United States' Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport

Photos

Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport:	Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport:	Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport:	Douglas C-47 Skytrain taking off towing a glider: United States Army in World War II, Pictorial Record, The War Against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas, 1951, pg 82
Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport:	Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport, Sad Sack:	Douglas C-47B Skytrain transport:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport with CG-4 Hadrian gliders:	Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport production line at Long Beach:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper transport: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Douglas C-53 Skytrooper transport: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook
Nakajima L2D, Allied Code Name - Tabby:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport:

Design

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was based on the DC-3 airliner.^1,2,3 The C-47 was designed by A. E. Raymond and E. F. Burton in 1935.⁴

Was nicknamed the "gooney bird" by United States Air Force Personnel.¹

The radio operator was located in a compartment behind the cockpit.¹

There were folding wooden seats for the passengers.¹ There were also fittings for carrying 18 stretchers.¹

There were two cargo doors that opened outwards for loading and unloading.¹ There was a smaller inset door for dropping paratroopers.¹

Prototype

The prototype DC-3/C-47 was flown on December 15, 1935² / December 17, 1935^1,3,4.

Production

The first military orders for the C-47 were given in 1940.^2,4

Douglas built 10,691 C-47 Skytrains.¹ Some were built in Japan, by Nakajima, and the Soviet Union, by Lisunov.^1,3

• Douglas DC-3 / Douglas DST: 455³
• Douglas C-47: 953^2,3
• Douglas C-47A: 4,931^2,3
• Douglas C-47B: 3,241^2,3
• Douglas C-53: 370³
• Douglas TC-47B: 133²
• Total: 10,048², 10,665³, 10,123⁴
• Russia- Lisunov Li-2: ~2,000⁴, ~2,500³, 2,700²
• Japan- Nakajima L2D: 485³, 487⁴
• Grand Total: 13,000⁴

Variants

• Douglas C-47 / Douglas Dakota Mk I: Had 12 volt system.²
• Douglas C-47A / Douglas Dakota Mk III: Had 24 volt system.²
• Douglas C-47B / Douglas Dakota Mk IV: Had high altitude superchargers with the R-1830-90 engines.^2,3 Intended for use to fly over the Himalayas between India and China.⁴
• Douglas C-53 Skytrooper / Douglas Dakota Mk II: Personnel transporter.^3,4 Also used for glider towing and paratroop drops. The cabin floor was lightly reinforced.⁵
• Douglas TC-47B: Trainer.²
• Douglas XC-47C: Had floats installed.^1,3 One was built and a few were field modified.¹
• Lisunov Li-2: Soviet built version.²
• Douglas R4D: United States Navy and Marine Corps designation.³ ~400.³

Usage

Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Soviet Union, and the United States used the C-47.³

DC-3 First Use

American Airways first used the DC-3 in June 1936 for its New York to Chicago line.⁴

United Kingdom

The British gave the C-47 the nickname "Dakota."⁴

25 Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons were outfitted with 1,845³ / 1,895 / ~2,000⁴ Dakotas.²

There were 50 RAF and Commonwealth squadrons outfitted with the C-47.³

United States

There were 34 groups that were equipped with the C-47.³

After World War II

The United States Air Force still had over 1,000 C-47s in use as late as 1961.²

The last Royal Air Force Dakota was withdrawn from service on April 4, 1970.⁴

A War Winner

When asked about the key equipment used to win World War II, Dwight Eisenhower said "The bazooka, the jeep, the atom bomb, and the DC-3."⁴

Japan

Nakajima built the L2D, code named Tabby by the Allies.

Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War some C-47s were converted into minigun platforms by installing heavy weapons in the fuselage.⁴

Specifications