Immortalis et sempiternus |
Douglas R4D5 "Skytrain"
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.
In Europe, the C-47 and a specialized paratroop variant, the C-53 Skytrooper, were used in vast numbers in the later stages of the war, particularly to tow gliders and drop paratroops. In the Pacific, with careful use of the island landing strips of the Pacific Ocean, C-47s were even used for ferrying soldiers serving in the Pacific theater back to the United States. C-47s in British and Commonwealth service took the name Dakota, from the acronym "DACoTA" for Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft. The C-47 also earned the nickname Gooney Bird during the European theater of operations. After World War II Douglas structurally modified a number of the early Navy R4D aircraft and the US Navy re-designated the modified aircraft as R4D-8, later C-117D, sometimes referred to as the Super Dakota. After World War II thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civil airline use, some remaining in operation in 2009. General characteristics: Crew: 3, Capacity: 28 troops, Payload: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) (8,000 lb/3,700 kg - war emergency), Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m), Wingspan: 95 ft 6 in (29.11 m), Height: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m), Wing area: 987 ft² (91.70 m²), Empty weight: 17,057 lb (7,760 kg), Loaded weight: 26,000 lb (11,800 kg), Max takeoff weight: 31,000 lb (14,000 kg), Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C "Twin Wasp" 14-cylinder radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each. Performance: Maximum speed: 224 mph (195 kn, 360 km/h), Cruise speed: 160 mph (140 kn, 260 km/h), Range: 1,600 mi (1,400 nmi, 2,600 km), Service ceiling: 26,400 ft (8,050 m), Rate of climb: 1,130 ft/min (5.75 m/s), Wing loading: 26.3 lb/ft² (129 kg/m²), Power/mass: 0.092 hp/lb (150 W/kg).
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