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DC3, C47, Dakota, R4D, Gooney Bird, DAK, DST, C-53, C-117,C-49
License Agreement No. BMC 01-TM-047 with The Boeing Company

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DC-3/Dakota 75 Years of Service
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A review of current and books past and our thoughts and reading recommendations.


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Provencetown Boston Airlines slide show
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Basler Turbo Conversions slide show
DC-3 Manuals
$14.00
Three DC-3 Manuals on One CD  $14.00 free shipping

DC-3 Lubrication Charts 28 pages in color
Illustrated Parts Breakdown C-47 B, D, R4D-6 110 pages
DC-3 Structural Repair Manual 119 pages


You’ll need Adobe Reader to view these manuals.

For entertainment and not to be used  in place of appropriate flight manuals


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Early DC-1 had cost more than $350,000.
Douglas DC-1 It had two Wright "Cyclone" engines on the airplane each delivered 710 hp,


Douglas DC-1

On June 22, 1933, Donald Douglas rolled the new DC 1 out of the hangar. The DC 1 was larger than the Boeing 247, had all the aviation and passenger improvements the Boeing had, and a few new ones.

DC-2 cost TWA  $65,000 for each DC 2 (sans engines)
Douglas DC-2 Without prejudice to the other fine ships, the Douglas DC 2 may be recorded as the supreme American achievement in transport design.” Scientific American, January 1935




Douglas DC-2

Once TWA took possession of the DC 1, it did not take long for them to realize they had a unique airplane. TWA received the first of their DC-2s on May 14, 1934, with the delivery of ship #301. American Airlines and other airlines all wanted the new DC-2.

From outward appearances, the C-47 was almost the twin sister of the DC-3
Douglas DC-3

Douglas DC-3


The DC-3 overwhelmed the industry. The DC-3 was the first plane that could fly from New York to Chicago non-stop. American Airlines, United Airlines and TWA all used the Douglas Sleeper transport DST, the 14-passenger version of the DC-3.

WORKHORSE TO WARHORSE — BIRTH OF THE C-47
C-47 dakota dropping field artillary pieces

C-47 Dakota

In July 1939, the C‑47 was on the drawing board. With war about to break out in Europe, Douglas was swamped with orders for the drawing board  C‑47. As a stop gap measure, until the C-47 was flying, Douglas engineers modified the DC‑2. They assembled a DC‑2 fuselage to a DC‑3 tail, added more powerful engines and called it the C‑39.

Super DC-3 C-117D R4D-8
The Navy had 100 of their R4Ds converted to R4D-8 (later the C-117D) at $300,000 each.

Super DC-3


By the late 1940s, the airlines were now losing money on the DC-3. The question was how long the airlines could wait before replacing it. Many reasoned the DC-3 had to wear out soon; after all, it was more than 20 years old. In addition, another pressing problem forced Douglas to look for a DC-3 replacement.

In 1909, Douglas graduated from Trinity Preparatory School in New York City, and deferring to his father’s wishes, entered the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Donald W. Douglas


Donald W Douglas


Donald Douglas reformed his Davis-Douglas Company in 1921, calling it the Douglas Company. In 1928 the Douglas Company became the Douglas Aircraft Company, and Donald W. Douglas served as president until 1957, when he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Original DC-4
One-of-a kind DC-4
THE DC‑4
United Airlines had approached Douglas in 1935 to start development of the DC‑4. In 1936, it became a cooperative project among five airlines (UAL, EAL, TWA, PAA, and AA).
 


From the beginning, the intention was to make the DC‑4, “Skymaster,” a different plane. It took advantage of the requirements generated by the success of the DC‑3. The public wanted larger and faster equipment, so Douglas invested three million dollars in the DC‑4, their first four engine, 42 passenger (30 berth), commercial airliner.


Douglas DC-5
THE DC-5
Douglas realized that for airlines to be profitable they would need a variety of aircraft sizes and capabilities to service routes of various lengths and passenger densities. The DC-3 would serve the medium range routes and the DC-4, under development, would relieve the DC-3 on the transcontinental routes. To fill the gap in the short haul routes serving the small, out-of-the-way communities, Douglas developed the DC-5. ."
Historian/Author

 
Historian/Aviator

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Henry Holden
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Allen Campbell
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