Douglas C-47 Skytrain
airlifter series
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, or Dakota (RAF designation), is a military transport aircraft that was 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 drops, glider towing, and military cargo parachute drops. The C-47 remained in front-line service with various military operators for many years. It was produced in roughly triple the numbers of the larger, much heavier-payload Curtiss C-46 Commando, which filled a similar role for the U.S. military.
About 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, over 80 years after the type's introduction.
Design and development
The C-47 differed from the civilian DC-3 by numerous modifications, including being fitted with a cargo door, hoist attachment with a strengthened floor, a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles, and an astrodome in the cabin roof.
During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. The U.S. Navy's designation was R4D. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Between March 1943 and August 1945, the Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s.
“Douglas C-47 Skytrain” enters the record as airlifter series. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Douglas, C-47 and Skytrain can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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