The DC-3 Special: Tales of the Gooney Bird

In the history of commercial aviation. there stands one airplane that holds the crown of, the best, the most famous, the most numerous, the most respected and most loved. This is the Douglas DC-3. In June of 2006, this amazing airplane had its seventieth birthday, and almost 400 are still in commercial service today.

It began in 1932. Boeing Airplane Co in Seattle, developed a twin engine all metal airplane called the model 247. Due to an alliance between Boeing and a very young United Airlines, the Boeing 247 was developed for them exclusively. This new twin, was faster than most military airplanes of that time, and could be considered the first modern airliner, by having a passenger cabin devoid of the cables, wing braces and drafts common to all other passenger planes in service. The only remnant of the past, was a step on the cabin floor, covering the wing spar.

Because United was the only airline flying the Boeing 247, passengers were flocking to United, to fly on the sleek, new airplane. This, being a threat to every other airline in the US. Boeing would not build the 247 for anyone but United, and it would stay that way until all the airlines order was filled. This disadvantage, would seriously effect
American, Eastern, Pan American and TWA, who were forced to operate the older, slower, uncomfortable and now
outdated airplanes.

In 1932, Mr. Jack Frye, President of TWA (Transcontinental and Western Airlines) invited five US airplane manufacturers to come up with ideas in respect to a design for an airplane to complete with United's 247. Douglas,
(who had previously produced the first airplanes to go around the world) provided a concept for a twin engined type.
The original requirement called for a three engined aircraft, due to safety reasons. The Douglas design however was accepted due to its being able to continue flying on one engine.

The first airplane developed was called the DC-1 (Douglas Commercial - 1) it sat 12 passengers (2 more than the
247) and having a flat floor in the cabin. The new DC-1 was found to be faster and had better range than the Boeing
airplane. This single airplane set 11 speed records, including Los Angeles to Newark in 1934. Part of this was due to the unique airframe construction and one of its designers, Mr John K Northrop (he would go on years later and perfect the flying wing, in which that, would eventually lead to todays B-2 stealth bomber).

Although the DC-1, proved to be actually superior to the Boeing 247, its design was capable ot being stretched without compromise. Under this concept TWA, decided to purchase a larger version. Called the DC-2, the airplane had more powerful engines, carried 14 passengers, plus 1750 lbs of cargo, was even faster yet, and had better range than the DC-1.

The first DC-2 entered service with TWA in August 1934. Among the first US airlines to also operate the DC-2 were
American, Eastern, General, Pan American and Panagra. As well, many foreign airlines had ordered and put the DC-2 into service, among them was KLM of Holland.

So impressed with the performance of the new DC-2, KLM entered one in the 1934 Mac Robertson - Miller air race
from London to Melbourne, Austrailia. It would compete against specially designed and built racing planes, and a
Boeing 247D, entered by both Boeing and United Airlines, and flown by Mr. Roscoe Turner, a famous US aviation
racing pilot.

At the end of the race, a custom racer finished first. But to everyones surprise, second place went to the KLM DC-2,
also winning first place in Transport Class. The Boeing 247D finished third overall some hours later. The results of that race had a positive effect on future orders for DC-2's.

It was American Airlines, who was competing against TWA for transcontinental US traffic. They were utilizing an older, slower and smaller airplane called the Curtiss Condor, for overnight sleeper services. TWA was flying DC-2's during the day and using rail at night. American, having the DC-2, wanted equal speed to fill their sleeper services, and take the advantage.

To serve that end result, American, asked Douglas to modify the DC-2 to carry sleeping berths. This involved a further stretch of the DC-2, adding more depth and width as well. It had the ability to sleep 14 passengers in both a
mixture of upper and lower berths, in addition a "honeymoon suite" was added in the forward cabin area. The wings span was increased, and the tail was redesigned, and finally even more powerful engines were added. The new airplane was called the American Airlines DC-2 DST (Daylight Sleeper Transport) and began service in June 1936.

With the conception of the DC-2 DST, it was obvious that by removing the berths and suite, the cabin would allow a
50% increase in capacity. Not only that, the new airplane was cheaper to operate than the earlier DC-2. The airlines
jumped on that, and the DC-3 was born. Opting for the better DC-3, the production of the DC-2 ended with around 200 aircraft produced.

Ironic is the fact that, United Airlines, the one who started this whole thing, began the first DC-3 services in June
1937. Having to admit that their Boeing 247 was losing out to the new Douglas twins.

The impact of the DC-3, one single type of airplane, on the whole airline industry at the time was so great that by
1938, one year after its beginning service 95% of all US Domestic airline traffic was flown by DC-3's. One year after that,1939, the DC-3 held 90% of the worlds airline traffic. The demand for the airplane was such that, Douglas licensed construction of new airplanes to Lisenov in the USSR, they called it the LI-2 (and claimed for years after that the USSR "invented" the DC-3) in addition Nakajima Heavy Industries in Japan made the L2D2, with the Japanese learning the advanced technology of the Douglas DC-3, no doubt helped them develop their fighting aircraft used in the upcoming war.

The DC-3's safety record was reflected in the fact that in 1936, the year that Douglas DC-3 entered service, there were 8 fatal accidents in 64 million miles of US Domestic passenger service. By 1941, that figure changed to 4 fatal accidents in 133 million miles.

In 1941, when the war broke out, DC-3 production lines were taken over by the US War Department. The DC-3 airliner was converted to a troop transport/cargo aircraft. This involved reinforcement of the floor boards, adding a large cargo door, replacing seats, curtains, decorations, soundproofing, lighting and any level of comfort, with spartan
fold down benches, two to four auxiliary fuel tanks in the forward cabin area, attachments for litters, separate compartments for a radio operator and navigator, and ability to tow gliders. These plus many other changes resulted in the C-47 Skytrain, for the US Army Air Corps, the R4D for the US Navy or the Dakota for the Royal Air Force.

