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Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC-2. It is a low-wing metal monoplane with conventional landing gear, powered by two radial piston engines of 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW). (Although the DC-3s originally built for civil service had the Wright R-1820 Cyclone, later civilian DC-3s used the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine.[2] The DC-3 has a cruising speed of 207 mph (333 km/h), a capacity of 21 to 32 passengers or 6,000 lbs (2,700 kg) of cargo, and a range of 1,500 mi (2,400 km), and can operate from short runways.

DC-3
A DC-3 operated in period Scandinavian Airlines colours by Flygande Veteraner flying over Lidingö, Sweden, in 1989
Role Airliner and transport aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight December 17, 1935
Introduction 1936, with American Airlines
Status In service
Produced 1936–1942, 1950
Number built 607[1]
Developed from Douglas DC-2
Variants Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Douglas R4D-8/C-117D
Lisunov Li-2
Showa/Nakajima L2D
Basler BT-67
Conroy Turbo-Three
Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three

The DC-3 had many exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft. It was fast, had a good range, was more reliable, and carried passengers in greater comfort. Before the war, it pioneered many air travel routes. It was able to cross the continental United States from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours, with only three stops. It is one of the first airliners that could profitably carry only passengers without relying on mail subsidies.[3][4]

Following the war, the airliner market was flooded with surplus transport aircraft, and the DC-3 was no longer competitive due to its inadequate size and slow speed. It was made obsolete on main routes by more advanced types such as the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation, but the design proved adaptable and useful on less commercially demanding routes.

Civilian DC-3 production ended in 1942 at 607 aircraft. Military versions, including the C-47 Skytrain (the Dakota in British RAF service), and Soviet- and Japanese-built versions, brought total production to over 16,000. Many continued to be used in a variety of niche roles; 2,000 DC-3s and military derivatives were estimated to be still flying in 2013;[5] a 2017 article put the number at that time at more than 300.[6]

Design and development

 
DC-3 airliner cabin
 
Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) showing the second row of windows for the upper bunk beds, above the airline titles

"DC" stands for "Douglas Commercial". The DC-3 was the culmination of a development effort that began after an inquiry from Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) to Donald Douglas. TWA's rival in transcontinental air service, United Airlines, was starting service with the Boeing 247, and Boeing refused to sell any 247s to other airlines until United's order for 60 aircraft had been filled.[7] TWA asked Douglas to design and build an aircraft that would allow TWA to compete with United. Douglas' design, the 1933 DC-1, was promising, and led to the DC-2 in 1934. The DC-2 was a success, but with room for improvement.

 
Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 engine of American Airlines "Flagship Knoxville"[8]

The DC-3 resulted from a marathon telephone call from American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith to Donald Douglas, when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American's Curtiss Condor II biplanes. The DC-2's cabin was 66 inches (1.7 m) wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths. Douglas agreed to go ahead with development only after Smith informed him of American's intention to purchase 20 aircraft. The new aircraft was engineered by a team led by chief engineer Arthur E. Raymond over the next two years, and the prototype DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) first flew on December 17, 1935 (the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk) with Douglas chief test pilot Carl Cover at the controls. Its cabin was 92 in (2,300 mm) wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths[9] of the DST was given the designation DC-3. No prototype was built, and the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line for delivery to American Airlines.[10]

 
Ex-military Air Atlantique C-47B at RAF Hullavington in 2005

The DC-3 and DST popularized air travel in the United States. Eastbound transcontinental flights could cross the U.S. in about 15 hours with three refueling stops, while westbound trips against the wind took 17+12 hours. A few years earlier, such a trip entailed short hops in slower and shorter-range aircraft during the day, coupled with train travel overnight.[11]

Several radial engines were offered for the DC-3. Early-production civilian aircraft used either the 9-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 or the 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, but the Twin Wasp was chosen for most military versions and was also used by most DC-3s converted from military service. Five DC-3S Super DC-3s with Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasps were built in the late 1940s, three of which entered airline service.

Production

Total production including all military variants was 16,079.[12] More than 400 remained in commercial service in 1998. Production was:

Production of DSTs ended in mid-1941 and civilian DC-3 production ended in early 1943, although dozens of the DSTs and DC-3s ordered by airlines that were produced between 1941 and 1943 were pressed into the US military service while still on the production line.[13][14] Military versions were produced until the end of the war in 1945. A larger, more powerful Super DC-3 was launched in 1949 to positive reviews. The civilian market was flooded with second-hand C-47s, many of which were converted to passenger and cargo versions. Only five Super DC-3s were built, and three of them were delivered for commercial use. The prototype Super DC-3 served the US Navy with the designation YC-129 alongside 100 R4Ds that had been upgraded to the Super DC-3 specifications.

Turboprop conversions

 
BSAS C-47–65ARTP powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-65AR turboprop engines

From the early 1950s, some DC-3s were modified to use Rolls-Royce Dart engines, as in the Conroy Turbo Three. Other conversions featured Armstrong Siddeley Mamba or Pratt & Whitney PT6A turbines.

The Greenwich Aircraft Corp DC-3-TP is a conversion with an extended fuselage and with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR or PT6A-67R engines fitted.[15][16][17]

The Basler BT-67 is a conversion of the DC-3/C-47. Basler refurbishes C-47s and DC-3s at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, fitting them with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, lengthening the fuselage by 40 in (1,000 mm) with a fuselage plug ahead of the wing, and some local strengthening of the airframe.[18]

South Africa-based Braddick Specialised Air Services International (commonly referred to as BSAS International) has also performed Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop conversions, having performed modifications on over 50 DC-3/C-47s / 65ARTP / 67RTP / 67FTPs.[19]

Operational history

 
Aigle Azur (France) Douglas C-47B in 1953, with a ventral Turbomeca Palas booster jet for hot and high operations
 
Iranian National Airways DC-3 in 1954
 
DC-3 on amphibious EDO floats in 2003.
 
