As a young man, my dad, Allen L Spencer worked for Douglas Aircraft Company. Of course, he wasn’t there when the DC-3 took its first flight, mostly because he was only eleven at the time, but I have a feeling that if he happened to see a plane flying overhead, he was probably enamored of them immediately. So, I’m sure that the idea of working to build these machines, much have been quite thrilling for him. I am also quite sure that Dad might have worked on the DC-3, since it was a plane used in World War II. Dad left Douglas Aircraft Company in early 1943, when he was called to serve in World War II. After basic training, he was called to be part of a B-17 Bomber crew. I’m sure they wanted to make use of his experience at Douglas Aircraft Company, because soon, Dad was the flight engineer and top turret gunner on his crew. The flight engineer needs to know everything about the plane, because let’s face it, in a plane, you can’t pull over if something goes wrong.
The Douglas DC-3 is “a propeller-driven airliner produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company. The DC-3 significantly impacted the airline industry from the 1930s through the 1940s and during World War II. It was developed as a larger, enhanced 14-bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC-2. This low-wing metal monoplane features traditional landing gear and is propelled by two radial piston engines with 1,000–1,200 horsepower. Initially, civil DC-3s were equipped with the Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine, but later models adopted the Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine. The DC-3 boasts a cruising speed of 207 miles per hour, can accommodate 21 to 32 passengers or carry 6,000 pounds of cargo, has a range of 1,500 miles, and is capable of operating from short runways.”
The DC-3 was filled with exceptional qualities that earlier versions didn’t have. I think that is common as technology advances. It was fast, had a good range. It was more reliable than the prior versions, and it even provided greater passenger comfort. Clearly, it was not designed just for the war, but to go on into the future too. Prior to World War II, it pioneered many air travel routes. It could cross the continental United States from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours with only three stops. Of course, these days that seems like nothing, but in those days, it was a big deal. It was one of the first airliners that could profitably carry passengers without relying on mail subsidies. In 1939, at the peak of its dominance in the airliner market, approximately 90% of airline flights worldwide were operated by a DC-3 or its variants.
Sadly, after the war, the airliner market was inundated with surplus transport aircraft, rendering the DC-3 less competitive due to its smaller size and slower speed compared to aircraft built during the war. With all that against it, the DC-3 became obsolete on main routes. Soon, it was replaced by more advanced types such as the Douglas DC-4 and Convair 240. However, the design of the DC-3 proved adaptable and remained useful on less commercially demanding routes.
Civilian DC-3 production ceased in 1943 with a total of 607 aircraft. Military variants, including the C-47 
Skytrain (known as the Dakota in British RAF service). The Soviet-built and Japanese-built versions increased total production to over 16,000 planes. Many continued to serve in various niche roles. It was estimated that 2,000 DC-3s and military derivatives were still operational in 2013. By 2017, more than 300 were still flying, and as of 2023, approximately 150 are estimated to remain in service. This, it would seem, is a very versatile airplane.
Leave a Reply