Great plane. It could fly anywhere, through anything, upside down or downside up. Dozens of stories of carrying twice its allowable load, flying with a wing borrowed from a larger plane, landing alone, forgiving errors, etc. etc. etc. I loved the feeling of security in bad weather this plane allowed its passengers.
I read a story of one C47 that shear a wing tip off after flying in over ‘The Hump”! The ground crew used a wing from a
scavenge-red DC2/C46 to make a repair and fly it out.
I believe the DC2/C46 had a wing 3 feet shorter than DC3/C47
I just now looked it up. Real story here!
Good music w/story!
http://cnac.org/aircraft02.htm
In 1984 I flew in one of the first DC-3 ever produced (according to the production data available on the metal strip posted near the exit) from Loikaw, Burma, to Rangoon. It had stopped somewhere and picked up a load of Shan soldiers who bore the most incredible tatoos I’ve ever seen. Sitting in the seat next to me was a Shan who was holding a huge cerise colored orchid, the largest I have ever seen. It was a fascinating trip, although the floorboards was cracked, broken, and in one spot the fusilage was opened. I imagine it is still in service somewhere.