The Immortal 3

World War 2 saw an immediate upsurge in military requirements and over 50 different designations were given to the various models ordered between the US Air Force, US Navy, and the commercial airlines who operated many of the aircraft on behalf of the military.

From C-41 to C-53 and models in between from A to K the DC-3 could have become a despatcher’s nightmare if the ultimate designation had not been given as the C-47.

All military DC-3s thus became known as C-47s they were Identical with the DC-3s described in my previous article, apart from a large cargo door on the left rear side, a smaller cargo door on the left side behind the cockpit, two rows of seats for troop-carrying, designated areas marked off for cargo-carrying, static lines for parachute jumping, up to eight auxiliary fuel tanks for long-range operations, and attachments for stretchers when used as a casualty transport.

The DC-3’s original plush interior was removed when it went to war and the floor structure strengthened to carry heavy loads. The first C-47 took to the air in 1942 and paved the way for the most amazing plane ever built, full of rugged features and with a capacity for cargo and punishment still sought after nearly 40 years later.

Douglas set up a new factory at Long Beach, California, and mass production techniques were evolved to cope with a rush of orders for the C-47. A revolution in aircraft manufacture had begun, and Douglas became the largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft for over a decade.

The amazing stories told about DC-3s can invariably be traced back to the ubiquitous C-47, or Dakota as they were known in Britain. The Americans also called them Gooney Birds; the real reason for this nickname is obscured in a web of folklore and differing stories, but the tale that sticks is that the DC-3s were used to airlift gooney birds off a Pacific island after they had hazarded normal operations of the airstrip there.

In 1941 a United Airlines DC-3 carried a half-tonne diesel crankshaft from Chicago to Pearl Harbour in one of the first demonstrations of the aircraft’s amazing versatility. Later the same year 20 American Airlines DC-3s were used to ferry troops to Brazil, while Pan American began flights to South America.

On January 11, 1942, a Northeast Airlines C-39 flew to Alaska, Gander. Iceland and Scotland to start the North Atlantic Division of Air Transport Command.

The Navy version was known as the R4D and the Naval Air Transport squadrons flew missions to the Polar regions and Africa, pioneering transport routes with C-47s, while the Great Silver Fleet of Eastern Airlines pioneered the South Atlantic and Caribbean.

Ascension Island, midway between Natal and Accra had a strip on top of a mountain, and the C-47s pioneered flights there.

Flying the “Hump” over the Himalayas, perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the DC-2s, DC-3s and C-47s, in mountainous conditions and the worst possible weather, saw the total number of flights grow to 5000 a month. From Hong Kong to Chungking, south to Rangoon and Calcutta and from Assam in North-East India to Chungking, the C-47s and DC-3s made it possible to establish military bases in China, and support US military campaigns in Burma.

On June 6, 1944, over 1000 DC-3s and C-47s took part in the Normandy airlift. Mostly flying over gross weight the air fleet flew in 20,000 paratroopers to bolster the Allied offensive.

In June 1948 when the Russians blockaded Berlin, 102 C-47s took part in the airlift of thousands of tons of foodstuffs, coal and general cargo. The Korean War saw C-47s paratroop-dropping in the battle zone. At the North Pole, the first aircraft to land was a C-47 on May 3, 1952. In 1946 an R4D had landed at the South Pole, to pave the way for Operation Deep Freeze in 1956-57.

Vietnam saw the development of the C-47 as a Gunship designated AC-47 with three side-firing miniguns capable of firing 6000 rounds per minute.

Many amazing feats performed by this flying marvel have probably never been recorded. When Jimmy Doolittle flew out of China to Burma, instead of the normal 26 passengers on board there were 75.

Thousands were ferried to safety from China and Leningrad.

C-47s have been able to fly on after absorbing physical punishment capable of rendering any other aircraft unflyable. An RAAF C-53 flying over the Owen Stanley Range hit severe turbulence which caused most of its cargo to depart via the ceiling. After landing at its outward destination with wrinkled wings and stabiliser, it flew on to complete its mission.

Another, with 61 refugees on board, was covered with bullet holes patched with canvas; when the aircraft encountered a severe monsoonal storm, the canvas patches lifted and the C-47 whistled like a banshee.

Another made it back to base after a kamikaze pilot crashed into the top half of the C-47’s fuselage while airborne and another, hit in the tail by a Japanese Zero also made it back. The Zero crashed.

C-47s have been used to literally throw bombs out of.

One aircraft is said to have been shot up and was preparing to ditch when it struck the water and bounced into the air, the pilot apparently thought, “what the heck” and flew it back to base.

By the end of the war some aircraft had worn out 12 engines, and had completely new flying surfaces.

