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{{short description|Airliner and military transport aircraft family}}
{{Redirect|DC-3}}
{{about|the civilian DC-3 version|the more common military variant|Douglas C-47 Skytrain}}
{{use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name = DC-3
 |image = File:Douglas DC-3, SE-CFP.jpg
 |image_caption = A DC-3 operated in period [[Scandinavian Airlines]] colours by ''Flygande Veteraner'' flying over [[Lidingö]], Sweden, in 1989
 |alt = restored Douglas DC-3 in flight
 |aircraft_type = [[Airliner]] and transport aircraft
 |national_origin = United States
 |manufacturer = [[Douglas Aircraft Company]]
 |first_flight = {{Start date|1935|12|17}}
 |introduction = 1936, with [[American Airlines]]
 |retired =
 |status = In service
 |produced = 1936–1942, 1950
 |number_built = 607<!--Do not include military production--><ref name="Franc">Francillon 1979, pp. 217–251.</ref>
 |developed_from = [[Douglas DC-2]]
 |variants = [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]] <br />[[Douglas R4D-8|Douglas R4D-8/C-117D]] <br />[[Lisunov Li-2]] <br />[[Showa/Nakajima L2D]] <br />[[Basler BT-67]] <br />[[Conroy Turbo-Three]] <br />[[Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three]]
}}

The '''Douglas DC-3''' is a [[Propeller (aircraft)|propeller]]-driven [[airliner]] manufactured by the [[Douglas Aircraft Company]], which had a lasting effect on the [[airline]] industry in the 1930s to 1940s and [[World War II]].
<!--development-->
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version of the [[Douglas DC-2]].
<!--design-->
It is a [[low-wing]] metal monoplane with [[conventional landing gear]], powered by two [[Radial engine|radial piston engines]] of {{cvt|1,000|-|1,200|hp}}. Although the DC-3s originally built for civil service had the [[Wright R-1820 Cyclone]], later civilian DC-3s used the [[Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp]] engine.<ref>{{cite web |title=Douglas DC-3 and C-47 Engines |url=http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-c-47-engines.html |website=The Dakota Association of South Africa |access-date=April 10, 2023}}</ref>
<!--performance-->
The DC-3 has a cruising speed of {{cvt|207|mph}}, a capacity of 21 to 32 passengers or 6,000&nbsp;lbs (2,700&nbsp;kg) of cargo, and a range of {{cvt|1500|mi}}, and can operate from short runways.

<!--usage-->
The DC-3 had many exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft. It was fast, had a good range, was more reliable, and carried passengers in greater comfort. Before World War II, it pioneered many air travel routes. It was able to cross the [[continental United States]] from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours, with only three stops.
It is one of the first airliners that could profitably carry only passengers without relying on mail subsidies.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Kathleen Burke |date=April 2013 |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-dc-3-revolutionized-air-travel-5444300/?no-ist |title=How the DC-3 Revolutionized Air Travel|magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-3 Commercial Transport|url=https://www.boeing.com/history/products/dc-3.page|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.boeing.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604085953/https://www.boeing.com/history/products/dc-3.page|archive-date=June 4, 2023}}</ref> In 1939, at the peak of its dominance in the airliner market, around ninety percent of airline flights on the planet were by a DC-3 or some variant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Douglas DC-3 {{!}} National Air and Space Museum |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/douglas-dc-3/nasm_A19530075000 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=airandspace.si.edu |language=en}}</ref>

Following the war, the airliner market was flooded with surplus transport aircraft, and the DC-3 was no longer competitive because it was smaller and slower than aircraft built during the war. It was made obsolete on main routes by more advanced types such as the [[Douglas DC-4]] and [[Convair 240]], but the design proved adaptable and was still useful on less commercially demanding routes.