Two C-47s - one boarding skydivers, while another taxis by, 1977
 
Betsy, a DC-3 now in the Hong Kong Science Museum inaugurated operations with Cathay Pacific in 1946
 
C-47 Skytrains during the Berlin Airlift

American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from Newark, New Jersey and Chicago, Illinois.[20] Early U.S. airlines like American, United, TWA, Eastern, and Delta ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry, which eventually replaced trains as the favored means of long-distance travel across the United States. A nonprofit group, Flagship Detroit Foundation, continues to operate the only original American Airlines Flagship DC-3 with air show and airport visits throughout the U.S.[21]

In 1936, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines received its first DC-3, which replaced the DC-2 in service from Amsterdam via Batavia (now Jakarta) to Sydney, by far the world's longest scheduled route at the time. In total, KLM bought 23 DC-3s before the war broke out in Europe.[citation needed] In 1941, a China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) DC-3 pressed into wartime transportation service was bombed on the ground at Suifu Airfield in China, destroying the outer right wing. The only spare available was that of a smaller Douglas DC-2 in CNAC's workshops. The DC-2's right wing was removed, flown to Suifu under the belly of another CNAC DC-3, and bolted up to the damaged aircraft. After a single test flight, in which it was discovered that it pulled to the right due to the difference in wing sizes, the so-called DC-2½ was flown to safety.[22]

During World War II, many civilian DC-3s were drafted for the war effort and more than 10,000 U.S. military versions of the DC-3 were built, under the designations C-47, C-53, R4D, and Dakota. Peak production was reached in 1944, with 4,853 being delivered. [23] The armed forces of many countries used the DC-3 and its military variants for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. Licensed copies of the DC-3 were built in Japan as the Showa L2D (487 aircraft); and in the Soviet Union as the Lisunov Li-2 (4,937 aircraft).[12]

After the war, thousands of cheap ex-military DC-3s became available for civilian use.[24] Cubana de Aviación became the first Latin American airline to offer a scheduled service to Miami when it started its first scheduled international service from Havana in 1945 with a DC-3. Cubana used DC-3s on some domestic routes well into the 1960s.[25][26]

Douglas developed an improved version, the Super DC-3, with more power, greater cargo capacity, and an improved wing, but with surplus aircraft available for cheap, they failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market.[27] Only five were delivered, three of them to Capital Airlines. The U.S. Navy had 100 of its early R4Ds converted to Super DC-3 standard during the early 1950s as the Douglas R4D-8/C-117D. The last U.S. Navy C-117 was retired July 12, 1976.[28] The last U.S. Marine Corps C-117, serial 50835, was retired from active service during June 1982. Several remained in service with small airlines in North and South America in 2006.[29]

The United States Forest Service used the DC-3 for smoke jumping and general transportation until the last example was retired in December 2015.[30]

A number of aircraft companies attempted to design a "DC-3 replacement" over the next three decades (including the very successful Fokker F27 Friendship), but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3. It remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s.

DC-3 after 70 years

 
Rovos Air C-47A operating in South Africa, 2006
 
DC-3 flown as a warbird, previously flew for the Royal New Zealand Air Force and New Zealand's National Airways Corporation.

Perhaps unique among prewar aircraft, the DC-3 continues to fly in active commercial and military service as of 2021, eighty-six years after the type's first flight in 1935.[citation needed] There are still small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo aircraft. Applications of the DC-3 have included passenger service, aerial spraying, freight transport, military transport, missionary flying, skydiver shuttling and sightseeing. There have been a very large number of civil and military operators of the DC-3/C-47 and related types, which would have made it impracticable to provide a comprehensive listing of all operators.

A common saying among aviation enthusiasts and pilots is "the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3".[31][32] Its ability to use grass or dirt runways makes it popular in developing countries or remote areas, where runways may be unpaved.[33][34]

The oldest surviving DST is N133D, the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built, manufactured in 1936. This aircraft was delivered to American Airlines on 12 July 1936 as NC16005. In 2011 it was at Shell Creek Airport, Punta Gorda, Florida.[35] It has been repaired and has been flying again. The most recent flight was on 25 April 2021.[36][37] The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American Airlines Flagship Detroit (c/n 1920, the 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line, delivered on 2 March 1937),[38] which appears at airshows around the United States and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation.[21]

The base price of a new DC-3 in 1936 was around $60,000–$80,000, and by 1960 used examples were available for $75,000.[39]

As of 2020 there are still aircraft being remanufactured and heavily modified to Basler BT-67 utility planes, for use by commercial cargo airlines.[citation needed]

Original operators

Variants

Civil

DST
Douglas Sleeper Transport; the initial variant with two 1,000–1,200-horsepower (750–890 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines and standard sleeper accommodation for up to 16 with small upper windows, convertible to carry up to 24 day passengers.[40]
DST-A
DST with 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines
DC-3
Initial non-sleeper variant; with 21 day-passenger seats, 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, no upper windows.
DC-3A
DC-3 with 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.
DC-3B
Version of DC-3 for TWA, with two 1,100–1,200 hp (820–890 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines and smaller convertible sleeper cabin forward with fewer upper windows than DST.
DC-3C
 
TransNorthern Super DC-3 (C-117D) in Anchorage, Alaska
Designation for ex-military C-47, C-53, and R4D aircraft rebuilt by Douglas Aircraft in 1946, given new manufacturer numbers, and sold on the civil market; Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines.[41]
DC-3D
Designation for 28 new aircraft completed by Douglas in 1946 with unused components from the cancelled USAAF C-117 production line; Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines.[42]
DC-3S
Also known as Super DC-3, substantially redesigned DC-3 with fuselage lengthened by 39 inches (1.0 m); outer wings of a different shape with squared-off wingtips and shorter span; distinctive taller rectangular tail; and fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2000 or 1,475 hp (1,100 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines. Five completed by Douglas for civil use using existing surplus secondhand airframes.[43] Three Super DC-3s were operated by Capital Airlines 1950–1952.[44] Designation also used for examples of the 100 R4Ds that had been converted by Douglas to this standard for the U.S. Navy as R4D-8s (later designated C-117Ds), all fitted with more powerful Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, some of which entered civil use after retirement from military service.[45]

