Posted on 10/25/2023 1:10:43 PM PDT by Red Badger
Didn’t Ricky Nelson buy the farm in a C-47?
Same engines...
First time I landed a D-18 I thought I’d bent it — there was a noticeable “oomph” moment as the weight settled on the gear, almost felt like it was collapsing! Turned out it’s characteristic.
I flew DC-3T in the Congo for several years for the International Red Cross. It was built in 1943 it flew in Normandy Invasion It was converted by the South African Air Force for coastal patrol. SAAF bought about 30 and converted them. Everything was updated. Cockpit was stretched 48 inches giving pilots shelf space and jump seat. Double cargo doors installed and had a gross of 29000 lbs with 1130 gallons of fuel in four tanks. Had a range of 1200 NM at 10,000 ft or higher. Engines were derated P&W 6-65R, Baslers are -67Rs. They would pull 4500 lbs. of torque if needed for a total of 1400 hp. each but were derated to 3000 lbs of torque pulling around 900 hp.on takeoff. The 1400 hp was there if needed.
There are still several abandoned stock 3’s parked around the Congo, a few years ago. Company in Pretoria will convert one for around $5 million last I heard. They are 10 knots faster than the Basler because of the narrower
cowling and longer wingtips. There may be other changes that I am not aware of at this time.
Flew (by myself as a passenger) in a DC-4 or DC-6 from Hawaii to Boston at the age of 7.
Times have changed...
I flew among San Angelo, Roswell, and Dallas often when it was Trans Texas Airways. When I was learning to fly, the “TreeTop Airways” sobriquet was explained as, “On takeoff, clear the fence at the end of the runway, then descend to cruising altitude.”
American pop singer Ricky Nelson died during the attempted
crash-landing of his band’s aircraft on December 31, 1985.
The plane, a Douglas DC-3, was brought down mid-flight
outside De Kalb, Texas, by a fire that rapidly spread from
a suspected faulty in-cabin heater.
Compare with the 10,000 B-24s that were built...
Many old dc3s have been refitted with turbo prop engines.
My Dad flew DC-3s and DC-4s for United after the war (he was a bomber pilot in ETO during the war: B17s and B24s).
Things that add to the cool factor IMO:
-Taildragger landing gear...you never see that on big planes nowadays
-Teardrop tapering of the fuselage
-Charmingly rounded vertical stabilizer
-Vintage paint schemes that suit its lines
-Distinctive raked V shape of the front glass
There’s a similar crashed plane upside-down in Hawaiian rainforest long ago. Discovered in great condition from an overhead view in a recent decade. It’s like this aircraft, but inverted.
It may have been the bomber version of the similar DC-2.
IIRC, a B-18—Bolo.
There's a miilion stories about the DC-3. Like the one that suffered a torn-up wing from a Japanese attack in Burma. Somebody found a wing from a DC-2, flew it into the threatened airfield strapped under another DC=3 bolted it onto the damaged plane, making it a DC-2-1/2. Despite being shorter, the pilot said it handled normally as he flew it out.
Another has to do with an RD-4 that lost all the oil from one engine flying into a remote island base. They fixed the leak, filled the tank with OLIVE OIL, and flew it 500 miles home.
Took a DC-3 from Dallas to Lawton, OK in 1974. Glad I had a chance to do it.
Love it! Man, do I love the sound of those things!
Yes! There is (was?) a company that specialized in this. That is one rugged airframe, and to put those engines in it just gives me a shiver!
Yes-aren’t they beautiful? I so wanted to go look at the inside of them, but would never step on the ownership rights of something like that, but it was just cool to see them, side by side, in that setting sun on that Cape Cod field!
My Grandmother built these during WWII and after in Long Beach, CA.
After the war, she was one of the very few women kept on. She retired after 30 years as a lead lady on the assembly line. Last plane she worked on was the DC-10.
40yar ago i was in college standing at the door waiting for the library to open when one flew over ~1000’
and all i wanted to do, was be on that plane, and i dint even care where it was going...
“For me it was either 1980 or 1981, coming back to Oregon from California on a Forest Service flight. Lots of thunderstorms and a very rough ride that night.”
Oy vey! That definitely sounds white knuckle.
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