From the UK to North Africa, 44 C-47s flew a whole army 1500 miles nonstop without incident. At Guadalcanal 14 C-47s carried out the wounded. In New Guinea 3800 troops were carried by C-47s to help turn the tide against the Japanese. In the defeat of the German Army at Cleve in Holland 200 C-47s flew men and equipment to the battle area, without loss.

General Eisenhower said four things were crucial to the success of Allied operations in Europe and Africa – the bulldozer, the jeep, the 2½-ton truck and the C-47, none of them originally designed for combat.

The US Army awarded Douglas a citation reading – “The best single airplane ever built”.

An amphibian version was also built designated X-123 it was used in Alaska, and jungle areas where large tracts of water were more suitable for operations; however, very little is recorded about the X-123. The huge floats slung beneath the wings probably reduced payload, flying speed and range to unacceptable levels.

Even without engines, the C-47 proved a winner. When towed behind a DC-4, it was successful; the XCG-17 as it was known, had the best glide ratio of any glider and could carry a troop/weapons payload of seven tons.

After the war, the C-47s were converted back to DC-3s and earmarked to begin operations for burgeoning new airlines springing up, However, there were newer and faster airliners taking to the air and, not wanting to be left behind, Douglas set about redesigning the DC-3 to the Super DC-3.

Externally the tail was taller and more squared, and the undercarriage when retracted was enclosed. The cabin was lengthened 79 in to carry 31 passengers, built-in ground steps were provided, the wings were redesigned with more sweepback and stronger wing panels.

The whole fuselage and wings were flush-rivetted, and skin joints were also flushed. More powerful engines – Pratt & Whitney R2000 1475hp – were fitted. A host of other refinements including faster retraction of the undercarriage, new engine mounts and cowls for less vibration and a new electrical system made the Super DC-3 of 1949 a big improvement over the early model.

But the airlines wanted something entirely new and no orders were taken, with the exception of 100 aircraft for the US Navy which were designated R4D8s.

After building over t0,000 DC-3s and C-47s the production lines were closed.

The legend and the plane however is still alive and well in 1980. some of the oldest working examples would have worn out over 600 main wheel tyres, 30,000 spark plugs, and 80 engine pairs. As they were replaced by more modern aircraft on the airlines’ main routes so they were relegated to secondary routes until replaced by Fokker Fnendsh1ps, HS-748s and other twin turboprop aircraft.

The DC-3 became then, when fully customised, some of the earliest executive airliners, whilst versions were equipped with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines, and there is even a Conroy version (N235A) with three engines – the third PT6 turboprop is installed in the nose.

The DC-3 (as we must now call the C-47) has virtually left the scene as a mainline passenger plane in New Zealand and Australia and even as a freighter, its days are numbered. (See the DC-3 article in the previous edition of AADR).

In other parts of the world though the DC-3 looks like flying on and on. Florida-based Naples Airlines (Province own-Boston Airline) Vice-President John C. Arsdale is quoted as saying that the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3, after examining the current Short’s SD-330 and de Havilland Dash 7.

One of their aircraft N136PB is a 1937 model, one of the oldest commercial passenger-carrying aircraft in the world, and reputedly has the highest number of hours of any DC-3 – 82,873 hrs and 12,438,735 miles flown as of December 1978.

In Great Britain, Skyways Aviation, has a weekly Aberdeen-Brawdy-Aberdeen oil company flight every Wednesday. Clyden Airways of Ireland operate occasional flights to Manchester. Air Atlantique have two DC-3s flying European freight charters. Three Dakotas are flown by Eastern Airways on freight and passenger charters to Europe and in the UK.

In Britain there are now only four military Dakotas, preserved. Two are in museums, and the other two are kept, fully operational. One of these is Dakota C-3 KG661 which flies for the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, The other operational Oak is C-3 TS423 “Mayfly” which is stored at RAE Farnborough. KG661 carries the name “Portpatrick Princess”. Of the two museum exhibits, C-4 KN645 stands outside the Airborne Forces Museum at Aldershot, camouflaged and in D-Day markings. The other Dakota C-4 KN645 is at RAF Cosford near Wolverhampton.

As late as October 1979 it was reported that on November 1 British Caledonian Airlines would be starting a night DC-3 freight service between Gatwick and Amsterdam not bad for an aircraft 40 years old and supposedly superseded by modern Jet aircraft.

The C-47 still flies with the Canadian Armed Forces. Of the nine remaining aircraft two are in storage. The average number of hours flown Is 14,000 hours each. Although they were due to be phased out in 1978 their service life has been extended to 1983! First entering service in March 1943 over 200 examples saw service with the RCAF. In the post war era the RCAF Dakotas saw service as paratroop aircraft, glider tugs, freighters, ambulances, navigation trainers, and especially as photographic survey ships they have completely mapped the inaccessible north to produce a coloured map system of almost four million square miles.