Military

C-41, C-41A
The C-41 was the first DC-3 to be ordered by the USAAC and was powered by two 1,200 hp (890 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 engines. It was delivered in October 1938 for use by United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) chief General Henry H. Arnold with the passenger cabin fitted out in a 14-seat VIP configuration.[46] The C-41A was a single VIP DC-3A supplied to the USAAC in September 1939, also powered by R-1830-21 engines; and used by the Secretary of War. The forward cabin converted to sleeper configuration with upper windows similar to the DC-3B.[47][48]
C-48
Various DC-3A and DST models; 36 impressed as C-48, C-48A, C-48B, and C-48C.
  • C-48 - 1 impressed ex-United Air Lines DC-3A.
  • C-48A - 3 impressed DC-3As with 18-seat interiors.
  • C-48B - 16 impressed ex-United Air Lines DST-A air ambulances with 16-berth interiors.
  • C-48C - 16 impressed DC-3As with 21-seat interiors.
C-49
Various DC-3 and DST models; 138 impressed into service as C-49, C-49A, C-49B, C-49C, C-49D, C-49E, C-49F, C-49G, C-49H, C-49J, and C-49K.
C-50
Various DC-3 models, fourteen impressed as C-50, C-50A, C-50B, C-50C, and C-50D.
C-51
One impressed aircraft originally ordered by Canadian Colonial Airlines, had starboard-side door.
C-52
DC-3A aircraft with R-1830 engines, five impressed as C-52, C-52A, C-52B, C-52C, and C-52D.
C-68
Two DC-3As impressed with 21-seat interiors.
C-84
One impressed DC-3B aircraft.
Dakota II
British Royal Air Force designation for impressed DC-3s.
LXD1
A single DC-3 supplied for evaluation by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS).
R4D-2
Two Eastern Air Lines DC-3-388s impressed into United States Navy (USN) service as VIP transports, later designated R4D-2F and later R4D-2Z.
R4D-4
Ten DC-3As impressed for use by the USN.
R4D-4R
Seven DC-3s impressed as staff transports for the USN.
R4D-4Q
Radar countermeasures version of R4D-4 for the USN.

Conversions

 
The only example of the Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three at the 1978 Farnborough Airshow. This aircraft saw service in both the Arctic and Antarctica
Dart-Dakota
for BEA test services, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines.
Mamba-Dakota
A single conversion for the Ministry of Supply, powered by two Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba turboprop engines.
Airtech DC-3/2000
DC-3/C-47 engine conversion by Airtech Canada, first offered in 1987. Powered by two PZL ASz-62IT radial engines.[49]
Basler BT-67
DC-3/C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened structure, modern avionics, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-67R turboprop engines.
BSAS C-47TP Turbo Dakota
A South African C-47 conversion for the South African Air Force by Braddick Specialised Air Services, with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65R turboprop engines, revised systems, stretched fuselage, and modern avionics.
Conroy Turbo-Three
One DC-3/C-47 converted by Conroy Aircraft with two Rolls-Royce Dart Mk. 510 turboprop engines.
Conroy Super-Turbo-Three
Same as the Turbo Three but converted from a Super DC-3. One converted.
Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three
Conroy Turbo Three further modified by the removal of the two Rolls-Royce Dart engines and their replacement by three Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6s (one mounted on each wing and one in the nose).
Greenwich Aircraft Corp Turbo Dakota DC-3
DC-3/C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened wing center section, updated systems, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR turboprop engines.[50][51]
Ts-62
Douglas-built airframe fitted with Russian Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engines after World War II due to shortage of American engines in the Soviet Union.[citation needed]
Ts-82
Similar to Ts-62, but with Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engines of 1,650 hp.[citation needed]
USAC DC-3 Turbo Express
A turboprop conversion by the United States Aircraft Corporation, fitting Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R turboprop engines with an extended forward fuselage to maintain center of gravity. First flight of the prototype conversion, (N300TX), was on July 29, 1982.[52]

Military and foreign derivatives

 
Nakajima L2D in Japanese markings showing engine and cockpit glazing differences on later variants.
Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-53 Skytrooper
Production military DC-3A variants.
Showa and Nakajima L2D
Developments manufactured under license in Japan by the Nakajima and Showa for the IJNAS; 487 built.
Lisunov Li-2 and PS-84
Developments manufactured under license in the USSR; 4,937 built.

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (DC-3A-S1C3G)

 
 
DC-3 cockpit

Data from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two
  • Capacity: 21–32 passengers
  • Length: 64 ft 8 in (19.7 m)
  • Wingspan: 95 ft 2 in (29.0 m)
  • Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m)
  • Wing area: 987 sq ft (91.7 m2)
  • Aspect ratio: 9.17
  • Airfoil: NACA2215 / NACA2206
  • Empty weight: 16,865 lb (7,650 kg)
  • Gross weight: 25,200 lb (11,431 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 822 gal. (3736 L)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp 14-cyl. air-cooled two row radial piston engine, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each
  • Propellers: 3-bladed Hamilton Standard 23E50 series, 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) diameter hydraulically controlled constant speed, feathering

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 200 kn (230 mph, 370 km/h) at 8,500 ft (2,590 m)
  • Cruise speed: 180 kn (207 mph, 333 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 68.0 kn (78.2 mph, 125.9 km/h)
  • Range: 1,370 nmi (1,580 mi, 2,540 km) (maximum fuel, 3500 lb payload)
  • Service ceiling: 23,200 ft (7,100 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,130 ft/min (5.7 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 25.5 lb/sq ft (125 kg/m2)
  • Power/mass: 0.0952 hp/lb (156.5 W/kg)

Notable appearances in media

See also

 
 
A 1944 Douglas DC-3C starting its engines and taxiing with its tail wheel unlocked (2015).

