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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 |
| L/C Robby Robertson ((ret0, e-mail, 02.03.2011 00:56 In 1944 I was in Alaskan Div. ATC. We were world's first scheduled military airline supporting Ferry route to Russia. Gen. Gaffney said planes only recognize competence, and we never5 lost a passenger. We flew everything except freezing rain and ground fog in C-47s. One of my students put one in a full stall one day and it rolled slowly inverted while shaking violently. Best airplane ever built! reply | | Herb Harrington, e-mail, 27.02.2011 21:24 My first flight on the DC-3 was in 1946 on American Airlines from Bridgeport, CT to LaGuardia with a connecting DC-3 flight to Detroit for my sister's wedding. As a high school freshman this was my first time in an airplane. My parents chose to go by rail but yielded to my strong desire to go by air. I did not take a seat again in a DC-3 until the early 80's with frequent flights to Nantucket on Provincetown Boston Airlines (PBA) reply | | Bill Roll, e-mail, 22.02.2011 06:45 In 1966 I started flying for West Coast Airlines and flew the DC-3. We merged with Pacific and Bonanza, formed Air West and we flew the DC-3 until 1968. I was proud of my type rating in the Grand Old Lady of the Airways! reply | | Ben West, e-mail, 14.02.2011 00:35 I was on the Goonie Bird in as a Flight Mechanic in base Flight in the 7206 Support Group in Athens Greece from 1967 thru 1970. We had 5 goons there. I was on ans 18 month tour there since I was a single airman but managed to stay there for 3.5 years, what a great assignment Athens was.
In 71 I went to Det-1 56th Special Ops Group with a little outfit called Air America in Laos and did 14 months on Puff there the Returned to Dover and back to the C5. reply | |
| | Jerome Mooers, e-mail, 29.01.2011 07:57 Flew in this plan while in the Navy at North Island in San Diego. It was a R4D and we taught pilots how to hunt submarines. 1957. New it was old but did not realize it was flying before I was born. Retired them to Arizona bone yard before leaving the Navy. Very reliable airplane. reply | | President Bill Clinton, 09.01.2011 06:41 On behalf of The White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the American Armed Forces we would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Anna Kreisling, The White Wolf of the Luftwaffe! Your invaluable service to the United States during the Cold War and your numerous Humanitarian flights to Pakistan and around the world has been an inspiration! Born in Berlin on January 10,1920. Anna grew up in troubled times, however she and other German Women such as her friend Hannah Reitsch, overcame all obstacles to achieve Great Events in Aviation History.
Anna Kreisling received the Iron Cross with Diamonds in 1944. I am today recommending to President Obama that she be given the Medal of Freedom award! Happy Birthday Anna!!! reply | | Howard Sculthorpe, e-mail, 06.01.2011 00:35 Working as a young engineer at Douglas Long Beach, I frequently had to ride up to Edwards Air Force Base to collect flight data on the C-133. To get there one rode one of the DC-3's from Long Beach to El Segundo (LAX) to Santa Monica to EAFB. The pilots were apparently bored and made a game out of coming inches over the fence and high speed taxiing with the tail up - real pros. reply | | Dick Bagley, e-mail, 29.12.2010 07:27 While the DC3 is /was a great airplane, where is the info on the R4D-8(C117) that flew with the Navy and Marine Corps for many years. It was a beefed up DC3 with square wings and tail and a retractable tail wheel. Comparison would be nice to see on this site. I flew it for the Marine Corps from 1971 thru 1975 when I retired. reply | | Mel Brooks Hollywood, 03.12.2010 22:37 I don't care about CNN NEWS! Just tell me where this gorgeous hot blond lives! She appeared in the November issue of Pacific Flyer under BLONDE BOMBSHELLS! How can Anna Kreisling look so smoking hot when she is 92 years old!!!At UCLA Professor Manstein told me its because of time travel and the power of Gate technology, that Anna can go back in time to 1936, and then travel to the year 2010!
I don't care! All I know is I've had a boner for six days and its killing me! Anna Kreisling has to be in my next Movie,"Spring Time for Obama and Germany!" Anna Kreisling will save the CHOSEN ONE by landing her DC-3 IN front of the White House and with 2.6 million poor Americans wanting their promised Obama money, he runs to the DC-3 and Bill Clinton saves his bacon by pulling him aboard!! Then they fly to Jamaica and then they try to out drink Anna Kreisling, after the fifth day they give up!! The movie will make millions!! reply | | Peter Graves CNN NEWS, 29.11.2010 09:24 Yesterday, I was at EDWARDS Air Force Base doing a story on the Aurora project and a Russian B-25 Missile they are testing, when I saw a Douglas DC-3 land and taxi up. The door popped open and down the ladder came several high ranking Air Force Pilots and a mysterious blonde wearing a black jump suit. At ground level you could tell that she was in charge and everone was listening to her every word. She looked at me with intense ice blue eyes, around her neck she wore a blue and gold cross that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. They boarded two cars and left for Hangar 17. As I walked up to the DC-3,I wrote down the N number, but when I checked the FAA files, this aircraft does not exist! Five hours later I was at a bar on base and Col. Medford asked me if I wanted to meet The White Wolf, I thought he was drunk so I said sure! We went down the hall and there having dinner was this lady with frost white blond hair,very tan face and crystal ice blue eyes. It was my first time to meet ANNA KREISLING, and my first question was really stupid, "Did you actually know Adolf Hitler??"
