Douglas DC-3 Dakota
| Location: Coventry | In Service: 1935 to ,,,? |
| Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Company, Santa Monica, Ca | Purpose: Passenger airliner, freighter, military transport |
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Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps, each developing 1,200hp (895kw) |
Length: |
| Construction: All-metal semi-monocoque | Maximum speed: 237mph (381kph), Cruising speed 170mph (274kph) Range: Service ceiling 24,000ft (7,300m) Rate of climb: 1,130ft/min (5.73m/s) Wing loading: Thrust/weight: |
Armament:
History: The Dakota started life as the Douglas Skysleeper. Its fourteen luxurious seats could be folded to make seven comfortable berths, with another seven being lowered from the cabin roof. It was fairly common in the thirties to provide this sort of luxury, given that flights were long, slow and – before the Dakota – often hazardous. The DC-3 made money. Before this, passenger flying was viewed speculatively by airlines who relied heavily on government subsidies. With its high cruising speed, economical engines and cast-iron dependability, the DC-3 made a persuasive business case. As a result it was an almost overnight success. In standard trim it seated 21 passengers, and its speed, dependability and – above all – outstanding safety record made it the world’s most popular airliner. Enter the C-47 The DC-3s operated by Classic Flight are, in fact, ex-military C-47s. A New Name Passenger Service As jet aircraft made air travel ever faster and more convenient, the faithful old Dak was finally forced into retirement. But when the last scheduled commercial flights came to an end the DC-3 had seen more than 50 years of world leadership. A Never-Ending Story
As World War II approached the US military became interested in the design. In 1941 the first orders were placed for a modified DC-3, designated the C-47 Skytrain. In fact little modification was required and, apart from an enlarged cargo door and reinforced floor, the C-47 was effectively identical to its civilian sister.
The name Dakota was coined when the DC-3 joined the RAF. American aircraft were rarely named other than by their model letters, so familiar names like Mustang and Lightning were widely invented by transatlantic users. Dakota is said to come from Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft. It was widely known in its native America as the Gooney Bird.
Following the end of the war, thousands of C-47s were converted to civilian use and they became the standard “bus” for airlines around the world. The success of the design became a competitor even for Douglas itself; the company introduced its uprated Super DC-3, only to find that hardly anyone saw a need to upgrade. The popular axiom “The only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3” underlines the attitude of post-war operators. There was simply no other aircraft that could compete.
Several hundred DC-3s remain in commecial use today. G-ANAF carries an auxiliary power supply and chin-mounted radome for radar testing. With care and proper maintenance, the Dakota is immortal.