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Francillon 1979, pp. 217–251.
  2. ^ "Douglas DC-3 and C-47 Engines". The Dakota Association of South Africa. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Kathleen Burke (April 2013). "How the DC-3 Revolutionized Air Travel". Smithsonian.
  4. ^ "Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-3 Commercial Transport". www.boeing.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  5. ^ Jonathan Glancey (October 9, 2013). "The Douglas DC-3: Still revolutionary in its 70s". BBC.
  6. ^ "Why the DC-3 is such a Badass Plane". Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  7. ^ O'Leary 1992, p. 7.
  8. ^ May, Joseph (January 8, 2013). . Seattle Post-Intelligencer blogs. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  9. ^ Berths were 77 in (2.0 m) long; lowers were 36 in (910 mm) wide and uppers were 30 in (760 mm).
  10. ^ Pearcy 1987, p. 17.
  11. ^ O'Leary 2006, p. 54.
  12. ^ a b Gradidge 2006, p. 20.
  13. ^ Pearcy 1987, p. 76
  14. ^ Pearcy 1987, pp. 69–117
  15. ^ Turbo Dakota DC-3 "Turbine Conversion Aircraft". dodson.com. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  16. ^ "FAA Supplemental Type Certificate Number SA3820SW" retrieved March 28, 2015
  17. ^ Turbo Dakota DC-3 Conversion Process 2014-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, Dodson International. Retrieved March 28, 2015
  18. ^ "Basler BT-67". Basler Turbo Conversions, LLC via baslerturbo.com, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
  19. ^ Turbine Aircraft Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  20. ^ Holden, Henry. "The DC-3 Genesis of The Legend". dc3history.org. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  21. ^ a b "DC-3". Flagship Detroit Foundation. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  22. ^ "CNAC'S DC-2 1/2" Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  23. ^ Gradidge 2006, p. 15.
  24. ^ Norton, Bill (2004). Air War on the Edge: A History of the Israeli Air Force and Its Aircraft Since 1947. Midland. p. 99. ISBN 9781857800883.
  25. ^ FlightGlobal archive (April 18, 1953)
  26. ^
  27. ^ . UK Heritage Aviation Trust. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  28. ^ "The Seventies 1970–1980: C-117, p. 316". 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine history.navy.mil. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  29. ^ Gradidge 2006, pp. 634–637.
  30. ^ Gabbert, Bill (December 21, 2015). "The last Forest Service DC-3 retires". Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  31. ^ Holden 1991, p. 145
  32. ^ Glancey, Jonathan (October 10, 2013). "The Douglas DC-3: Still Revolutionary in its 70s". BBC. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  33. ^ "Colombia's Workhorse, the DC-3 airplane". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  34. ^ "Douglas DC-3". Buffalo Airways. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  35. ^ Moss, Frank. "World's Oldest DC-3". douglasdc3.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  36. ^ "Sunshine Skies". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  37. ^ "N133D Flight Tracking and History". FlightAware. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  38. ^ Pearcy 1987 p. 22
  39. ^ . Flight, November 18, 1960, p. 798. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  40. ^ "Sleeping Car of the Air Has Sixteen Sleeping Berths". Popular Mechanics, January 1936.
  41. ^ "Aircraft Specifications NO. A-669". FAA. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  42. ^ Gradidge 2006, pp. 632–633.
  43. ^ Gradidge, 2006, p. 634
  44. ^ Pearcy, Arthur Douglas Propliners DC-1 – DC-7, Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1995, ISBN 1-8531026-1-X, pp. 93–95.
  45. ^ Gradidge 2006, pp. 634–639.
  46. ^ Pearcy 1987, p. 34
  47. ^ "Douglas C-41A". 2008-09-07 at the Wayback Machine aero-web.org. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  48. ^ Rickard, J. (November 11, 2008). "Douglas C-41A". historyofwar.org. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  49. ^ "AirTech Company Profile" August 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. ic.gc.ca. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  50. ^ Turbo Dakota DC-3 Conversion Process 2014-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, Dodson International. Retrieved January 4, 2013
  51. ^ Specs – Engines & Props 2013-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, Dodson International. Retrieved January 4, 2013
  52. ^ Taylor 1983[page needed]

Bibliography

  • Francillon, René [fr]. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.
  • Gradidge, Jennifer M. The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3: The First Seventy Years, Volumes One and Two. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006. ISBN 0-85130-332-3.
  • Holden, Henry M.. The Douglas DC-3. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books, 1991. ISBN 0-8306-3450-9.
  • Kaplan, Philip. Legend: A Celebration of the Douglas DC-3/C-47/Dakota. Peter Livanos & Philip Kaplan, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9557061-1-0.
  • Key Publishing (2023). Lockheed Constellation. Historic Commercial Aircraft Series, Vol 13. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. ISBN 9781802823707.
  • O'Leary, Michael. DC-3 and C-47 Gooney Birds. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1992. ISBN 0-87938-543-X.
  • O'Leary, Michael. When Fords Ruled the Sky (Part Two). Air Classics, Volume 42, No. 5, May 2006.
  • Pearcy, Arthur. Douglas DC-3 Survivors, Volume 1. Bourne End, Bucks, UK: Aston Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-946627-13-4.
  • Pearcy, Arthur. Douglas Propliners: DC-1–DC-7. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-85310-261-X.
  • Reinhard, Martin A. (January–February 2004). "Talkback". Air Enthusiast. No. 109. p. 74. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1982–83. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1983. ISBN 0-7106-0748-2.
  • Wulf, Herman de (August–November 1990). "An Airline at War". Air Enthusiast (13): 72–77. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Yenne, Bill. McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-517-44287-6.

External links

  • Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-3 Commercial Transport
  • DC-3/Dakota Historical Society
  • The DC-3 Hangar – Douglas DC-3 specific site
  • Douglas DC-3 at the Aviation History Online Museum

