Name the plane
Discussion
Eric!1st plane, or very similar variance, that I ever flew in..............Dan Air Dakota from Lydd airport to Jersey via Guernsey............safest plane ever according to the hostess.............was like sitting in an old London bus with wings and string racks overhead. I was fine once we landed at Guernsey and I managed to get a decent window seat.
Yep - you lose a whole load of nerd points for not recognising a member of the DC-3/C-47 family.
There are many of these still flying today. I am sure the figure must be well over 100. There were over 13,000 built and they are as tough as an old boot. I am sure there will be many still airworthy to celebrate the types 100th birthday in 2035.
There are many of these still flying today. I am sure the figure must be well over 100. There were over 13,000 built and they are as tough as an old boot. I am sure there will be many still airworthy to celebrate the types 100th birthday in 2035.
It looks like the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's example. It does all sorts of displays all over the country throughout the display season.
The DC-3 is one of the most important aeroplanes in aviation history. It almost singlehandedly established the validity of the commercial airline industry in the immediate pre-war period and then was massively important as a cargo hauler, troop transport and glider tug in World War 2.
After World War 2 the thousands of war surplus DC-3s made available to the airline industry was instrumental in re-establishing the airline industry post war. There is hardly an airline in the world that didn't use them at some point or other.
The DC-3 is one of the most important aeroplanes in aviation history. It almost singlehandedly established the validity of the commercial airline industry in the immediate pre-war period and then was massively important as a cargo hauler, troop transport and glider tug in World War 2.
After World War 2 the thousands of war surplus DC-3s made available to the airline industry was instrumental in re-establishing the airline industry post war. There is hardly an airline in the world that didn't use them at some point or other.
miniman said:
It flew over our village fete on 16th June. The question now is - where was it going to and from?
Just on a general flypast routine. (D) entries
Here it was the following week over Milton Keynes:
BBMF Dakota by eltawater, on FlickrEric Mc said:
Yep - you lose a whole load of nerd points for not recognising a member of the DC-3/C-47 family.
There are many of these still flying today. I am sure the figure must be well over 100. There were over 13,000 built and they are as tough as an old boot. I am sure there will be many still airworthy to celebrate the types 100th birthday in 2035.
Does that include the BT67?There are many of these still flying today. I am sure the figure must be well over 100. There were over 13,000 built and they are as tough as an old boot. I am sure there will be many still airworthy to celebrate the types 100th birthday in 2035.
TheDrBrian said:
Eric Mc said:
Yep - you lose a whole load of nerd points for not recognising a member of the DC-3/C-47 family.
There are many of these still flying today. I am sure the figure must be well over 100. There were over 13,000 built and they are as tough as an old boot. I am sure there will be many still airworthy to celebrate the types 100th birthday in 2035.
Does that include the BT67?There are many of these still flying today. I am sure the figure must be well over 100. There were over 13,000 built and they are as tough as an old boot. I am sure there will be many still airworthy to celebrate the types 100th birthday in 2035.
Because of the underlying "unburstability" of the original airframe and its longevity, there have been a number of "update" projects to the DC-3/C-47 to make the plane more appropriate as the years went on.
The fist real attempt to do this was the Super DC-3 which was not a great commercial success but a number were used by the US military as the C-117 - chiefly the US Navy and Marines -
There have also been a number of conversions to turboprop power. I remember seeing this one at the 1978 Farnborough Air Show. It's called the Douglas Tri-Turbo 3. Only a small number were built (two or three) -
The Basler BT-67 is a more modern and more successful conversion to turbine power.
The last original DC-3 airframe rolled off the line in 1945.
May/June next year will see one of the largest gatherings of DC-3/C-47 in UK/France for over 50 years, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, and will be involved in a mass round chute para drop over the Normandy drop zones.
So far, the owners of over 30 DC-3/C-47's
from all over the world have so far committed to making the journey to the UK, and to load up with parachutists to fly across the channel from UK to Normandy.
For details see here:-
https://www.daksovernormandy.com/
So far, the owners of over 30 DC-3/C-47's
from all over the world have so far committed to making the journey to the UK, and to load up with parachutists to fly across the channel from UK to Normandy.For details see here:-
https://www.daksovernormandy.com/
Eric Mc said:
That should be something to see. I hope to be able to get to the UK end of the operation. Are they all taking off from the same location?
No idea yet, I suspect they would have to fly out of more than one for the drop, and rendezvous in the air, just as they did on D-Day. The time to get 30+ Daks off the ground from just one airfield would be too long I suspect.I think they are planning to be all at Duxford for an event prior to the day of the drop though.
Best keep an eye on the website for news as the planning progresses.
aeropilot said:
No idea yet, I suspect they would have to fly out of more than one for the drop, and rendezvous in the air, just as they did on D-Day. The time to get 30+ Daks off the ground from just one airfield would be too long I suspect.
I think they are planning to be all at Duxford for an event prior to the day of the drop though.
Best keep an eye on the website for news as the planning progresses.
Will do. A mass take off of 30 DC-3s would be great to watch.I think they are planning to be all at Duxford for an event prior to the day of the drop though.
Best keep an eye on the website for news as the planning progresses.
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