Douglas DC-3
Information about Douglas DC-3
| Douglas DC-3 | |
|---|---|
.JPG')) | |
| A C-47A of the Portuguese Air Force. | |
| Type | Airliner and transport aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Designed by | Arthur E. Raymond, chief engineer |
| Maiden flight | 1935-12-17 |
| Status | >400 in limited use |
| Number built | >13,000 |
| Developed from | Douglas DC-2 |
| Variants | C-47 Skytrain Lisunov Li-2 |
The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II, it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made.
History
The DC-3 was engineered by a team led by chief engineer Arthur E. Raymond, and first flew on December 17, 1935 (the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk). The aircraft was the result of a marathon phone call from American Airlines CEO Cyrus Smith to Donald Douglas requesting the design of an improved successor to the DC-2. The amenities of the DC-3 (including sleeping berths on early "DST" -- Douglas Sleeper Transport -- models and an in-flight kitchen) popularized air travel in the United States. With only three refueling stops, eastbound transcontinental flights across America taking approximately 15 hours became possible. Westbound trips took 17 hours 30 minutes due to typical prevailing headwinds - still a significant improvement over the competing Boeing 247. Before the arrival of the DC-3, such a trip would entail short hops in commuter aircraft, during the day, coupled with train travel overnight.)
A Douglas DC-3 (a former military C-47B) of Air Atlantique taking off at Hullavington airfield, England
Early U.S. airlines like United, American, TWA and Eastern ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry, quickly replacing trains as the favored means of long-distance travel across the United States. Piedmont Airlines operated DC-3s from 1948 to 1963. One of Piedmont's DC-3s, operated by the Carolinas Aviation Museum, continues to fly to air shows today and has been used in various movies. Both Delta and Continental Airlines operate "commemorative" DC-3s.
During World War II, many civilian DC-3s were drafted for the war effort and nearly 10,000 military versions of the DC-3 were built, under the designations C-47, C-53, R4D and Dakota. Peak production of the type was reached in 1944 with 4853 being delivered. The armed forces of many countries used the DC-3 and its military variants for the transport of troops, cargo and wounded. Licensed copies were built in Japan as Showa L2D (487 aircraft) and in the USSR as the Lisunov Li-2 (between 2200 and 4900 aircraft, per varying sources).
)
After the war, thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civil service and became the standard equipment of almost all the world's airlines, remaining in front-line service for many years. The ready availability of ex-military examples of this cheap, easily-maintained aircraft (it was both large and fast by the standards of the day) jump-started the worldwide, post-war air transport industry.
Douglas had developed an improved version, with a greater cargo capacity and a different wing, which it attempted to sell during this time frame but with all these surplus aircraft, the Super DC-3 did not sell in the civil market. The US Navy had 100 of their early R4Ds converted to Super DC-3 standard as the R4D-8, later C-117D.
Numerous attempts were made to design a "DC-3 replacement", over the next three decades (including the very successful Fokker Friendship) but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability and economy of the DC-3 and it remained a significant part of air transport systems, well into the 1970s. Even today, over 70 years after the DC-3 first flew, there are still small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo planes. The common saying among aviation buffs and pilots is that "the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3." The aircraft's legendary ruggedness is enshrined in the lighthearted description of the DC-3 as "a collection of parts flying in loose formation." Its ability to take off and land on grass or dirt runways also makes it popular in developing countries, where the runways may not always be a paved surface.
Some of the more common uses of the DC3 have been aerial spraying, freight transport, passenger service, military transport and sport skydiving shuttling.
A Swedish C-47 (Swedish designation Tp79) was shot down over the Baltic Sea in June 1952. This was part of an international incident (see the Catalina affair).
)
A DC-3 in service in South Africa, June 2006.
Production
10,655 DC-3s were built at Santa Monica, California and Long Beach, California in both civil and military versions. Over 2000 were built in Russia, under license, as the Lisunov Li-2 (NATO reporting name: Cab). 485 were built in Japan, as the L2D Type 0 transport. More than 400 remained in commercial service, in 1998.A wide variety of engines was fitted to the DC-3 throughout the course of production. The original civilian airplanes used Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9s, but later aircraft (and the majority of military ships) used the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Double Wasp radial which offered better high-altitude and single engine performance. A few Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radials saw use. Some DC-3s were upgraded to use Rolls-Royce Dart (as in the Conroy Turbo Three), Armstrong Siddeley Mamba, or Pratt & Whitney PT6A turbines.
In 1987, Airtech Canada offered aircraft re-engined with current-production PZL ASz-62IT radial engines of 1,000 hp (745 kW) as the DC-3/2000.
