From time immemorial, man has surpassed himself through his imagination, his ambition, and the trials he had to overcome. History teaches us that these victories exist, and it is sometimes good to remember them. What better example than that of the odyssey of the DC-3, a twin-engine transcontinental propeller, can we offer today?

This article is in memory of these inventors, engineers, mechanics, pilots, but also of the heroes it transported to give us back our freedom.

Special features:

– After 84 years, since June 25, 1936, the DC-3 is still in service. This figure alone sums up all the superlatives that we could give it

– Originally, the name of this mythical aircraft was DST for Douglas Sleeper Transport because the president of American Airlines, Mr. C.R SMITH, asked Mr. Donald DOUGLAS to build a transcontinental aircraft derived from the larger and more luxurious DC-2. It was equipped with 14 berths and could also carry 21 passengers.

– A few months before the D-DAY, the production of the C-47 (the militarized version) was of two units per hour!

– The DC-3 and C-47 received several nicknames: known as the Dakota in the Commonwealth, the crews also named it the Albatross or “Gooney bird”, the seabird with the largest wingspan of any bird today, making it difficult to fly, but giving it the ability to glide and travel long distances.

– Autonomy : 3420 km

– Maximum speed 370 km/h at 2600 m, 333 km/h cruising speed.

– Lissunov Li-2 is the name given in the USSR to the DC-3 produced under licence, put into service in April 1943. Unlike the C-47, the access doors are located on the right side of the fuselage.

– In February 1938, the Japanese also bought a license to produce the DC-3, which became the Showa L2D. Only a few of these aircraft remained, most of which were crushed by the Americans after the war.

Eternal, modular, attuned to all needs, single-handedly overturning many challenges, the Douglas DC-3 simply became the archetype of the modern airliner. Today, it is still adaptable, the piston engines having been replaced by turbines. It has become a privileged witness to the history of aeronautics that is forging our common passion and the base of all our hopes!

Crédit photo :

Description

 MSN 16604 LN. 33352 DOUGLAS C-47B-35-DK / DC3 CHALAIR LFPM AIRPORT ParisairlegendEx 44-77020 USAF / KN655 ROYAL AIR FORCE / 1000 and 12965 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE / C-GGJH and C-GSCC AIR MANITOBA /F-GIAZ F-GIDK

Date

Source

 F-AZOX DC3 CHALAIR PARIS AIR LEGEND 2018

Author

 ERIC SALARD from PARIS, FRANCE
Camera location 48° 36′ 40.26″ N, 2° 40′ 20.1″ E