TheDouglas DC-3 is apropeller-drivenairliner that was manufactured by theDouglas Aircraft Company. It had a lasting effect on theairline industry in the 1930s to 1940s andWorld War II.It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version of theDouglas DC-2.It is alow-wing metal monoplane withconventional landing gear, powered by tworadial piston engines of 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW). Although the DC-3s originally built for civil service had theWright R-1820 Cyclone, later civilian DC-3s used thePratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine.[2]The DC-3 has a cruising speed of 207 mph (333 km/h), a capacity of 21 to 32 passengers or 6,000 lbs (2,700 kg) of cargo, and a range of 1,500 mi (2,400 km), and can operate from short runways.
The DC-3 had many exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft. It was fast, had a good range, was more reliable, and carried passengers in greater comfort. Before World War II, it pioneered many air travel routes. It was able to cross thecontinental United States from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours, with only three stops.It is one of the first airliners that could profitably carry only passengers without relying on mail subsidies.[3][4] In 1939, at the peak of its dominance in the airliner market, around ninety percent of airline flights on the planet were by a DC-3 or some variant.[5]
Following the war, the airliner market was flooded with surplus transport aircraft, and the DC-3 was no longer competitive because it was smaller and slower than aircraft built during the war. It was made obsolete on main routes by more advanced types such as theDouglas DC-4 andConvair 240, but the design proved adaptable and was still useful on less commercially demanding routes.
Civilian DC-3 production ended in 1943 at 607 aircraft. Military versions, including theC-47 Skytrain (the Dakota in BritishRAF service), and Soviet- and Japanese-built versions, brought total production to over 16,000.Many continued to be used in a variety of niche roles; 2,000 DC-3s and military derivatives were estimated to be still flying in 2013;[6] by 2017 more than 300 were still flying.[7] As of 2023, it was estimated about 150 were still flying.[8]
DC-3 airliner cabinDouglas Sleeper Transport (DST) showing the second row of windows for the upper bunk beds, above the airline titles
"DC" stands for Douglas Commercial. The DC-3 was the culmination of a development effort that began after an inquiry fromTranscontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) toDonald Douglas. TWA's rival in transcontinental air service,United Airlines, was starting service with theBoeing 247, and Boeing refused to sell any 247s to other airlines until United's order for 60 aircraft had been filled.[9] TWA asked Douglas to design and build an aircraft that would allow TWA to compete with United. Douglas' design, the 1933DC-1, was promising, and led to theDC-2 in 1934. The DC-2 was a success, but with room for improvement.
The DC-3 resulted from a marathon telephone call fromAmerican Airlines CEOC. R. Smith to Donald Douglas, when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American'sCurtiss Condor II biplanes. The DC-2's cabin was 66 inches (1.7 m) wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths. Douglas agreed to go ahead with development only after Smith informed him of American's intention to purchase 20 aircraft. The new aircraft was engineered by a team led by chief engineerArthur E. Raymond over the next two years, and the prototype DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) first flew on December 17, 1935 (the 32nd anniversary of theWright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk) with Douglas chief test pilotCarl Cover at the controls. Its cabin was 92 in (2,300 mm) wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths[11] of the DST was given the designationDC-3. No prototype was built, and the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line for delivery to American Airlines.[12]
The DC-3 and DST popularized air travel in the United States. Eastbound transcontinental flights could cross the U.S. in about 15 hours with three refueling stops, while westbound trips against the wind took17+1⁄2 hours. A few years earlier, such a trip entailed short hops in slower and shorter-range aircraft during the day,coupled with train travel overnight.[13]
Severalradial engines were offered for the DC-3. Early-production civilian aircraft used either the 9-cylinderWright R-1820 Cyclone 9 or the 14-cylinderPratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, but the Twin Wasp was chosen for most military versions and was also used by most DC-3s converted from military service. Five DC-3SSuper DC-3s withPratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasps were built in the late 1940s, three of which entered airline service.
Production of DSTs ended in mid-1941 and civilian DC-3 production ended in early 1943, although dozens of the DSTs and DC-3s ordered by airlines that were produced between 1941 and 1943 were pressed into the US military service while still on the production line.[15][16] Military versions were produced until the end of the war in 1945. A larger, more powerful Super DC-3 was launched in 1949 to positive reviews. The civilian market was flooded with second-hand C-47s, many of which were converted to passenger and cargo versions. Only five Super DC-3s were built, and three of them were delivered for commercial use. The prototype Super DC-3 served the US Navy with the designation YC-129 alongside 100 R4Ds that had been upgraded to the Super DC-3 specifications.
