| C-47 Skytrain / Dakota C-53 Skytrooper | |
|---|---|
.jpg) C-47 43-30652 "Whiskey 7" at Duxford D-Day Show 2014 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Military transport aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces |
| Number built | 10,174 |
| History | |
| First flight | December 23, 1941[1] |
| Developed from | Douglas DC-3 |
| Variants | Douglas XCG-17 Douglas AC-47 Spooky Douglas R4D-8 |
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.
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.
- ^ C-47 Skytrain Military Transport Historical Snapshot Archived 2020-10-28 at the Wayback Machine. Boeing. Retrieved: 29 June 2017.
- ^ Parker 2013, pp. 13, 35, 37, 39, 45–47.