-star flier TYRONE POWER the
basics of a C3 or c47.. BUT IT NEVER OCCURED TO ASK HIM any details of THESE LONG FLIGHTS he was on. Thank you reply | | Robert L. Willett, e-mail, 25.02.2010 02:57 In the CBI China National Aviation Corpration flew 26 lend-lease C-47s. On one trip, Capt Moon Chin was unknowingly taking Jimmy Doolittle out of China after the Doolittle Raid. They were landing in Myitkyina, Burma as the Japanese were almost at the airport. Moon Chinn loaded 72 in his C-47, took off for Calcutta and unloaded, finding 4 more in the lavatory. Doolittle's comment was "I should have gone home the way I cxame!" reply | | Eddie Stough, e-mail, 23.02.2010 17:29 Crew chief, Flight mechanic at Lawson Field, Ft. Benning, Ga.1946-1947. 75th Troop Carrier Sqd. reply | | Cap'n Tom, e-mail, 22.02.2010 20:01 Around DC3 /C47 growing up, as dad was chief inspector on DC2, DC3 at Douglas early on. Rode an Air Force C47 from Rabat-Sale, Morocco across the Med to Italy in '58, but best experience was in January '59 when I took a Ozark Airline DC3 from St. Louis to Chicago with stop in Springfield. Had to be six inches of ice on the runway as we "landed" in Springfield, with that "3" held up on two for as long as possible and then as the tail wheel came down, the pilot just holding as close to the center line all the way down the runway, getting us to a nice gentle "skid" as we turned to head back to the terminal. We slid up, the Stew opened the door /step and we got rid of a couple thankful passengers and took on a few more.... then it was skidding down the apron to the end of the runway and....I'm here today to tell the story..... we slipped and slid down that runway and off to Chicago. --- At Midway, they had de-icing chemicals..... reply | |
| | Jean-Pierre Marlier, e-mail, 16.02.2010 17:11 During the Sixties SABENA Belgian Airlines was flying DC3 Cargo and one C47 (OO-AWK).I was working at SABENA Cologne Germany,and one day due to a strike,the weather being ok,we flew a DC3 with + /- 2800 kgs cargo from Cologne to Brussels,without lashing material.No problem at all.... untill we realized that the plane was loaded with + /- 3500 kgs ! The DC3 is for shure one of the best aircraft ever build. reply | | Don Wilson, e-mail, 07.02.2010 02:00 I agree with all the foregoing comments. I had a close relationship with this good airplane for nearly twenty years, off and on. Logged about 1200 hours in it and lost only one engine; fortunately out of Miami so got a couple extra nights on the town from Homestead AFB reply | | Harry VDH, e-mail, 25.01.2010 23:30 Served as a Flight Mechanic and Crew Chief on the Gooney Bird out of Rhein Main in the early 50s. Went many a place and saw a lot, only one time I didn't make it home on schedule, lost a engine at Marsey,(spelling) France reply | | Uncle Bill, e-mail, 24.01.2010 21:00 I flew the "Gooney Bird" all over Europe including the start of the Berlin Airlift, then the south-eastern part of the US, and finally flying VIP in Turkey. Although later I flew B-47's amd B-52's in SAC, the old "Gooney" was the best aircraft I had flown. reply | | JOHNNY MAC CHINN, e-mail, 24.01.2010 03:29 PIEDMONT AIRLINES FLEW THESE RELIABLE BABIES. I SWEAR AT TIMES I BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T FLY BUT CLAWED THEIR WAY THROUGH CLOUDS, FOG AND RAIN, NOT TO MENTION SNOW. FLYING ON THEM IN VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE IN SOME BAD AIRPORTS MADE ME RESPECT THE HELL OUT OF THEM. reply | | TED HANNEGAN, e-mail, 06.01.2010 06:36 FLEW C47 INN THE CBI OUT OF CHABUA ASSAM INDIA.
KNOW ALL ABOUT THE LANDING GEAR.
BUT, IT'S STILL THE BEST ONE TO BRING YOU HOME.
TED reply |
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