TheBasler BT-67 is a conversion of the DC-3/C-47. Basler refurbishes C-47s and DC-3s atOshkosh,Wisconsin, fitting them with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, lengthening the fuselage by 40 in (1,000 mm) with a fuselage plug ahead of the wing, and some local strengthening of the airframe.[20]
South Africa-based Braddick Specialised Air Services International (commonly referred to as BSAS International) has also performed Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop conversions, having performed modifications on over 50 DC-3/C-47s / 65ARTP / 67RTP / 67FTPs.[21]
American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights fromNewark, New Jersey andChicago, Illinois.[22] Early U.S. airlines likeAmerican,United,TWA,Eastern, andDelta ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry, which eventually replacedtrains as the most common means of long-distance travel across the United States. A nonprofit group, Flagship Detroit Foundation, continues to operate the only original American Airlines Flagship DC-3 with air show and airport visits throughout the U.S.[23]
In 1936,KLM Royal Dutch Airlines received its first DC-3, which replaced the DC-2 in service fromAmsterdam via Batavia (nowJakarta) toSydney, by far the world's longest scheduled route at the time. In total, KLM bought 23 DC-3s before the war broke out in Europe.[citation needed] In 1941, aChina National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) DC-3 pressed into wartime transportation service was bombed on the ground at Suifu Airfield in China, destroying the outer right wing. The only spare available was that of a smaller Douglas DC-2 in CNAC's workshops. The DC-2's right wing was removed, flown to Suifu under the belly of another CNAC DC-3, and bolted up to the damaged aircraft. After a single test flight, in which it was discovered that it pulled to the right due to the difference in wing sizes, the so-called DC-2½ was flown to safety.[24]
During World War II, many civilian DC-3s were requisitioned for the war effort and more than 10,000 U.S. military versions of the DC-3 were built, under the designationsC-47, C-53, R4D, and Dakota. Peak production was reached in 1944, with 4,853 being delivered.[25] The armed forces of many countries used the DC-3 and its military variants for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. Licensed copies of the DC-3 were built in Japan as the Showa L2D (487 aircraft); and in the Soviet Union as theLisunov Li-2 (4,937 aircraft).[14]
After the war, thousands of cheap ex-military DC-3s became available for civilian use.[26]Cubana de Aviación became the first Latin American airline to offer a scheduled service toMiami when it started its first scheduled international service fromHavana in 1945 with a DC-3. Cubana used DC-3s on some domestic routes well into the 1960s.[27][28]
Douglas developed an improved version, the Super DC-3, with more power, greater cargo capacity, and an improved wing, but with surplus aircraft available for cheap, they failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market.[29] Only five were delivered, three of them toCapital Airlines. The U.S. Navy had 100 of its early R4Ds converted to Super DC-3 standard during the early 1950s as theDouglas R4D-8/C-117D. The last U.S. Navy C-117 was retired on July 12, 1976.[30] The last U.S. Marine Corps C-117, serial 50835, was retired from active service during June 1982. Several remained in service with small airlines in North and South America in 2006.[31]
A number of aircraft companies attempted to design a "DC-3 replacement" over the next three decades (including the very successfulFokker F27 Friendship), but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3. While newer airliners soon replaced it on longer high-capacity routes, it remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s as a regional airliner before being replaced by earlyregional jets.
Perhaps unique among prewar aircraft, the DC-3 continues to fly in active commercial and military service as of 2025, ninety years after the type's first flight in 1935, although the number is dwindling due to expensive maintenance and a lack of spare parts.[citation needed] There are small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and ascargo aircraft or asair charters. Applications of the DC-3 have included passenger service, aerial spraying, freight transport, military transport, missionary flying,skydiver shuttling and sightseeing. There have been a very large number of civil and military operators of the DC-3/C-47 and related types, which would have made it impracticable to provide a comprehensive listing of all operators.
