Jungle Skipper — Douglas C-47D Skytrain in green over tan
35º 09′ 56″ N / 79º 00′ 13″ W
What has not been said of the DC-3 and what has it not done?
The DC-3/C-47 has been flying since 1936 when the DC-3 was first used by American Airlines to replace their Curtiss Condor* which revolutionized air travel in the U.S. Coast to coast flying was then possible in three hops with sleeping accommodations during the overnight legs. This was much different than the norm which had many more legs and overnight travel by train. The new norm meant that one could travel coast to coast in less than 18 hours.
These aircraft are flying and earning a living today though production ceased midway through the 20th Century — at the end of WW II. So it is no surprise that the DC-3/C-47/Dakota is one of the most produced aircraft in history — ranking only with the Antonov An 2 and Boeing B-737 in the category.
Douglas’s outstanding design has flown in Antarctic as well as jungle conditions, delivered paratroops over Normandy and supplies in Burma during WW II, flown as a glider and as a float plane, used as executive transport as well as a gunship — but it is flown almost all over the world out of regional airports as well as village scale airstrips. What has not been said and what has not been done by this aircraft?
There have been several posts and many photos in this blog about this aircraft type, please use the search window to find them all. The C-47 which is the subject of today’s images is exhibited at the Airlifters Air Park located in Pope Army Air Field (also a subject of a previous post).
Paste “Curtiss Condor” into the search window to find a photo of a model in the National Air & Space Museum as well as a photo of passenger seat in the Miami Springs Historical Museum