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Douglas C-47
Sign in to saveAlso known as C47, Dakota, Skytrain, Gooney Bird, CC-129, C-47 Dakota, R4D
airlifter series
Key facts
- Type
- Military transport aircraft
- National origin
- United States
- Manufacturer
- Douglas Aircraft Company
- Status
- In service
- Primary users
- United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force , United States Navy , Royal Canadian Air Force , See operators
- Number built
- 10,174
- First flight
- 23 December 1941 ( 1941-12-23 )
- Developed from
- Douglas DC-3
- Variants
- Douglas XCG-17 , Douglas AC-47 Spooky , Douglas R4D-8
via Wikipedia infobox
~23 min read
Encyclopedic overview
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.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Douglas C-47” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.