DOUGLAS DC-3 / C-47 "Dakota" #planemonday
Video from the channel AmigosMuseoAire about Douglas DC-3, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 8:47. Language: Spanish. Video type: Documentary.
What it's about
Francisco Maraver, pilot and vice-president of the Asociación Amigos del Museo del Aire, presents the DC-3/C-47 Dakota on display at the Museo del Aire y del Espacio, an aircraft he flew for almost 1,000 hours as an instructor in Salamanca.
Historical context
Its origin lies in the rivalry between United, which had ordered the Boeing 247 (all-metal, cantilever wing, retractable gear and 10 passengers), and TWA, which asked Douglas for a similar model: the DC-1, of which only one unit was built. It ended up with Iberia and was damaged in an accident in Málaga. The DC-2 followed, with two more passenger seats. American Airlines wanted an aircraft with berths for its overnight transcontinental route, and so the DC-3 was born, with a wider fuselage and room for up to 21 passengers. It reached Spain in 1944 and again with American aid in 1956; among other units, it served with the 461 Squadron at Gando, which supplied the Sahara and supported troops in the Ifni War. The museum's example belonged to the Alcantarilla flying school and flew for the last time in 1978.
Key facts
With the gear retracted, the wheels still protrude about 50 cm, which protects the structure in a forced landing. The propeller de-icing system ran on alcohol, whose tanks limited range, and the aircraft tolerated ice buildup well. On long taxi runs the brakes lost effectiveness and the aircraft had to be steered using asymmetric power. Maraver recalls an emergency in which the batteries located beneath the cockpit broke open, filling the aircraft with noxious fumes and forcing a landing.