Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Pays	Usa
Rôle	Avions de transport militaire
Premier vol	Le 23 décembre 1941
Construit	10174

Lla Douglas C-47 Skytrain ou Dakota (désignation RAF) est un avion de transport militaire développé à partir de l’avion de ligne civil Douglas DC-3. Il a été largement utilisé par les Alliés pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et reste en service de première ligne avec divers opérateurs militaires.

Source: Douglas C-47 Skytrain sur Wikipedia

Douglas C-53D Skytrooper Walk Around
Le transport spécialisé de troupes C-53 Skytrooper a commencé sa production en octobre 1941 chez Douglas Aircraft’s Usine de Santa Monica, en Californie. Il n’y avait pas la porte cargo, l’attache du treuil et le plancher renforcé du C-47. Seulement un total de 380 avions ont été produits en tout parce que le C-47 s’est révélé plus polyvalent.
Photographe	Vladimir Yakubov
Localisation	Musée central des forces armées
Photos	217

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C-47 Skytrain/Dakota Walk Around
Photographe	Inconnu
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	45

Douglas C-47 Skytrain Walk Around
Photographe	Bill Maloney
Localisation	Floyd Bennett Champ HARP
Photos	37

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Douglas C-47 Skytrain Walk Around
Photographe	Inconnu
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	56

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The Legend of the DC-3

Lla Douglas C-47 Skytrain (known as the Dakota in British service) was the military conversion of the revolutionary DC-3 airliner. General Dwight D. Eisenhower famously cited it as one of the four most vital pieces of equipment that won WWII (alongside the Jeep, the Bazooka, and the Atomic Bomb). While the German Ju 52 was a product of the late 1920s, the C-47 was a generation ahead—featuring a sleek, all-metal semi-monocoque design, retractable landing gear, and significantly more power. It was the plane that made reliable global air transport a reality.

Attribute	Technical Specification (C-47A)
Rôle	Military Transport / Cargo / Glider Tug
Crew	3 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Radio Operator)
Capacité	28 fully equipped paratroopers or 2,722 kg (6,000 lbs) of cargo
Moteur	2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radials (1,200 hp each)
Vitesse maximale	370 km/h (230 mph) at 8,500 ft
Cruise Speed	260 km/h (160 mph)
Range	2,575 km (1,600 miles)
Service Ceiling	8,045 meters (26,400 feet)

Design Engineering: Simple, Strong, and Streamlined

Lla « Oiseau Gooney » Durability: The C-47 earned its nickname from its albatross-like endurance. Its multi-cellular wing design meant that even if a large portion of the wing was shot away, the internal structure could often still carry the load, allowing « mutilated » planes to limp home.
Military Modifications: To turn a DC-3 into a C-47, Douglas added a large double cargo door on the port side, a reinforced floor to support the weight of Jeeps or 37mm anti-tank guns, and a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles.
Astrodome Navigation: Unlike the civilian version, military C-47s featured a small clear bubble (astrodome) on top of the cockpit. This allowed the navigator to use a sextant to plot the plane’s position by the stars during long over-water flights.
Pratt & Whitney Reliability: The R-1830 « Twin Wasp » engines were legendary for their ability to keep running even when damaged or poorly maintained. This reliability was crucial for the treacherous « Hump » flights over the Himalayas.

Operational History: D-Day and Beyond

Operation Overlord: On the night of June 5/6, 1944, over 800 C-47s filled the skies over Normandy, dropping more than 13,000 paratroopers behind enemy lines. This remains the most iconic moment in the aircraft’l’histoire.
« La bosse »: C-47s provided a vital lifeline to China by flying over the Himalayas from India. They braved extreme turbulence, ice, and Japanese fighters to deliver supplies that kept Chinese forces in the war.
Berlin Airlift: After the war, the C-47 (and later the C-54) saved the city of West Berlin during the Soviet blockade. C-47s landed around the clock, delivering food and coal to a starving population every few minutes.
Puff the Magic Dragon: In the Vietnam War, the C-47 was modified into the **AC-47 Spooky** gunship. Armed with three side-firing 7.62mm miniguns, it could saturate a target area with 18,000 rounds per minute, earning it a terrifying reputation among enemy ground forces.