A common saying among aviation enthusiasts and pilots is "the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3".[33][34]Its ability to use grass or dirt runways makes it popular in developing countries or remote areas, where runways may be unpaved.[35][36]
The oldest surviving DST is N133D, the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built, manufactured in 1936. This aircraft was delivered toAmerican Airlines on 12 July 1936 as NC16005. In 2011 it was at Shell Creek Airport,Punta Gorda, Florida.[37] It has been repaired and has been flying again, with a recent flight on 25 April 2021.[38][39] The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American AirlinesFlagship Detroit (c/n 1920, the 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line, delivered on 2 March 1937),[40] which appears at airshows around the United States and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation.[23]
The base price of a new DC-3 in 1936 was around $60,000–$80,000, and by 1960 used aircraft were available for $75,000.[41] In 2023, flying DC-3s can be bought from $400,000-$700,000.[citation needed]
As of 2024, the Basler BT-67 with additions to handle cold weather and snow runways are used in Antarctica including regularly landing at the South Pole during the austral summer.[citation needed]
Douglas Sleeper Transport; the initial variant with two 1,000–1,200-horsepower (750–890 kW)Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines and standard sleeper accommodation for up to 16 with small upper windows, convertible to carry up to 24 day passengers.[42]
Initial non-sleeper variant; with 21 day-passenger seats, 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, no upper windows.
DC-3A
DC-3 with 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.
DC-3B
Version of DC-3 for TWA, with two 1,100–1,200 hp (820–890 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines and smaller convertible sleeper cabin forward with fewer upper windows than DST.
Designation for ex-military C-47, C-53, and R4D aircraft rebuilt by Douglas Aircraft in 1946, given new manufacturer numbers, and sold on the civil market; Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines.[43]
DC-3D
Designation for 28 new aircraft completed by Douglas in 1946 with unused components from the cancelled USAAF C-117 production line; Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines.[44]
DC-3S
Also known as Super DC-3, substantially redesigned DC-3 with fuselage lengthened by 39 inches (1.0 m); outer wings of a different shape with squared-off wingtips and shorter span; distinctive taller rectangular tail; and fitted with more powerfulPratt & Whitney R-2000 or 1,475 hp (1,100 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines. Five completed by Douglas for civil use using existing surplus secondhand airframes.[45] Three Super DC-3s were operated by Capital Airlines 1950–1952.[46] Designation also used for examples of the 100 R4Ds that had been converted by Douglas to this standard for the U.S. Navy as R4D-8s (later designated C-117Ds), all fitted with more powerful Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, some of which entered civil use after retirement from military service.[47]
The C-41 was the first DC-3 to be ordered by the USAAC and was powered by two 1,200 hp (890 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 engines. It was delivered in October 1938 for use byUnited States Army Air Corps (USAAC) chief GeneralHenry H. Arnold with the passenger cabin fitted out in a 14-seat VIP configuration.[48] The C-41A was a single VIP DC-3A supplied to the USAAC in September 1939, also powered by R-1830-21 engines; and used by theSecretary of War. The forward cabin converted to sleeper configuration with upper windows similar to the DC-3B.[49][50]
C-48
Various DC-3A and DST models; 36 impressed as C-48, C-48A, C-48B, and C-48C.
DC-3/C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened structure, modern avionics, and powered by twoPratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-67R turboprop engines.
BSAS C-47TP Turbo Dakota
A South African C-47 conversion for theSouth African Air Force by Braddick Specialised Air Services, with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65R turboprop engines, revised systems, stretched fuselage, and modern avionics.
Conroy Turbo Three further modified by the removal of the two Rolls-Royce Dart engines and their replacement by three Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6s (one mounted on each wing and one in the nose).
Greenwich Aircraft Corp Turbo Dakota DC-3
DC-3/C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened wing center section, updated systems, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR turboprop engines.[52][53]
TS-62
Douglas-built C-47s fitted with RussianShvetsov ASh-62 radial engines after World War II due to shortage of American engines in the Soviet Union.[citation needed] Some TS-62s featured a small extra cockpit window on the left side.
A turboprop conversion by the United States Aircraft Corporation, fittingPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R turboprop engines with an extended forward fuselage to maintain center of gravity. First flight of the prototype conversion, (N300TX), was on July 29, 1982.[54]
Due to the large number produced;Golden Age of Aviation andWorld War II significance; and nearly a century of service in passenger, cargo, and military roles throughout the world; the aircraft maintains significant popular interest and has appeared in numerous works of fiction.[63]
Gradidge, Jennifer M.The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3: The First Seventy Years, Volumes One and Two. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006.ISBN0-85130-332-3.
Holden, Henry M..The Douglas DC-3. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books, 1991.ISBN0-8306-3450-9.
Kaplan, Philip.Legend: A Celebration of the Douglas DC-3/C-47/Dakota. Peter Livanos & Philip Kaplan, 2009.ISBN978-0-9557061-1-0.
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