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DC 3 redirects here For other uses see DC 3 disambiguation The Douglas DC 3 is a propeller driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II It was developed as a larger improved 14 bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC 2 It is a low wing metal monoplane with conventional landing gear powered by two radial piston engines of 1 000 1 200 hp 750 890 kW Although the DC 3s originally built for civil service had the Wright R 1820 Cyclone later civilian DC 3s used the Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 Twin Wasp engine 2 The DC 3 has a cruising speed of 207 mph 333 km h a capacity of 21 to 32 passengers or 6 000 lbs 2 700 kg of cargo and a range of 1 500 mi 2 400 km and can operate from short runways DC 3A DC 3 operated in period Scandinavian Airlines colours by Flygande Veteraner flying over Lidingo Sweden in 1989Role Airliner and transport aircraftNational origin United StatesManufacturer Douglas Aircraft CompanyFirst flight December 17 1935Introduction 1936 with American AirlinesStatus In serviceProduced 1936 1942 1950Number built 607 1 Developed from Douglas DC 2Variants Douglas C 47 Skytrain Douglas R4D 8 C 117D Lisunov Li 2 Showa Nakajima L2D Basler BT 67 Conroy Turbo Three Conroy Tri Turbo ThreeThe DC 3 had many exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft It was fast had a good range was more reliable and carried passengers in greater comfort Before the war it pioneered many air travel routes It was able to cross the continental United States from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours with only three stops It is one of the first airliners that could profitably carry only passengers without relying on mail subsidies 3 4 Following the war the airliner market was flooded with surplus transport aircraft and the DC 3 was no longer competitive due to its inadequate size and slow speed It was made obsolete on main routes by more advanced types such as the Douglas DC 4 and Lockheed Constellation but the design proved adaptable and useful on less commercially demanding routes Civilian DC 3 production ended in 1942 at 607 aircraft Military versions including the C 47 Skytrain the Dakota in British RAF service and Soviet and Japanese built versions brought total production to over 16 000 Many continued to be used in a variety of niche roles 2 000 DC 3s and military derivatives were estimated to be still flying in 2013 5 a 2017 article put the number at that time at more than 300 6 Contents 1 Design and development 1 1 Production 1 2 Turboprop conversions 2 Operational history 2 1 DC 3 after 70 years 3 Original operators 4 Variants 4 1 Civil 4 2 Military 4 3 Conversions 4 4 Military and foreign derivatives 5 Accidents and incidents 6 Specifications DC 3A S1C3G 7 Notable appearances in media 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Notes 9 2 Bibliography 10 External linksDesign and development Edit DC 3 airliner cabin Douglas Sleeper Transport DST showing the second row of windows for the upper bunk beds above the airline titles DC stands for Douglas Commercial The DC 3 was the culmination of a development effort that began after an inquiry from Transcontinental and Western Airlines TWA to Donald Douglas TWA s rival in transcontinental air service United Airlines was starting service with the Boeing 247 and Boeing refused to sell any 247s to other airlines until United s order for 60 aircraft had been filled 7 TWA asked Douglas to design and build an aircraft that would allow TWA to compete with United Douglas design the 1933 DC 1 was promising and led to the DC 2 in 1934 The DC 2 was a success but with room for improvement Wright R 1820 Cyclone 9 engine of American Airlines Flagship Knoxville 8 The DC 3 resulted from a marathon telephone call from American Airlines CEO C R Smith to Donald Douglas when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC 2 to replace American s Curtiss Condor II biplanes The DC 2 s cabin was 66 inches 1 7 m wide too narrow for side by side berths Douglas agreed to go ahead with development only after Smith informed him of American s intention to purchase 20 aircraft The new aircraft was engineered by a team led by chief engineer Arthur E Raymond over the next two years and the prototype DST Douglas Sleeper Transport first flew on December 17 1935 the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk with Douglas chief test pilot Carl Cover at the controls Its cabin was 92 in 2 300 mm wide and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14 16 sleeping berths 9 of the DST was given the designation DC 3 No prototype was built and the first DC 3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line for delivery to American Airlines 10 Ex military Air Atlantique C 47B at RAF Hullavington in 2005 The DC 3 and DST popularized air travel in the United States Eastbound transcontinental flights could cross the U S in about 15 hours with three refueling stops while westbound trips against the wind took 17 1 2 hours A few years earlier such a trip entailed short hops in slower and shorter range aircraft during the day coupled with train travel overnight 11 Several radial engines were offered for the DC 3 Early production civilian aircraft used either the 9 cylinder Wright R 1820 Cyclone 9 or the 14 cylinder Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 Twin Wasp but the Twin Wasp was chosen for most military versions and was also used by most DC 3s converted from military service Five DC 3S Super DC 3s with Pratt amp Whitney R 2000 Twin Wasps were built in the late 1940s three of which entered airline service Production Edit Total production including all military variants was 16 079 12 More than 400 remained in commercial service in 1998 Production was 607 civilian variants 10 048 military C 47 and C 53 derivatives built at Santa Monica California Long Beach California and Oklahoma City 4 937 built under license in the Soviet Union 1939 1950 as the Lisunov Li 2 NATO reporting name Cab 487 Mitsubishi Kinsei engined aircraft built by Showa and Nakajima in Japan 1939 1945 as the L2D Type 0 transport Allied codename Tabby Production of DSTs ended in mid 1941 and civilian DC 3 production ended in early 1943 although dozens of the DSTs and DC 3s ordered by airlines that were produced between 1941 and 1943 were pressed into the US military service while still on the production line 13 14 Military versions were produced until the end of the war in 1945 A larger more powerful Super DC 3 was launched in 1949 to positive reviews The civilian market was flooded with second hand C 47s many of which were converted to passenger and cargo versions Only five Super DC 3s were built and three of them were delivered for commercial use The prototype Super DC 3 served the US Navy with the designation YC 129 alongside 100 R4Ds that had been upgraded to the Super DC 3 specifications Turboprop conversions Edit BSAS C 47 65ARTP