The Basler BT-67 is a derivative type of the DC-3. Basler refurbishes DC-3s, fitting them with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6 turbo-prop engines, lengthening the fuselage by over 3 feet and strengthening the airframes in selected areas.
Specifications (DC-3)
)
General characteristics* Crew: 2* Capacity: 21-32 passengers
- Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.7 m)* Wingspan: 95 ft 0 in (29.0 m)
- Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m)* Wing area: 987 ft² (91.7 m²)* Empty weight: 18,300 lb (8,300 kg)* Loaded weight: 25,200 lb (25,346 with deicing boots, 26,900 in some freight versions) (11,400 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 237 mph (206 knots, 381 km/h (=Never Exceed Speed (VNE), or Redline speed))* Cruise speed: 150 mph (130 knots, 240 km/h)* Range: 1,025 mi (890 nm, 1,650 km)* Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)* Rate of climb: 1,130 ft/min (5.73 m/s) initial* Wing loading: 25.5 lb/ft² (125 kg/m²)
References
- Gradidge, Jennifer M. The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 The First Seventy Years Volumes One and Two. Air-Britain, London, 2006. ISBN 0-85130-332-3.
- Francillon, René (1979). McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.
- Yenne, Bill (1985). McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books. ISBN 0-517-44287-6.
- Pearcy, Arthur (1995). Douglas Propliners: DC-1 - DC-7. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-261-X.
External links
- The Online DC-3 Aviation Museum
- Centennial of flight Commission on the DC-3
- Aviation Records on the DC-3
- Aviation History on the DC-3
- Airliners.net DC-3
- Flying Piedmont Airlines DC-3, formerly owned and operated by Piedmont Airlines, and US Air
- Pionair Airline flying restored DC-3s (Current primary aircraft is the Convair CV-580, a turboprop conversion of the Convair_CV-240.)
- Basler BT-67 Re-manufactured and turbinized version of the DC-3
- Discovery Air Tours (formerly Dakota National Air) Charter DC-3 operator at Bankstown Airport, New South Wales Australia
- The DC-3 Hangar
- Warbird Alley: DC-3/C-47 page
- Early 1970's DC-3 turboptop conversions by Conroy Aircraft, who also developed the Aero Spacelines Guppy series and the Conroy Skymonster.
- Gold Timer Foundation Restorers of the only remaining Li-2 still in flying condition. HA-LIX regularly flies sight-seeing flights. (Hungarian)
- Dakota Norway
- DC-Association Finland
- Link for a number of South African DC-3 flights
Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
- Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.7 m)* Wingspan: 95 ft 0 in (29.0 m)
- Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m)* Wing area: 987 ft² (91.7 m²)* Empty weight: 18,300 lb (8,300 kg)* Loaded weight: 25,200 lb (25,346 with deicing boots, 26,900 in some freight versions) (11,400 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 237 mph (206 knots, 381 km/h (=Never Exceed Speed (VNE), or Redline speed))* Cruise speed: 150 mph (130 knots, 240 km/h)* Range: 1,025 mi (890 nm, 1,650 km)* Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)* Rate of climb: 1,130 ft/min (5.73 m/s) initial* Wing loading: 25.5 lb/ft² (125 kg/m²)
References
- Gradidge, Jennifer M. The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 The First Seventy Years Volumes One and Two. Air-Britain, London, 2006. ISBN 0-85130-332-3.
- Francillon, René (1979). McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.
- Yenne, Bill (1985). McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books. ISBN 0-517-44287-6.
- Pearcy, Arthur (1995). Douglas Propliners: DC-1 - DC-7. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-261-X.
External links
- The Online DC-3 Aviation Museum
- Centennial of flight Commission on the DC-3
- Aviation Records on the DC-3
- Aviation History on the DC-3
- Airliners.net DC-3
- Flying Piedmont Airlines DC-3, formerly owned and operated by Piedmont Airlines, and US Air
- Pionair Airline flying restored DC-3s (Current primary aircraft is the Convair CV-580, a turboprop conversion of the Convair_CV-240.)
- Basler BT-67 Re-manufactured and turbinized version of the DC-3
- Discovery Air Tours (formerly Dakota National Air) Charter DC-3 operator at Bankstown Airport, New South Wales Australia
- The DC-3 Hangar
- Warbird Alley: DC-3/C-47 page
- Early 1970's DC-3 turboptop conversions by Conroy Aircraft, who also developed the Aero Spacelines Guppy series and the Conroy Skymonster.