Although supplanted by more modern aircraft types the C-47s were the backbone of supply carrying, mail and personnel to the far north, where they have operated in temperatures 50 degrees below zero. As late as 1967 the RCAF had 75 Dakotas contributing 62,000 hours annually. Of the nine remaining aircraft two as already described are stored, one is a non-flying ground trainer, one is used as a radar trainer for CF-104 pilots and is due to be phased out of service this year. The remaining six are based with the No. 429 Communications Squadron in Winnipeg and are still used in a multiplicity of roles.

In Australia, the Minister of Defence, Mr D. J. Killen, announced last November 26, that the 16 remaining RAAF Dakota transport aircraft would be phased out of service by 1981, after an association with the RAAF of more than 36 years.

The Dakotas have been stationed at Richmond, NSW; Pearce, Western Australia; East Sale, Victoria; Edinburgh, South Australia; Darwin, NT; and at RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia.

Four of the aircraft will be preserved. Two will go to RAAF Base, Wagga Wagga, NSW, for technical trade training. One will go to the proposed new Aviation Museum (a pity most of the exhibits have already left the country, or are in such a state of disrepair that they are long past saving). The other will go to the Australian War Memorial.

RAAF Dakotas began operating in February 1943, operating through the South-West Pacific. Known as Skytrains, the C-47s had a large cargo door, whilst the. C-53 Skytrooper was another version, although all models were lumped together as C-47s. The RAAF had nine Dakota 1s (A65-1/9); 50 Dakota 111s (A65-10/59) and 65 Dakota 1Vs (A65-60/124). In addition to the above, No. 36 Squadron operated 23 C-53s and one C-49 on loan from the USAAF during 1943/44.

Wartime Dakota units included Nos. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 squadrons as well as No. 1 Communication Unit. At the end of the war A65-61 disappeared carrying medical evacuees while on a flight from Biak to Australia. Twenty-five years later it was found at 13,500 feet on a jagged mountain range in West Iran.

Post war, the Dakota served wherever the RAAF operated, in New Guinea, Japan, Malaya, Korea, and Thailand. RAAF crews flew RAF Dakotas in the Berlin airlift. The Oaks were also used in spraying experiments (A65-43), glider-towing (A65-93) rain-making (A65-97, 117) and Antarctic research in which A65-81 was fitted with skis and JATO (jet-assisted take-off) rockets. By 1962 the Dakotas had flown an estimated half million hours in RAAF service.

The Navy took ex-RAAF A65-43 and A65-23 in 1949 and these operated in passenger and cargo configurations as N2- 43 and N2-23. N2-23 had an elongated nose to accommodate radar, used for the training of Sea Venom and Gannet navigators. This installation was later removed and the Dakota reverted back to the passenger layout.

In 1968 the Navy acquired a further two, A65-19 and A65-123 which became N2-90 and N2-123. Both operated in the passenger role. By 1977 all had been phased out with N2- 123 and N2-23 being sold. N2-90 went to HMAS Nirimba west of Sydney for apprentice training, and N2-43 is now at the Navy Museum at Nowra.

And so ends an era that had its beginnings in the cradle of civil aviation as we know it today.

The military are saying farewell, but some pilots feel that the Service will regret their passing after they have gone.

They are a tremendous airplane, rugged and able to land and take-off on small strips, equally at home as a freighter or passenger aircraft and quite economical to run . . . well, until the OPEC countries started to raise the price of crude oil, then the price of avgas rose accordingly.

This, more than any other single factor, will lay to rest the Gooney Bird before its time, which could have flown into the 21st century, and might still be if charter operators and freight haulers have their way.

Many airline pilots launched their careers in the righthand seat of a DC-3 and none would be happy to see the passing of this unique machine. Unique in the capacity to still be able to operate at a profit whether hauling passengers on a Travmar excursion, chartering Norman Gunston around Australia on a Channel Seven promotion, or hauling cargo up to Singapore.

At the end of 1978, of the 10,926 DC-3/C-47s built there were 557 in airline service throughout the world:

Three hundred and seventy-nine in N & S America; 20 in Europe; 80 in the Middle East and Africa; 78 in Asia and Australasia.

Even the Russians have a version known as the Ilyushin IL-2. Given to them under Lend Lease, they never acknowledged that their Oaks were US-built, nor did Douglas get any royalties from them.

The Russians falsely claimed their Gooney Birdski was built in Russia, but the DC-3 undoubtedly formed the backbone of Russian civil aviation too.

Donald Douglas and your DC-3, we salute you for your magnificent contribution to the services of aviation throughout the world . . .