About This File
C-47_Dakota By [rD]MrPink
Created as per request of SuperC of the splash Damage forums
History of the Douglas C-47 Dakota "Gooney Bird":
The Douglas DC-3 was born of the intense competition for modern commercial aircraft that
characterized the post-World War I era. It was the direct descendant of the DC-1, which
first flew in 1933 as Douglas' initial response to a short supply of competitor, Boeing
Aircraft's, landmark 10-passenger 247, the first, low-wing, all-metal airliner. With only
one 12-passenger sample flying, and already a record-breaking success, the DC-1 was quickly
made obsolete, replaced by an a more powerful version with greater seating capacity, the
14-passenger DC-2, of which 193 were built. When, in 1934, American Airlines asked Douglas
for a larger version of the DC-2 that would permit sleeping accommodations for
transcontinental flights, Douglas responded with the 24 passenger (16 as a "sleeper" craft)
DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport), the 24-passenger version of which was designated DC-3.
The DC-3 is given most of the credit for an almost 600% increase in airline passenger
traffic between 1936 and 1941. Recognizing its great potential as a military transport, the
United States Army specified a number of changes needed to make the aircraft acceptable for
military use, including more powerful engines, the removal of airline seating in favor of
utility seats along the walls, a stronger rear fuselage and floor, and the addition of large
loading doors. A large order was placed in 1940 for the military DC-3, which was designated
C-47 and became known as "Skytrain," a name it would soon be asked to live up to. Used as a
cargo transport to fly the notorious "Hump" over the Himalayas after the Japanese closed the
Burma Road, and as a paratroop carrier in various campaigns from Normandy to New Guinea, the
Douglas C-47 was one of the prime people movers of WWII where, in one form or another, it
was manufactured by belligerents on both sides, after first having been licensed to Mitsui
before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and to the Russians, who manufactured it under
license as the Lisunov Li-2. During the war, Mitsui built their own version, via contract
with the Showa and Nakajima companies, which built about 485 "Tabbys" (the code name given
to the aircraft by the Allies) as the Showa L2D. Known also as "Dakota" (British
designation), R4D (U.S. Navy), "Skytrooper" and "Gooney Bird," the Douglas C-47 (USAAF) went
through many modifications during its long service life, largely with respect to engine
power ratings, but also with structural modifications for specific tasks like reconnaissance
and navigation training. It was even tested as a floatplane, and as an engineless glider, a
task it performed well, but too late in the war to matter. It was also used as a fighting
machine as the AC-47D gunship ( "Puff, the Magic Dragon") of the Vietnam war, where the
plane was equipped with three modernized Gattling guns (General Electric 7.62mm "Miniguns,"
each mounted and firing from the port side) for use as a "target suppressor," circling a
target and laying down massive fire to eliminate or at least subdue the enemy position.
By war's end, 10,692 of the DC-3/C-47 aircraft had been built, with 2,000 Li-2s by the
Soviets, and 485 Showa L2Ds by the Japanese, for a total of about 13,177. Between its first
flight on December 17, 1935, and this writing, the DC-3 will have had 65 years of continuous
service. From its pioneering of military airlifts over the hump, to its perfecting of the
technique during the Berlin Airlift, the C-47 has been prized for its versatility and
dependability, factors that explain its remarkable longevity as an active carrier worldwide.
[History by Kevin Murphy] Thanks to Tex Gehman.
Specifications (C-47):
Engines: Two 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp radial piston engines
Weight: Empty 16,865 lbs., Max Takeoff 25,200 lbs.
Wing Span: 95ft. 0in.
Length: 64ft. 5.5in.
Height: 16ft. 11.5in.
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 230 mph
Cruising Speed: 207 mph
Ceiling: 23,200 ft.
Range: 2,125 miles
Armament: None
Number Built:
13,177 (All manufacturers)
Instructions:
Unzip the zip file into your ETMain Directory, if you get a warning about directories
already in this folder, click yes, I wont hurt anything. You must ALSO unzip this into any
.pk3s you put your map in.
