DC-3, March Field Air Museum, Riverside, California
Douglas VC-47A Skytrain (DC-3) at March Field Air Museum, Riverside, California. The following information is from the March Field Air Museum's booklet "A Future For The Past":
General Dwight D. Eisenhower stated "The atomic bomb, the bazooka, the jeep and the DC-3 were the four things that won the war for the Allies". During World War II, the DC-3 (C-47 in military service) was used to land supplies and troops, tow gliders, drop paratroops, and modified for executive transport. Crews rolled 500 il bombs out the cargo door and a C-47 pilot was even credited a victory over a Japanese Zero fighter when he maneuvered close to the ground, forcing the Zero to crash. Also nicknamed "Gooney Bird" because of the way the wings flapped on take-off and "Dakota" by the British, it was flown in all theaters of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and still used by Third World military and many private airlines today. The gunship version did not enter service until early Vietnam. Armament consisted of three 7.62mm miniguns firing 6000 rpm each. Its nickname was "Puff the Magic Dragon" because of the tongue of flame that shot from the aircraft while the guns were being fired. The C-47 is the only aircraft licensed for production in Russia. The seaplane version had the largest floats ever produced for a seaplane. Their floats also doubled as fuel tanks.
The aircraft at the March Field Air Museum is a VC-47A serial number 43-15579. It was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California and delivered to the Army Air Force on 12 April 1944. It served in the Air Transport Command and Air National Guard until retired in October 1972. It was used for transport of Governors Edmund G. "Pat" Brown and Ronald Reagan during their tenure in office. It was obtained from the California Air National Guard. It was dis-assembled, the fuselage used as a trailer, brought to the museum on freeways and re-assembled by volunteers.
DC-3, March Field Air Museum, Riverside, California
Douglas VC-47A Skytrain (DC-3) at March Field Air Museum, Riverside, California. The following information is from the March Field Air Museum's booklet "A Future For The Past":
General Dwight D. Eisenhower stated "The atomic bomb, the bazooka, the jeep and the DC-3 were the four things that won the war for the Allies". During World War II, the DC-3 (C-47 in military service) was used to land supplies and troops, tow gliders, drop paratroops, and modified for executive transport. Crews rolled 500 il bombs out the cargo door and a C-47 pilot was even credited a victory over a Japanese Zero fighter when he maneuvered close to the ground, forcing the Zero to crash. Also nicknamed "Gooney Bird" because of the way the wings flapped on take-off and "Dakota" by the British, it was flown in all theaters of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and still used by Third World military and many private airlines today. The gunship version did not enter service until early Vietnam. Armament consisted of three 7.62mm miniguns firing 6000 rpm each. Its nickname was "Puff the Magic Dragon" because of the tongue of flame that shot from the aircraft while the guns were being fired. The C-47 is the only aircraft licensed for production in Russia. The seaplane version had the largest floats ever produced for a seaplane. Their floats also doubled as fuel tanks.
The aircraft at the March Field Air Museum is a VC-47A serial number 43-15579. It was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California and delivered to the Army Air Force on 12 April 1944. It served in the Air Transport Command and Air National Guard until retired in October 1972. It was used for transport of Governors Edmund G. "Pat" Brown and Ronald Reagan during their tenure in office. It was obtained from the California Air National Guard. It was dis-assembled, the fuselage used as a trailer, brought to the museum on freeways and re-assembled by volunteers.