"Yes," she replied. She gazed at me and began smiling and the other Air Force officers said nothing.
"Well why did he start World War II" I asked.
"Adolf Hitler loved Germany and was trying to stop the British from basing their bombers in Poland as a threat. When he could not reach an agreement with Winston Churchill. He reached a pact with Stalin to divide up POLAND, and thus avert a war. However both Stalin and Churchill both reached agreements to go to war against Germany, that is when Hitler decided to strike first!"
I was taken aback by her answer, she continued eating and I was struck by the silence in the room.
"What was Hitler like??" I asked.
"Hitler loved Germany, he had a great sense of humor, he loved animals, he loved music and the Arts. He only felt comfortable with women, he cherished his mother and all German women. He was only open with a select group of women, where he could pour out his heart and speak about his fears. There were perhaps only five men he trusted, one of course was Heinrich Himmler!"
Later when I left I was struck with awe, this was a person who knew both Hitler and Himmler for more than a decade, yet who remains almost unknown to the outside world. reply | | thomas w deane, e-mail, 28.11.2010 07:24 flew as flight mech. engineer crew chief the winter 1954-55 in seoul korea K-55. the gypsys was the outfit. flew supply's from japan to korea and all over korea. reply | | Mick Brown, e-mail, 24.11.2010 22:16 Flew the C-117 (Super DC-3) out of Cubi Point, PI in early 70s. What a great, great airplane. reply | | Mike Routledge, e-mail, 16.11.2010 04:22 Served @ Nha Trang as FE on AC-47, Jul 68-Jul 69. Super airplanes. Most of our airplanes were about 25 years old. Didn't have any bad experiences, in 850 hours of mostly night missions..My aircraft commander, LtCol Tillman did a nice job of keeping us safe. reply | | D.L. Bradford, e-mail, 12.11.2010 04:22 After Tech school at Lackland in 61 I was assigned to Base Flight at Beale. We had 4 Gooneys and they were great a /c. I checked in with my tools to the Quonset and this burly staff sgt. took me to the back door pointed at a Gooney on the ramp and said go change the #1 jug on #1 eng. I got within 20ft of the bird and was already dirty. I loved working on those ol girls and Gooneys have a place in my heart today. I retired from Western /Delta in 06 after nearly 39 years having worked on all kinds of a /c and finally finishing in Q /C. Loved the work and planes. reply | |
| | John, e-mail, 10.11.2010 18:10 Contrary to most references which indicate the last USAF AC-47D flight was Dec '69, it actually was six months later, beginning with: "This briefing is classified TOP SECRET. Gentlemen, you are not here, you are not going where you are going, and you are definitely not doing what you will do." This Udorn RTAB mission was unclassified ten years later, but flying it was a gas, the most fun I had in forty years of flying. reply | | John Setser CMS USAF, RET, e-mail, 16.10.2010 05:06 First flight was on C47 from Lackland to Chanute 1953. Sent to Korea in June 56 as engine mech on "Gooney". Got to crew one from Feb to Jun 57 when I rotated. A very easy craft to "crew". Got to several sites in Korea and Japan several times.Took the bird to Manila for overhaul just before rotating. Stationed at Offutt in 1965 as eng mech and got to work on the old gal again. Tail # was 4348158. Would love to hear where it is now if anyone knows. reply | | Roy Nisja, e-mail, 13.10.2010 01:40 My first flight in an airplane was in 1946 at age 12 with my mother and brother from San Francisco to Chicago. What a thrill it was for this youngster to get to go forward into the "greenhouse" at night and talk with the pilots. I was amazed at all the gauges etc., but I will never forget that first flight in one of the greatest airplanes ever made. I have a picture of one next to my computer right now. reply | | Roger W. Swift, e-mail, 30.09.2010 09:08 1st time up in a C-47 was in 1959. Flew from Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada, to Kansas City. Next time up in one, it was an EC-47 in Viet Nam,1966-1967, 106 combat missions as a Radio Operator, Back Ender, Silent Warrior. Located and had an awful lot of the enemy killed. DFC and 5 air medals. Would have had more missions, but was grounded by my Commander my last two months there as the White Mice had an arrest warrent out for me. (Had a vehical accident), so he would not let me leave the base until I got on the big blue (Pan Am) to come home. Never had the sligest doubt about those Grand Ladys bringing me back to the base. 6994th Security Squadron, TSN. Nick named Antique Airlins because of the age of the aircraft and also of our pilots, the youngest being 45. When I was stationed in Reno. Nev. 1960-1961, we had the oldest C-47 still in commision assigned there, but I never got up in her. reply | | Ralph McRae, e-mail, 22.09.2010 22:18 I flew the DC-3 /R4D over 1,800 hrs out of LBAD in Lexington KY in the late 60's and early 70's. All over the eastern half of the US in all kinds of weather. The one I flew the most was Army 43-17168 which was made a yr before I was born and it still soldiers on as a mosquito fighter in FL today. reply | | 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 |
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