Katana VentraIP

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troop transport, cargo, paratrooper, for towing gliders and military cargo parachute drops. The C-47 remained in front-line service with various military operators for many years.[2] It was produced in approximately triple the numbers as the larger, much heavier payload Curtiss C-46 Commando, which filled a similar role for the U.S. military.

"C-47" redirects here. For other uses, see C-47 (disambiguation).

Approximately 100 countries' armed forces have operated the C-47 with over 60 variants of the aircraft produced. As with the civilian DC-3, the C-47 remains in service in the present day, over 80 years after the type's introduction.

Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator)

Capacity: 28 troops or 6,000 lb (2.72 t) of cargo

Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)

Wingspan: 95 ft 6 in (29.11 m)

Height: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m)

Wing area: 987 sq ft (91.7 m2)

: root: NACA 2215; tip: NACA 2206[24]

Airfoil

Empty weight: 18,135 lb (8,226 kg)

Gross weight: 26,000 lb (11,793 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 31,000 lb (14,061 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each

Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C Twin Wasp

Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Data from McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I[23]


General characteristics


Performance

Basler BT-67

Conroy Turbo-Three

Douglas AC-47 Spooky

Douglas DC-3

Douglas XCG-17

Lisunov Li-2

Showa/Nakajima L2D

Related development


Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era


Related lists

Anderson, C. E. "Bud" (December 1981 – March 1982). "Caught by the Wing-tip". . No. 17. pp. 74–80. ISSN 0143-5450.

Air Enthusiast

Chorlton, Martyn. Paths in the Wood. Cowbit, UK: Old Forge Publishing Ltd, 2003.  0-9544507-0-1.

ISBN

De Vink, Hervé (August 1976). "Adieu au "Dakota" de la Force aérienne belge" [Farewell to the Dakotas of the Belgian Air Force]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (81): 17–19.  0757-4169.

ISSN

Donald, David. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1997.  0-7607-0592-5.

ISBN

Flintham, Victor. Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of Air Combat, 1945 to the Present. New York: Facts on File, 1990.  0-8160-2356-5.

ISBN

Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920. London: Putnam & Company, 1979.  0-370-00050-1.

ISBN

Gradidge, Jennifer M. The Douglas DC-1, DC-2, DC-3: The First Seventy Years. Two volumes. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006.  0-85130-332-3.

ISBN

Herman, Arthur. Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II. New York: Random House, 2012.  978-1-4000-6964-4.

ISBN

Kaplan, Philip. Legend: A Celebration of the Douglas DC-3/C-47/Dakota. Peter Livanos & Philip Kaplan, 2009.  978-0-9557061-1-0.

ISBN

Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II. Cypress, California: Dana Parker Enterprises, 2013.  978-0-9897906-0-4.

ISBN

Pearcy, Arthur Jr. "Douglas R4D variants (US Navy's DC-3/C-47)". Aircraft in Profile, Volume 14. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications, 1974, pp. 49–73.  0-85383-023-1.

ISBN

"Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation". Air Enthusiast Quarterly (2): 154–162. n.d.  0143-5450.

ISSN

Serrano, José Luis González (March–April 1999). "Fifty Years of DC Service: Douglas Transports Used by the Spanish Air Force". Air Enthusiast (80): 61–71.  0143-5450.

ISSN

Widfeldt, Bo (April–July 1980). ""Operation Ball": USAAF Operations in Sweden 1944–45". . No. 12. pp. 51–53. ISSN 0143-5450.

Air Enthusiast

Yenne, Bill. McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1985.  0-517-44287-6.

ISBN

Boeing: Historical Snapshot: C-47 Skytrain military transport

Manual: (1943) T.O. No. 01-40NC-1 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions C-47 Airplane

. National WWII Glider Pilots Association, Inc. 09 July 2014.

"Our Tow Ships"