- Gold Timer Foundation Restorers of the only remaining Li-2 still in flying condition. HA-LIX regularly flies sight-seeing flights. (Hungarian)
- Dakota Norway
- DC-Association Finland
- Link for a number of South African DC-3 flights
Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
- Maximum speed: 237 mph (206 knots, 381 km/h (=Never Exceed Speed (VNE), or Redline speed))* Cruise speed: 150 mph (130 knots, 240 km/h)* Range: 1,025 mi (890 nm, 1,650 km)* Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m)* Rate of climb: 1,130 ft/min (5.73 m/s) initial* Wing loading: 25.5 lb/ft² (125 kg/m²)
References
- Gradidge, Jennifer M. The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 The First Seventy Years Volumes One and Two. Air-Britain, London, 2006. ISBN 0-85130-332-3.
- Francillon, René (1979). McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.
- Yenne, Bill (1985). McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books. ISBN 0-517-44287-6.
- Pearcy, Arthur (1995). Douglas Propliners: DC-1 - DC-7. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-261-X.
External links
- The Online DC-3 Aviation Museum
- Centennial of flight Commission on the DC-3
- Aviation Records on the DC-3
- Aviation History on the DC-3
- Airliners.net DC-3
- Flying Piedmont Airlines DC-3, formerly owned and operated by Piedmont Airlines, and US Air
- Pionair Airline flying restored DC-3s (Current primary aircraft is the Convair CV-580, a turboprop conversion of the Convair_CV-240.)
- Basler BT-67 Re-manufactured and turbinized version of the DC-3
- Discovery Air Tours (formerly Dakota National Air) Charter DC-3 operator at Bankstown Airport, New South Wales Australia
- The DC-3 Hangar
- Warbird Alley: DC-3/C-47 page
- Early 1970's DC-3 turboptop conversions by Conroy Aircraft, who also developed the Aero Spacelines Guppy series and the Conroy Skymonster.
- Gold Timer Foundation Restorers of the only remaining Li-2 still in flying condition. HA-LIX regularly flies sight-seeing flights. (Hungarian)
- Dakota Norway
- DC-Association Finland
- Link for a number of South African DC-3 flights
Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
Designation sequence
Related lists
Related lists
Douglas and McDonnell Douglas airliners |
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Portuguese Air Force (PoAF) (Portuguese: Força Aérea Portuguesa, FAP) is the air force of Portugal. Its origins dates back to 1912 when the military aviation began to be used in Portugal, later leading to the creation of the Army's and Navy's aviation corps.
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airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft with the primary function of transporting paying passengers. Such aircraft are usually operated by an airline which owns or leases the aircraft.
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An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft.
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The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. in July 1921 in Santa Monica, California, following dissolution of the Davis-Douglas Company. An early claim to fame was the first circumnavigation of the world by air in Douglas planes in 1924.
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Arthur Emmons Raymond (March 24, 1899, Boston Massachusetts – March 22, 1999, Santa Monica, California) was an aeronautical engineer who led the team that designed the DC-3.
Raymond grew up in Pasadena, California, the son of the owner of a luxury hotel.
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Raymond grew up in Pasadena, California, the son of the owner of a luxury hotel.
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The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage.
The first flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type.
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The first flight of a new aircraft type is always a historic occasion for the type.
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Type Passenger & military transport
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, Fokker
Maiden flight May 11, 1934
Introduced May 18, 1934
Primary users United States
Australia
Germany
United Kingdom
Number built 156 The
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Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, Fokker
Maiden flight May 11, 1934
Introduced May 18, 1934
Primary users United States
Australia
Germany
United Kingdom
Number built 156 The
..... Click the link for more information.
Type Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company
Designed by Douglas Aircraft
Primary users U.S. Army Air Force
US Air Force
Royal Air Force
See operators
Number built >10,000
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Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company
Designed by Douglas Aircraft
Primary users U.S. Army Air Force
US Air Force
Royal Air Force
See operators
Number built >10,000
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Type Cargo/passenger utility aircraft and light bomber
Manufacturer GAZ
Designed by Douglas Aircraft Co
Introduced 1939
Primary users Soviet Air Force
Aeroflot, and exported to 14 countries
Produced 1939-1952
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Manufacturer GAZ
Designed by Douglas Aircraft Co
Introduced 1939
Primary users Soviet Air Force
Aeroflot, and exported to 14 countries
Produced 1939-1952
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fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air craft where movement of the wings in relation to the aircraft is not used to generate lift. The term is used to distinguish from rotary-wing aircraft, or ornithopters, where the movement of the wing surfaces relative to the aircraft
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propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an aircraft, ship, or submarine through a fluid such as water or air, by rotating two or more twisted blades about a central shaft, in a
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aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly through the air (or through any other atmosphere). All the human activity which surrounds aircraft is called aviation. (Most rocket vehicles are not aircraft because they are not supported by the surrounding air).