powered by Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6 65AR turboprop engines From the early 1950s some DC 3s were modified to use Rolls Royce Dart engines as in the Conroy Turbo Three Other conversions featured Armstrong Siddeley Mamba or Pratt amp Whitney PT6A turbines The Greenwich Aircraft Corp DC 3 TP is a conversion with an extended fuselage and with Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 65AR or PT6A 67R engines fitted 15 16 17 The Basler BT 67 is a conversion of the DC 3 C 47 Basler refurbishes C 47s and DC 3s at Oshkosh Wisconsin fitting them with Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 67R turboprop engines lengthening the fuselage by 40 in 1 000 mm with a fuselage plug ahead of the wing and some local strengthening of the airframe 18 South Africa based Braddick Specialised Air Services International commonly referred to as BSAS International has also performed Pratt amp Whitney PT6 turboprop conversions having performed modifications on over 50 DC 3 C 47s 65ARTP 67RTP 67FTPs 19 Operational history Edit Aigle Azur France Douglas C 47B in 1953 with a ventral Turbomeca Palas booster jet for hot and high operations Air India DC 3 at London Heathrow Airport in 1958 Iranian National Airways DC 3 in 1954 DC 3 on amphibious EDO floats in 2003 Two C 47s one boarding skydivers while another taxis by 1977 Betsy a DC 3 now in the Hong Kong Science Museum inaugurated operations with Cathay Pacific in 1946 C 47 Skytrains during the Berlin Airlift American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26 1936 with simultaneous flights from Newark New Jersey and Chicago Illinois 20 Early U S airlines like American United TWA Eastern and Delta ordered over 400 DC 3s These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry which eventually replaced trains as the favored means of long distance travel across the United States A nonprofit group Flagship Detroit Foundation continues to operate the only original American Airlines Flagship DC 3 with air show and airport visits throughout the U S 21 In 1936 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines received its first DC 3 which replaced the DC 2 in service from Amsterdam via Batavia now Jakarta to Sydney by far the world s longest scheduled route at the time In total KLM bought 23 DC 3s before the war broke out in Europe citation needed In 1941 a China National Aviation Corporation CNAC DC 3 pressed into wartime transportation service was bombed on the ground at Suifu Airfield in China destroying the outer right wing The only spare available was that of a smaller Douglas DC 2 in CNAC s workshops The DC 2 s right wing was removed flown to Suifu under the belly of another CNAC DC 3 and bolted up to the damaged aircraft After a single test flight in which it was discovered that it pulled to the right due to the difference in wing sizes the so called DC 2 was flown to safety 22 During World War II many civilian DC 3s were drafted for the war effort and more than 10 000 U S military versions of the DC 3 were built under the designations C 47 C 53 R4D and Dakota Peak production was reached in 1944 with 4 853 being delivered 23 The armed forces of many countries used the DC 3 and its military variants for the transport of troops cargo and wounded Licensed copies of the DC 3 were built in Japan as the Showa L2D 487 aircraft and in the Soviet Union as the Lisunov Li 2 4 937 aircraft 12 After the war thousands of cheap ex military DC 3s became available for civilian use 24 Cubana de Aviacion became the first Latin American airline to offer a scheduled service to Miami when it started its first scheduled international service from Havana in 1945 with a DC 3 Cubana used DC 3s on some domestic routes well into the 1960s 25 26 Douglas developed an improved version the Super DC 3 with more power greater cargo capacity and an improved wing but with surplus aircraft available for cheap they failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market 27 Only five were delivered three of them to Capital Airlines The U S Navy had 100 of its early R4Ds converted to Super DC 3 standard during the early 1950s as the Douglas R4D 8 C 117D The last U S Navy C 117 was retired July 12 1976 28 The last U S Marine Corps C 117 serial 50835 was retired from active service during June 1982 Several remained in service with small airlines in North and South America in 2006 29 The United States Forest Service used the DC 3 for smoke jumping and general transportation until the last example was retired in December 2015 30 A number of aircraft companies attempted to design a DC 3 replacement over the next three decades including the very successful Fokker F27 Friendship but no single type could match the versatility rugged reliability and economy of the DC 3 It remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s DC 3 after 70 years Edit Rovos Air C 47A operating in South Africa 2006 DC 3 flown as a warbird previously flew for the Royal New Zealand Air Force and New Zealand s National Airways Corporation Perhaps unique among prewar aircraft the DC 3 continues to fly in active commercial and military service as of 2021 eighty six years after the type s first flight in 1935 citation needed There are still small operators with DC 3s in revenue service and as cargo aircraft Applications of the DC 3 have included passenger service aerial spraying freight transport military transport missionary flying skydiver shuttling and sightseeing There have been a very large number of civil and military operators of the DC 3 C 47 and related types which would have made it impracticable to provide a comprehensive listing of all operators A common saying among aviation enthusiasts and pilots is the only replacement for a DC 3 is another DC 3 31 32 Its ability to use grass or dirt runways makes it popular in developing countries or remote areas where runways may be unpaved 33 34 The oldest surviving DST is N133D the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built manufactured in 1936 This aircraft was delivered to American Airlines on 12 July 1936 as NC16005 In 2011 it was at Shell Creek Airport Punta Gorda Florida 35 It has been repaired and has been flying again The most recent flight was on 25 April 2021 36 37 The oldest DC 3 still flying is the original American Airlines Flagship Detroit c n 1920 the 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line delivered on 2 March 1937 38 which appears at airshows around the United States and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation 21 The base price of a new DC 3 in 1936 was around 60 000 80 000 and by 1960 used examples were available for 75 000 39 As of 2020 there are still aircraft being remanufactured and heavily modified to Basler BT 67 utility planes for use by commercial cargo airlines citation needed Original operators EditMain article List of original DC 3 operatorsVariants EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Douglas DC 3 