Actually there were four different versions of the C-47. The "original" C-47 as described above, the C-47A which had a
slight increase in overall weight and a 24 volt electrical system (the C-47 was 12 volt). The C-47B was able to operate at higher altitudes by having upgraded engines. There was also a version with a more airliner cabin, called the C-53 for staff use.

At any rate, the original DC-3 ceased to exist in production from that time forward. A total of 430 Douglas DC-2 DST and DC-3's were produced.

For the US airlines, many of their DC-3's were "drafted" into military service. These being converted to military staff use and retaining many but not all of their creature features of the day, these former civilian DC-3 were renamed C-48 to C-52. Some of the DC-2's and DC-3's were retained by the US airlines to maintain US Air Mail and limited
scheduled services. These being flown by eiether old veteran airline pilots or military crews.

The C-47, was at first met with skeptisism because the War Department felt that the DC-3 would not be capable of
performing the many tasks asked of it. It was however, the only air transport being produced in large numbers at
the time, so it would have to do.

To prove its worth, the C-47 transported 5000% more freight than all the US Domestic airlines had the previous year.
They evacuated 20,000 wounded from New Guinea in five months, 17,000 from Guadalcanal and Caledonia in the
Phillipines, 18,000 from Tunisia, North Africa, 14,000 from Sicily and another 1000 from Alaska.

As the US Marines were taking Guadalcanal in 1942, they were running out of ammunition. The Japanese were still holding ground at the edge of Henderson Field. The US Navy sent in R4D's which had to fly low approaches under enemy fire to land at the airstrip. Not a single airplane was lost. Later, these airplanes would supply desperately needed gasolene to the US fighter planes on Henderson Field, and kept flying daily from the fall of 1942 until the spring of 1943.

When the Japanese took the Burma Road in the spring of 1943. The famous "Flying Tiger" fighter squadron became
isolated and cut off from supply. The C-47's assisted by bringing in all the gasolene and supplies to the "Tigers", by
flying over 19,000 ft mountains. known as the "Hump". In turn they took 74 refugees per flight out of China. The Chinese leader Chaing Kai-Shek was said to remark "give me 50 DC-3's, and the Japs can have the Burma Road".

In New Guinea, with the enemy fast approaching to within 40 miles of the Capital city, C-47's dropped 3800 troops
from Australia to push back the Japanese. A few weeks later, these same airplanes took 7000 troops over the mountains to retake New Guinea. They also delivered 19 bull-dozers, 32 Jeeps, graders, scrapers, field camps and
engineers to help cut an airfield out of the jungle.

During the North African campaign, 44 C-47's flew non-stop from England to Libya to drop British troops behind
enemy lines. They supported the US 8th Army's push from El-Alamein to Tripoli. At Kasserine Pass, the C-47 flew a
milllion miles worth of supply flights, bringing ammunition and other goods to assist in the effort to stop General
Rommel from a major break through.

Major air drops of paratroops and supplies in Sicily and Italy were made by you know what. Over 4000 C-47's took part in the June 6, 1944 "Operation Overlord" (D-Day) over Normandy, France, dropping paratroops, supplies, and towing gliders. A few months later, "Operation Market Garden" the same mission was repeated using C-47's over Holland.

Throughout all theatres of the entire duration of World War II, the C-47 also evacuated and saved the lives of thousands of wounded soldiers.

A Navy R4D took 3 days to fly a 6100 pound pinion gear, 5300 miles to a damaged American Cruiser. The big ship was repaired and back in service in one week.

A very large caliber navel shell passed clean through a C-47, and it flew home.

One C-47 hit some high-tension wires, tore an engine off the wing, and returned safely.

Another C-47 was so shot up that the pilot decided to ditch the airplane, it bounced off the water, and flew home.

When World War II ended, General Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander Europe said "Victory of the allies was gained from three things, the atomic bomb, the bazooka and the C-47"

C-47 production ended in 1942, a total of 10,655 airplanes were made. Add to that 450 made in Japan and about 2000 made in the USSR before the war.

The end of hostilities did not end the career of the C-47. Although the allied forces would keep a good number, Thousands of surplus airplanes were sold and converted into DC-3A's for the worlds airlines. These airplanes would soldier on for many years,under many colors,in many places and doing many things. In fact the DC-3 still operates
world wide. Many are in private hands and are lovingly restored and maintained.

The C-47 continued its mission during the Korean War, dropping troops and supplies, transporting cargo and evacuating wounded throughout the duration of the conflict. Again retaining the respect of all who came in contact with it. The troops called the C-47/R4D the "Gooney Bird". The nickname dates back to WWII and its appearance
like a lumbering bird as it approached an airfield for landing.

This affectionate nickname given to the slow awkward looking twin engine airplane, representing a reliable friend, humanitarian and a general "good guy" would change with the Vietnam War.

That conflict produced the C-47 in a new role. From its worldwide familarity, popularity and benign nature, the USAF
turned the C-47 into a AC-47 gunship. Called "Puff the Magic Dragon" this version featured six .50 caliber miniguns
mounted in the cabin windows, three per side. "Puff", became well known and was very successful in its ablilty to
wreak death and destruction. The troops called the AC-47 "beau-coup".

The last USAF C-47 was retired from military service in 1979.

The last DC-3 to fly with a major airline in the US was retired by North Central Airlines in 1975. This being an actual
DC-3, built in 1939 for Eastern Airlines, and never saw the war. It is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, painted in United colors.

So, if you live or are near a big major US city airport. And you hear the drone of a piston plane, late at night, its probably a DC-3 doing night freight duty. An old "crate" that wrote aviation history.