newsguygeorge Loc: Victoria, Texas

From a 2014 visit to Amarillo’s Air & Space Museum, we find a C-47 the FAA used and then lent to the venue. It’s in pristine condition and open for exploration. The photography was tough in the crowded space — a challenge for the Canon PowerShot G-15.

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Erkibler

Nice looking plane.

n4jee Loc: New Bern, NC

I once had a coffee table book about the DC-3 (loaned it to someone and never got it back.) It is probably the most long lived aircraft built in the 29th century. There was one story in there about a DC-3 that crashed and had a damaged wing. They bolted on a DC-4 wing and flew it out with one DC-3 wing and one from a DC-4. Your photos due credit to the old girl. Thanks for sharing.

anotherview Loc: California

Probably my favorite aircraft. See more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3

Quixdraw Loc: x

Good photos, and reminder of past adventures. Flew on one of these owned by CaribAir many years ago on a Caribbean vacation. A couple of recollections - the cabin door was well back toward the tail and the angle of ascent to seats had to be near 30°. A noisy flight, and I will never forget the dark strand of oil flowing across the nacelle of the engine as we flew. Blacker than the worst auto engine oil before a change. A legendary aircraft and an otherwise uneventful flight.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I think your source got mixed up, DC-3 is a two engine and DC-4 a 4 engine, a wing would be much two different to do that.

I know when I was in Nam "Air America" (open secret = Air CIA) had one damaged at a remote dirt strip and there was an OLD wrecked DC-2 at the field. They used a wing off it to repair the DC-3 so they could fly it out to the base near my unit where they had a good supply of trashed DC-3s and C-47s to get the correct wing from. For a while we were joking that the CIA had the only DC-2 1/2 in the world.

Then we found out that the same thing happened in WW II to a Chinese DC-3, and they have photos of that one: http://www.douglasdc3.com/dc2half/dc2half.htm

You would be hard pressed to find any references to the Nam incident because according to Air America/CIA it never happened of course officially Air America didn't belong to the CIA either. It took a long time for the CIA to sorta admit they owned Air America. A lot of their planes we saw at the base were painted flat black with their markings and tail # in fairly small glossy black. Also even though production ceased in 1942 for the DC-3 (I have read that some were assembled from parts in 1950) and the C-47 production ended in 1945 Air America constantly had what appeared to be new planes to replace loses. (I was in Nam 66-69.) One rumor was they were Soviet built licensed copies of DC-3s which officially were built until well into the 50's (but who knows what they were doing in secret) and the CIA - oops I mean Air America - was buying them through third parties.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Nice DC 3

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

First air plane I ever flew in. I was about 10 and my grandmother took my brother and I from Cherry Capitol Airport in Traverse City to Chicago. I HAD to sit up by the motors.... all I can remember is having a hard time hearing anything for quite a while.
I Also had the opportunity to watch them land the 1939 Douglas DC-3 that is now at "The Henry Ford Museum" In Dearborn, Michigan on the high speed straightaway at Ford Motor's Dearborn Test Track and then moving it to the museum..

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Flew in these several times in Central America. An uphill hike to your seat when you got on! Often called "the Volkswagen of airplanes".

whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque

I flew in a DC-3 from Houston to San Antonio to begin basic training at Lackland. The air conditioner was a hole with a nozzle slightly above my head. Flying late at night, I nearly froze to death before starting my career in the Air Force. Will never forget it.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Great photo of a classic. The Dakota. or flying boxcar were 2 of the Douglas Commercial (hence the DC ) 47 names. I believe some are still flying. Is the bird in the pic air worthy? Flew in one in the early 60's

jdupps

C-47 wings bolted on for ease of transport in ships. Only engine controls were in the wing. All fuel tanks were in the fuselage.

n4jee Loc: New Bern, NC

"I think your source got mixed up, DC-3 is a two engine and DC-4 a 4 engine, a wing would be much two different to do that."

You're right, It was the Chinese plane that I was referring to. Memory isn't as good as it used to be. Thanks for the correction.

Dickwood33 Loc: Alberta, Canada

C-47 was the military designation, DC-3 was the commercial designation, otherwise the same basic air frame. Trained as a navigator in C-47s in the early 50s.(RCAF). Ground looped in one on landing when the starboard brake froze.

vpeek1947 Loc: Louisville, Ky

Air Force vet - flew a lot in C47’s and for som silly reason I remember the tail number “49276” don’t have any idea that is stuck in my brain.