news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Main article List of Douglas DC 3 family variants Civil Edit DST Douglas Sleeper Transport the initial variant with two 1 000 1 200 horsepower 750 890 kW Wright R 1820 Cyclone engines and standard sleeper accommodation for up to 16 with small upper windows convertible to carry up to 24 day passengers 40 DST A DST with 1 000 1 200 hp 750 890 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 Twin Wasp engines DC 3 Initial non sleeper variant with 21 day passenger seats 1 000 1 200 hp 750 890 kW Wright R 1820 Cyclone engines no upper windows DC 3A DC 3 with 1 000 1 200 hp 750 890 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 Twin Wasp engines DC 3B Version of DC 3 for TWA with two 1 100 1 200 hp 820 890 kW Wright R 1820 Cyclone engines and smaller convertible sleeper cabin forward with fewer upper windows than DST DC 3C TransNorthern Super DC 3 C 117D in Anchorage Alaska Designation for ex military C 47 C 53 and R4D aircraft rebuilt by Douglas Aircraft in 1946 given new manufacturer numbers and sold on the civil market Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 engines 41 DC 3D Designation for 28 new aircraft completed by Douglas in 1946 with unused components from the cancelled USAAF C 117 production line Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 engines 42 DC 3S Also known as Super DC 3 substantially redesigned DC 3 with fuselage lengthened by 39 inches 1 0 m outer wings of a different shape with squared off wingtips and shorter span distinctive taller rectangular tail and fitted with more powerful Pratt amp Whitney R 2000 or 1 475 hp 1 100 kW Wright R 1820 Cyclone engines Five completed by Douglas for civil use using existing surplus secondhand airframes 43 Three Super DC 3s were operated by Capital Airlines 1950 1952 44 Designation also used for examples of the 100 R4Ds that had been converted by Douglas to this standard for the U S Navy as R4D 8s later designated C 117Ds all fitted with more powerful Wright R 1820 Cyclone engines some of which entered civil use after retirement from military service 45 Military Edit C 41 C 41A The C 41 was the first DC 3 to be ordered by the USAAC and was powered by two 1 200 hp 890 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 21 engines It was delivered in October 1938 for use by United States Army Air Corps USAAC chief General Henry H Arnold with the passenger cabin fitted out in a 14 seat VIP configuration 46 The C 41A was a single VIP DC 3A supplied to the USAAC in September 1939 also powered by R 1830 21 engines and used by the Secretary of War The forward cabin converted to sleeper configuration with upper windows similar to the DC 3B 47 48 C 48 Various DC 3A and DST models 36 impressed as C 48 C 48A C 48B and C 48C C 48 1 impressed ex United Air Lines DC 3A C 48A 3 impressed DC 3As with 18 seat interiors C 48B 16 impressed ex United Air Lines DST A air ambulances with 16 berth interiors C 48C 16 impressed DC 3As with 21 seat interiors C 49 Various DC 3 and DST models 138 impressed into service as C 49 C 49A C 49B C 49C C 49D C 49E C 49F C 49G C 49H C 49J and C 49K C 50 Various DC 3 models fourteen impressed as C 50 C 50A C 50B C 50C and C 50D C 51 One impressed aircraft originally ordered by Canadian Colonial Airlines had starboard side door C 52 DC 3A aircraft with R 1830 engines five impressed as C 52 C 52A C 52B C 52C and C 52D C 68 Two DC 3As impressed with 21 seat interiors C 84 One impressed DC 3B aircraft Dakota II British Royal Air Force designation for impressed DC 3s LXD1 A single DC 3 supplied for evaluation by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service IJNAS R4D 2 Two Eastern Air Lines DC 3 388s impressed into United States Navy USN service as VIP transports later designated R4D 2F and later R4D 2Z R4D 4 Ten DC 3As impressed for use by the USN R4D 4R Seven DC 3s impressed as staff transports for the USN R4D 4Q Radar countermeasures version of R4D 4 for the USN Conversions Edit The only example of the Conroy Tri Turbo Three at the 1978 Farnborough Airshow This aircraft saw service in both the Arctic and Antarctica Dart Dakota for BEA test services powered by two Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engines Mamba Dakota A single conversion for the Ministry of Supply powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop engines Airtech DC 3 2000 DC 3 C 47 engine conversion by Airtech Canada first offered in 1987 Powered by two PZL ASz 62IT radial engines 49 Basler BT 67 DC 3 C 47 conversion with a stretched fuselage strengthened structure modern avionics and powered by two Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT 6A 67R turboprop engines BSAS C 47TP Turbo Dakota A South African C 47 conversion for the South African Air Force by Braddick Specialised Air Services with two Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 65R turboprop engines revised systems stretched fuselage and modern avionics Conroy Turbo Three One DC 3 C 47 converted by Conroy Aircraft with two Rolls Royce Dart Mk 510 turboprop engines Conroy Super Turbo Three Same as the Turbo Three but converted from a Super DC 3 One converted Conroy Tri Turbo Three Conroy Turbo Three further modified by the removal of the two Rolls Royce Dart engines and their replacement by three Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6s one mounted on each wing and one in the nose Greenwich Aircraft Corp Turbo Dakota DC 3 DC 3 C 47 conversion with a stretched fuselage strengthened wing center section updated systems and powered by two Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 65AR turboprop engines 50 51 Ts 62 Douglas built airframe fitted with Russian Shvetsov ASh 62 radial engines after World War II due to shortage of American engines in the Soviet Union citation needed Ts 82 Similar to Ts 62 but with Shvetsov ASh 82 radial engines of 1 650 hp citation needed USAC DC 3 Turbo Express A turboprop conversion by the United States Aircraft Corporation fitting Pratt amp Whitney Canada PT6A 45R turboprop engines with an extended forward fuselage to maintain center of gravity First flight of the prototype conversion N300TX was on July 29 1982 52 Military and foreign derivatives Edit Nakajima L2D in Japanese markings showing engine and cockpit glazing differences on later variants Douglas C 47 Skytrain and C 53 Skytrooper Production military DC 3A variants Showa and Nakajima L2D Developments manufactured under license in Japan by the Nakajima and Showa for the IJNAS 487 built Lisunov Li 2 and PS 84 Developments manufactured under license in the USSR 4 937 built Accidents and incidents EditFurther information List of accidents and incidents involving the DC 3Specifications DC 3A S1C3G Edit DC 3 cockpit Data from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920 1 General characteristicsCrew two Capacity 21 32 passengers Length 64 ft 8 in 19 7 m Wingspan 95 ft 2 in 29 0 m Height 16 ft 11 in 5 16 m Wing area 987 sq ft 91 