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Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1900s 1910s 1920s - 1930s - 1940s 1950s 1960s
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
- -
- The 1930s
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1900s 1910s 1920s - 1930s - 1940s 1950s 1960s
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934
1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
- -
- The 1930s
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Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944
1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
- -
- The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949.
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1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944
1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
- -
- The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949.
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airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.
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Allied powers:
Soviet Union
United States
United Kingdom
China
France
...et al. Axis powers:
Germany
Japan
Italy
...et al.
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Soviet Union
United States
United Kingdom
China
France
...et al. Axis powers:
Germany
Japan
Italy
...et al.
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Arthur Emmons Raymond (March 24, 1899, Boston Massachusetts – March 22, 1999, Santa Monica, California) was an aeronautical engineer who led the team that designed the DC-3.
Raymond grew up in Pasadena, California, the son of the owner of a luxury hotel.
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Raymond grew up in Pasadena, California, the son of the owner of a luxury hotel.
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December 17 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.
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Events
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1900s 1910s 1920s - 1930s - 1940s 1950s 1960s
1932 1933 1934 - 1935 - 1936 1937 1938
Year 1935 (MCMXXXV
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1900s 1910s 1920s - 1930s - 1940s 1950s 1960s
1932 1933 1934 - 1935 - 1936 1937 1938
Year 1935 (MCMXXXV
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The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30 1912), were two Americans who are generally credited with building the world's first successful airplane and
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The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30 1912), were two Americans who are generally credited with building the world's first successful airplane and
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AA ICAO
AAL Callsign
AMERICAN
Founded 1930 (as American Airways)
Hubs Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Miami International Airport
Lambert-St.
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AAL Callsign
AMERICAN
Founded 1930 (as American Airways)
Hubs Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Miami International Airport
Lambert-St.
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Cyrus Rowlett Smith (September 9, 1899 – April 4, 1990), known throughout his life as C. R. Smith, was the CEO of American Airlines from 1934 to 1968 and from 1973 to 1974. He was also United States Secretary of Commerce for a brief period under President Lyndon B.
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Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. (April 6, 1892 – February 1, 1981) was a United States aircraft industrialist. His most significant achievement was as founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 (the company later merged into McDonnell Douglas Corporation).
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Type Passenger & military transport
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, Fokker
Maiden flight May 11, 1934
Introduced May 18, 1934
Primary users United States
Australia
Germany
United Kingdom
Number built 156 The
..... Click the link for more information.
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, Fokker
Maiden flight May 11, 1934
Introduced May 18, 1934
Primary users United States
Australia
Germany
United Kingdom
Number built 156 The
..... Click the link for more information.
Motto
"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Type Passenger airliner
Manufacturer Boeing
Maiden flight 8 February 1933
Introduced 1933
Primary user Boeing Air Transport
Number built 75
Boeing's Model 247
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Manufacturer Boeing
Maiden flight 8 February 1933
Introduced 1933
Primary user Boeing Air Transport
Number built 75
Boeing's Model 247
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UA ICAO
UAL Callsign
UNITED
Founded 1926 (as Boeing Air Transport)
Hubs O'Hare International Airport
Denver International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
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UAL Callsign
UNITED
Founded 1926 (as Boeing Air Transport)
Hubs O'Hare International Airport
Denver International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
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AA ICAO
AAL Callsign
AMERICAN
Founded 1930 (as American Airways)
Hubs Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Miami International Airport
Lambert-St.
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AAL Callsign
AMERICAN
Founded 1930 (as American Airways)
Hubs Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Miami International Airport
Lambert-St.
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TW ICAO
TWA Callsign
TWA
Founded 1925 (as Western Air Express)
Hubs Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Ceased Operation 2001 (integrated into American Airlines)
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TWA Callsign
TWA
Founded 1925 (as Western Air Express)
Hubs Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
Ceased Operation 2001 (integrated into American Airlines)
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EA ICAO
EAL Callsign
Eastern
Founded 1926 (as Pitcairn Aviation)
Hubs Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Miami International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
San Juan Luis Muñoz MarÃn International Airport
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EAL Callsign
Eastern
Founded 1926 (as Pitcairn Aviation)
Hubs Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Miami International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
San Juan Luis Muñoz MarÃn International Airport
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