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United States' Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport^1,2,3

Douglas C-47 Skytrain taking off towing a glider: United States Army in World War II, Pictorial Record, The War Against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas, 1951, pg 82	Douglas C-47 Skytrain:	Douglas C-47 Skytrain:	A damaged Douglas C-47 Skytrain:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain:	Douglas C-47B Skytrain:

Design

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was based on the DC-3 airliner.^1,2,3

Was nicknamed the "gooney bird" by United States Air Force Personnel.¹

The radio operator was located in a compartment behind the cockpit.¹

There were folding wooden seats for the passengers.¹ There were also fittings for carrying 18 stretchers.¹

There were two cargo doors that opened outwards for loading and unloading.¹ There was a smaller inset door for dropping paratroopers.¹

Prototype

The prototype DC-3/C-47 was flown on December 15, 1935² / December 17, 1935^1,3.

Production

The first military orders for the C-47 were given in 1940.²

Douglas built 10,691 C-47 Skytrains.¹ Some were built in Japan, by Nakajima, and the Soviet Union, by Lisunov.^1,3

• DC-3 / DST: 455³
• C-47: 953^2,3
• C-47A: 4,931^2,3
• C-47B: 3,241^2,3
• C-53: 370³
• TC-47B: 133²
• Lisunov Li-2: ~2,500³, 2,700²
• Nakajima L2D: 485³
• Total: 10,048², 10,665³

Variants

• C-47 / Dakota Mk I: Had 12 volt system.²
• C-47A / Dakota Mk III: Had 24 volt system.²
• C-47B / Dakota Mk IV: Had high altitude superchargers with the R-1830-90 engines.^2,3
• C-53 Skytrooper / Dakota Mk II: Personnel transporter.³
• TC-47B: Trainer.²
• XC-47C: Had floats installed.^1,3 One was built and a few were field modified.¹
• Lisunov Li-2: Soviet built version.²
• R4D: United States Navy and Marine Corps designation.³ ~400.³

Usage

Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Soviet Union, and the United States used the C-47.³

United Kingdom

25 Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons were outfitted with (1,845³) 1,895 Dakotas.²

There were 50 RAF and Commonwealth squadrons outfitted with the C-47.³

United States

There were 34 groups that were equipped with the C-47.³

After World War II

The United States Air Force still had over 1,000 C-47s in use as late as 1961.²

Japan

Nakajima L2D, Allied Code Name - Tabby:

	Douglas C-47 Skytrain2 / Dakota Mk I2	Douglas C-47A1 / Dakota Mk III2
Type	Transport2,3	Cargo, troop, paratroop transport1 Glider tug1
Crew	32	31 Pilot, co-pilot, radio operator1
Engine (Type)	2: Pratt & Whitney R-1839-92 piston2	2: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp1
OR	2: Wright R-1820 Cyclone3
OR	2: Pratt & Whitney R-18303
Cylinders	Radial2 R-1820: Radial 93 R-1830: Radial 143	Radial1
Cooling
HP	1,200 each2 R-1820: 1,000 - 1,200 each3 R-1830: 1,200 each3	1,200 each1
Propeller blades	3 each3	3 each1
Capacity		6.5 gallon1 30 liter1
Dimensions
Span	95'3, 95' 6"2 28.95 m3, 29.11 m2	95' 6"1 29.11 m1
Length	63' 9"2, 64' 5.5"3 19.43 m2, 19.62 m3	63' 9"1 19.43 m1
Height	16' 11"3, 17'2 5.15 m3, 5.18 m2	17'1 5.18 m1
Wing area	987 ft2 2 91.69 m2 2	987 ft2 1 91.69 m2 1
Weight
Empty	18,200 lb2 8,256 kg2	18,163 lb1, 18,190 lb3 8,250 kg3, 8,256 kg1
Loaded	26,000 lb2 11,805 kg2	25,947 lb1 11,794 kg1
Maximum load		29,300 lb3 13,290 kg3
Performance
Speed		229 mph3 368 kph3
Speed @ 7,500' / 2,285 m		226 mph1 365 kph1
Speed @ 8,500' / 2,590 m	230 mph2 370 kph2
Cruising speed		185 mph3 298 kph3
Climb		1,160'/minute3 353 m/minute3
Climb to 10,000 ' / 3,050 m	9.6 minutes2
Service ceiling	24,000'2 7,315 m2	24,000'1,3 7,070 m1, 7,315 m3
Range	1,600 miles2 2,575 km2	1,500 miles3, 1,597 miles1 2,414 km1,3
Armament		None1
Cargo	10,000 lb2,3 4,536 kg2,3	9,979 lb1 4,536 kg1
OR	27 armed troops2, 28 troops3	28 paratroopers1
OR	25 paratroops2	18 stretchers1
OR	18-25 stretchers2 , 18-24 stretchers3

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
3. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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