7 m2 Aspect ratio 9 17 Airfoil NACA2215 NACA2206 Empty weight 16 865 lb 7 650 kg Gross weight 25 200 lb 11 431 kg Fuel capacity 822 gal 3736 L Powerplant 2 Pratt amp Whitney R 1830 S1C3G Twin Wasp 14 cyl air cooled two row radial piston engine 1 200 hp 890 kW each Propellers 3 bladed Hamilton Standard 23E50 series 11 ft 6 in 3 5 m diameter hydraulically controlled constant speed featheringPerformance Maximum speed 200 kn 230 mph 370 km h at 8 500 ft 2 590 m Cruise speed 180 kn 207 mph 333 km h Stall speed 68 0 kn 78 2 mph 125 9 km h Range 1 370 nmi 1 580 mi 2 540 km maximum fuel 3500 lb payload Service ceiling 23 200 ft 7 100 m Rate of climb 1 130 ft min 5 7 m s Wing loading 25 5 lb sq ft 125 kg m2 Power mass 0 0952 hp lb 156 5 W kg Notable appearances in media EditMain article Aircraft in fiction Douglas DC 3See also Edit A 1944 Douglas DC 3C starting its engines and taxiing with its tail wheel unlocked 2015 Related development Basler BT 67 Douglas AC 47 Spooky Douglas C 47 Skytrain Douglas R4D 8 C 117D Douglas DC 2 Lisunov Li 2 Showa Nakajima L2D Conroy Turbo Three Conroy Tri Turbo ThreeAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Boeing 247 Curtiss C 46 Commando Douglas DC 5 Focke Wulf Fw 206 Junkers Ju 52 Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar Saab 90 Scandia Vickers VC 1 VikingRelated lists List of aircraft of World War II List of civil aircraftReferences EditNotes Edit a b Francillon 1979 pp 217 251 Douglas DC 3 and C 47 Engines The Dakota Association of South Africa Retrieved April 10 2023 Kathleen Burke April 2013 How the DC 3 Revolutionized Air Travel Smithsonian Boeing Historical Snapshot DC 3 Commercial Transport www boeing com Retrieved December 10 2020 Jonathan Glancey October 9 2013 The Douglas DC 3 Still revolutionary in its 70s BBC Why the DC 3 is such a Badass Plane Eric Tegler Popular Mechanics August 8 2017 Retrieved August 22 2020 O Leary 1992 p 7 May Joseph January 8 2013 Flagship Knoxville an American Airlines Douglas DC 3 Seattle Post Intelligencer blogs Archived from the original on October 10 2017 Retrieved August 3 2014 Berths were 77 in 2 0 m long lowers were 36 in 910 mm wide and uppers were 30 in 760 mm Pearcy 1987 p 17 O Leary 2006 p 54 a b Gradidge 2006 p 20 Pearcy 1987 p 76 Pearcy 1987 pp 69 117 Turbo Dakota DC 3 Turbine Conversion Aircraft dodson com Retrieved September 12 2012 FAA Supplemental Type Certificate Number SA3820SW retrieved March 28 2015 Turbo Dakota DC 3 Conversion Process Archived 2014 09 26 at the Wayback Machine Dodson International Retrieved March 28 2015 Basler BT 67 Basler Turbo Conversions LLC via baslerturbo com 2008 Retrieved March 7 2009 Turbine Aircraft Retrieved June 2 2020 Holden Henry The DC 3 Genesis of The Legend dc3history org Retrieved October 7 2010 a b DC 3 Flagship Detroit Foundation Retrieved October 7 2010 CNAC S DC 2 1 2 Retrieved November 8 2016 Gradidge 2006 p 15 Norton Bill 2004 Air War on the Edge A History of the Israeli Air Force and Its Aircraft Since 1947 Midland p 99 ISBN 9781857800883 FlightGlobal archive April 18 1953 FlightGlobal archive November 14 1946 Douglas DC 3 Dakota UK Heritage Aviation Trust Archived from the original on December 24 2019 Retrieved November 9 2019 The Seventies 1970 1980 C 117 p 316 Archived 2013 05 13 at the Wayback Machine history navy mil Retrieved August 10 2010 Gradidge 2006 pp 634 637 Gabbert Bill December 21 2015 The last Forest Service DC 3 retires Retrieved March 7 2020 Holden 1991 p 145 Glancey Jonathan October 10 2013 The Douglas DC 3 Still Revolutionary in its 70s BBC Retrieved January 21 2017 Colombia s Workhorse the DC 3 airplane The Washington Post Retrieved March 15 2012 Douglas DC 3 Buffalo Airways Archived from the original on January 18 2013 Retrieved January 1 2021 Moss Frank World s Oldest DC 3 douglasdc3 com Retrieved August 9 2011 Sunshine Skies www facebook com Archived from the original on February 26 2022 Retrieved June 23 2020 N133D Flight Tracking and History FlightAware Retrieved June 23 2020 Pearcy 1987 p 22 The de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd Flight November 18 1960 p 798 Retrieved January 1 2021 Sleeping Car of the Air Has Sixteen Sleeping Berths Popular Mechanics January 1936 Aircraft Specifications NO A 669 FAA Retrieved October 20 2011 Gradidge 2006 pp 632 633 Gradidge 2006 p 634 Pearcy Arthur Douglas Propliners DC 1 DC 7 Shrewsbury England Airlife Publishing Ltd 1995 ISBN 1 8531026 1 X pp 93 95 Gradidge 2006 pp 634 639 Pearcy 1987 p 34 Douglas C 41A Archived 2008 09 07 at the Wayback Machine aero web org Retrieved August 10 2010 Rickard J November 11 2008 Douglas C 41A historyofwar org Retrieved June 8 2017 AirTech Company Profile Archived August 7 2016 at the Wayback Machine ic gc ca Retrieved November 22 2009 Turbo Dakota DC 3 Conversion Process Archived 2014 09 26 at the Wayback Machine Dodson International Retrieved January 4 2013 Specs Engines amp Props Archived 2013 04 13 at the Wayback Machine Dodson International Retrieved January 4 2013 Taylor 1983 page needed Bibliography Edit Francillon Rene fr McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920 Volume I London Putnam 1979 ISBN 0 87021 428 4 Gradidge Jennifer M The Douglas DC 1 DC 2 DC 3 The First Seventy Years Volumes One and Two Tonbridge Kent UK Air Britain Historians Ltd 2006 ISBN 0 85130 332 3 Holden Henry M The Douglas DC 3 Blue Ridge Summit Pennsylvania TAB Books 1991 ISBN 0 8306 3450 9 Kaplan Philip Legend A Celebration of the Douglas DC 3 C 47 Dakota Peter Livanos amp Philip Kaplan 2009 ISBN 978 0 9557061 1 0 Key Publishing 2023 Lockheed Constellation Historic Commercial Aircraft Series Vol 13 Stamford Lincs UK Key Publishing ISBN 9781802823707 O Leary Michael DC 3 and C 47 Gooney Birds St Paul Minnesota Motorbooks International 1992 ISBN 0 87938 543 X O Leary Michael When Fords Ruled the Sky Part Two Air Classics Volume 42 No 5 May 2006 Pearcy Arthur Douglas DC 3 Survivors Volume 1 Bourne End Bucks UK Aston Publications 1987 ISBN 0 946627 13 4 Pearcy Arthur Douglas Propliners DC 1 DC 7 Shrewsbury UK Airlife Publishing 1995 ISBN 1 85310 261 X Reinhard Martin A January February 2004 Talkback Air Enthusiast No 109 p 74 ISSN 0143 5450 Taylor John W R Jane s All the World s Aircraft 1982 83 London Jane s Publishing Company 1983 ISBN 0 7106 0748 2 Wulf Herman de August November 1990 An Airline at War Air Enthusiast 13 72 77 ISSN 0143 5450 Yenne Bill McDonnell Douglas A Tale of Two Giants Greenwich Connecticut Bison Books 1985 ISBN 0 517 44287 6 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Douglas DC 3 Boeing Historical Snapshot DC 3 Commercial Transport DC 3 Dakota Historical Society The DC 3 Hangar Douglas DC 3 specific site Centennial of flight Commission on the DC 3 Douglas DC 3 at the Aviation History Online Museum Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Douglas DC 3 amp oldid 1162191701, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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