Posted on 10/25/2023 1:10:43 PM PDT by Red Badger
The Douglas Commercial 3 (DC-3) was one of the most mass-produced, well-engineered aircraft in history. Built to last, to land anywhere and never to break, Douglas churned out more than 11,000 of the type before and during World War II. But how many of these 80-year-old aircraft are still flying today?
The 80-year old aircraft that will never die For an aircraft that was built before the Second World War, you’d be forgiven for assuming most would have been retired by now. So, imagine our surprise when we discovered one had suffered a runway excursion in Colombia in August 2020. Out of interest, we thought we’d take a look at how many DC-3 are still accounted for right now.
According to information kindly shared by Michael Prophet and compiled by Coert Munk for the DC-3 Appreciation Society, there are an estimated 164 DC-3 in all variants flying on a regular basis. This includes military variants (the C-47 and Dakota) as well as those in commercial operation.
Michael notes that none are in regular passenger operation, although some are used for charter/enthusiast flights from time to time. Judging by the fact the Aliansa aircraft had 13 passengers on board, it seems some are perhaps used for special charters in this developing country too.
The bulk of the operational DC-3 fleet is in North America. 89 registrations are thought to be active in the US, with a further 19 in Canada. Australia is home to six of the type, while South Africa has around 16 registered as active. The UK has just three.
Some of the bigger fleets are found in developing countries, however. Colombia, home to Aliansa, has 17 registered models (16 active). Thailand is a hot spot too, with seven confirmed in existence. Elsewhere, Bolivia, China, France, India, Mauritania and New Zealand have between one and three aircraft a piece.
The ruggedness and bulletproof reliability of the DC-3 has made it strangely relevant to today’s missions, despite its 80-plus years of age. It can land on grass and dirt runways with ease, and requires a surprisingly conservative runway length, making it popular in developing countries.
Some have even been converted to turboprops, using the Rolls-Royce Dart engine or the Pratt & Whitney PT6A powerplant. Munk's research suggests that around 33% of the DC-3s had turboprop engines. Others are kept flying through salvaged spare parts and new old stock. The over-engineered nature of the DC-3 means many of the spare parts manufactured for it in the ’30s were never used, so there’s a surprising stock still around.
Munk also notes that a number of DC-3s have been refurbished in recent times. In 2020, around seven were believed to be undergoing preparations to fly again.
VIDEO AT LINK..............
The most popular pre-war plane In its heyday, the Douglas Commercial 3 (DC-3) was flown by a range of interesting airlines. Air France, Swissair, and Aer Lingus were some major European customers, but the real home of the DC-3 was in the United States.
The aircraft was operated by all manner of US airlines, some of whom are still with us today, others who succumbed to consolidation following deregulation of the industry. Notable operators included Delta Air Lines, Braniff Airways, Hawaiian Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines, Pan Am, and of course, United.
American Airlines was instrumental in the development of the DC-3, and along with TWA, Delta and United, it ordered an entire fleet of the type. The aircraft married reliability with comfort and performance, and quickly became the go-to model for long-distance flying.
Douglas DC-3 Aircraft fleets expanded significantly in the 1930s and 1940s. Photo: Getty Images It truly proved its worth during World War II, when it was the most widely used military transport, flying as the C-47 for the US Army Air Corps. It also found a place with the US Navy as the R4D, as well as the Marine Corps and Royal Air Force as the Dakota. So prevalent was the DC-3, President Dwight Ike Eisenhower named it one of the four most important things that won the war.
In 2019, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a mass take-off of 35 DC-3s was orchestrated from Duxford Aerodrome in the UK to Normandy. It was the largest assembly of the Douglas aircraft since WWII and something that must have been breathtaking to see.
Have you ever seen a DC-3 in action? Ever had the pleasure to fly in one? Let us know in the comments.
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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