Chantry Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Here's a link to an interesting DC-3 story http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairmo/articles/20111006.aspx As an aside, when they did the DC-3/C-47 fly in last year, a brief bio on one of the aircraft had it coming up on 100,000 flying hours on the airframe. Just amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Best all around airplane ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Tull, SASS #66742 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Best all around airplane ever. And my personal favorite DC-3/AC-47, was 'Spooky' ! ! ! Shall we all hum a few bars of "Puff The Magic Dragon"? 'Pirate ships would lower their flag when PUFF roared out his name' Gatling guns might cause that reaction. Professor Tull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Flown in one GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Flown in one GG ~ Flown in a bunch. Even landed in one onct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Windshadow Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Having put in a few hundred hours in the right seat of a DC-3 as a copilot back in the early 70s I think I should mention one thing.... they leak... when flying through rain the pilots tend to get wet and you need your fancy airline supplied hat while on the job... not something I can say about any other Aircraft I flew. but it was the perfect "honest" airplane and a true classic... I moved up to the 3 from a D-18 beachcraft which some called the mini 3 so I was used to a 2 radial engine taildrager and I loved it some of the others who came in with no taildrager or radial engine (check the gas and fill the oil ) were less happy with flying it but I was sorry to leave that stage of my flying behind finally making a living wage helped with the pain of separation though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Three vehicles were credited for the Allies' victory in WW II. The jeep, the duck and the DC3. The Russians might add a tank to the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Flown in a bunch. Even landed in one onct. Yeah, but when you are a boy at age 11 it's a special thing. Kinda like getting a home run ball...it was at the time I was getting interested in WWII history - a great memory GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffield, SASS #23454 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 For more on the Gooney Bird, cut and paste this into your browser. <http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-gooney-bird-song.html> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooky Joe, SASS #24061 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Have many hours as a passenger in a DC-3 built in 1938 , 2 years befor I was born. Many more passenger hours in a C-47, one of which I jumped out of. It's my belief that long after the last 767 is relegated to the junk pile, someone, somewhere will be flying a DC-3 (or C-47). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacknife Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Many moons ago when I was stationed in Okinawa, we had 2 C-47's on the flight line stationed there. When I arrived there and got my room in the barracks, I noticed that my roomemate spent a lot of time reading. One day I noticed what he was reading and it was a book about the C-47. After a couple months or so went by he was still interested in this book. I worked on the flight line and one day the tower notified us to pull our equipment from the flight line as someone had stolen a plane, dunno why we were to move our equipment, but we did, none the less. As I got to thinking about it, I had noticed a C-47 taking off minutes earlier and barely cleared the fence at the end of the runway. To make a long story short, my roommate went into base operations and asked which one of the two aircraft was ready to go, went out and unchocked it, started it up and took off. Learned all this from a book, having never been inside one before. He had lil bit of trouble landing, but soon as he exited, that's the last I saw of him. The military took out of his check for the fuel he burned, and sent him home with a bad discharge. Just goes to show that a lil determination and knowledge, flying one isn't too complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Yeah, but when you are a boy at age 11 it's a special thing. Kinda like getting a home run ball...it was at the time I was getting interested in WWII history - a great memory GG ~ Its special when you're a 19 year old boy too. The first one I actually got on was when my grandfather took us down to Homestead Air Force Base in 1958. He was the Dep CO of the 435th Troop Carrier wing. I got to climb aboard one of their C-47s and sit in the pilot's seat! Got on one of the C-119s too. Years later I jumped out of both of them. It was a very good day for a 10 year old. I think I have a pic of him in the cockpit. I found the pic I was thinking of. He's leaning out the cockpit widow of a C-46 Commando not a 47. I'll scan it anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Ears Wilson, SASS #77948 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Have many hours as a passenger in a DC-3 built in 1938 , 2 years befor I was born. Many more passenger hours in a C-47, one of which I jumped out of. It's my belief that long after the last 767 is relegated to the junk pile, someone, somewhere will be flying a DC-3 (or C-47). How could you be a passenger in a plane before you were born? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I was a passenger on one in '54 (I think, I was only 4 at the time). We flew from Hokkaido to Tokyo. As the plane banked for his approach I noticed the runway extended out into Tokyo Bay and was built up pretty high, kinda like a cliff edge. I told my Mom, "I hope he doesn't come in too low." He didn't. I was always fascinated by the starting of the engines. All that popping, smoking, and flame until the engine finally smoothed out. Maybe that's why I like blackpowder now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Here's the pic of Grandpa in the cockpit of a C46. Although it had a larger capacity than the c47 he said it used too much fuel, didn't handle as well and he wasn't very fond of it.He preferred the C47. He also flew B-25s and 26s in North Africa and P-61s. he said the P-61 had a glide ration like a brick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grouchy Greg, SASS#71981 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 The only time I ever flew in a DC3 was on the way to Air Force basic training in '64. We flew from Houston to San Antonio via Trans Texas Airways on one. The weather was somewhat rough, as was the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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