<!--production-->
Civilian DC-3 production ended in 1943 at 607 aircraft. Military versions, including the [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47 Skytrain]] (the Dakota in British [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] service), and Soviet- and Japanese-built versions, brought total production to over 16,000.
<!--today-->
Many continued to be used in a variety of niche roles; 2,000 DC-3s and military derivatives were estimated to be still flying in 2013;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131009-dc3-still-flying-at-70|title=The Douglas DC-3: Still revolutionary in its 70s|author=Jonathan Glancey |author-link=Jonathan Glancey |publisher=BBC |date=2013-10-09}}</ref> by 2017 more than 300 were still flying.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a27640/dc-3-badass-plane/#:~:text=More%20than%2016%2C000%20DC%2D3s,the%20DC%2D3%20came%20along. |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502150628/https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a27640/dc-3-badass-plane//#:~:text=More%20than%2016%2C000%20DC%2D3s,the%20DC%2D3%20came%20along. |archive-date=2020-05-02 |title=Why the DC-3 is such a Badass Plane |publisher=Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, August 8, 2017|access-date=August 22, 2020}}</ref> As of 2023, it is estimated about 150 are still flying.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-18 |title=The plane that won't quit: celebrating the Douglas DC-3. |url=https://www.gardenofmemory.net/the-plane-that-wont-quit-celebrating-the-douglas-dc-3/ |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=The Garden of Memory |language=en}}</ref>

==Design and development==
[[File:PP-ANU (aircraft) 5.jpg|thumb|upright|DC-3 airliner cabin]]
[[File:DSTunitedOAK (4412476240).jpg|thumb|Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) showing the second row of windows for the upper bunk beds, above the airline titles]]

"DC" stands for Douglas Commercial. The DC-3 was the culmination of a development effort that began after an inquiry from [[Trans World Airlines|Transcontinental and Western Airlines]] (TWA) to [[Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.|Donald Douglas]]. TWA's rival in transcontinental air service, [[United Airlines]], was starting service with the [[Boeing 247]], and Boeing refused to sell any 247s to other airlines until United's order for 60 aircraft had been filled.<ref>O'Leary 1992, p. 7.</ref> TWA asked Douglas to design and build an aircraft that would allow TWA to compete with United. Douglas' design, the 1933 [[Douglas DC-1|DC-1]], was promising, and led to the [[Douglas DC-2|DC-2]] in 1934. The DC-2 was a success, but with room for improvement.

[[File:Engine of Douglas DC-3.jpg|thumb|[[Wright R-1820 Cyclone]] 9 engine of American Airlines "Flagship Knoxville"<ref>{{cite news |last1=May |first1=Joseph |date=January 8, 2013 |title=Flagship Knoxville — an American Airlines Douglas DC-3 |publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer blogs |url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/travelforaircraft/2013/01/08/flagship-knoxville-%E2%80%94-an-american-airlines-douglas-dc-3/ |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-date=October 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010055621/http://blog.seattlepi.com/travelforaircraft/2013/01/08/flagship-knoxville-%e2%80%94-an-american-airlines-douglas-dc-3/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
The DC-3 resulted from a marathon telephone call from [[American Airlines]] CEO [[C. R. Smith]] to Donald Douglas, when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American's [[Curtiss T-32 Condor II|Curtiss Condor II]] biplanes. The DC-2's cabin was {{convert|66|in|m}} wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths. Douglas agreed to go ahead with development only after Smith informed him of American's intention to purchase 20 aircraft. The new aircraft was engineered by a team led by chief engineer [[Arthur E. Raymond]] over the next two years, and the prototype DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) first flew on December 17, 1935 (the 32nd anniversary of the [[Wright Brothers]]' flight at Kitty Hawk) with Douglas chief test pilot [[Carl Cover]] at the controls. Its cabin was {{cvt|92|in}} wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths<ref>Berths were {{cvt|77|in|m}} long; lowers were {{cvt|36|in}} wide and uppers were {{cvt|30|in}}.</ref> of the DST was given the designation '''DC-3'''. No prototype was built, and the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line for delivery to American Airlines.<ref>Pearcy 1987, p. 17.</ref>[[File:dc3.takeoff.thales.arp.jpg|thumb|Ex-military [[Air Atlantique]] [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47B]] at [[RAF Hullavington]] in 2005]]

The DC-3 and DST popularized air travel in the United States. Eastbound transcontinental flights could cross the U.S. in about 15 hours with three refueling stops, while westbound trips against the wind took {{Frac|17|1|2}} hours. A few years earlier, such a trip entailed short hops in slower and shorter-range aircraft during the day, [[Transcontinental Air Transport|coupled with train travel overnight]].<ref>O'Leary 2006, p. 54.</ref>

Several [[radial engine]]s were offered for the DC-3. Early-production civilian aircraft used either the 9-cylinder [[Wright R-1820 Cyclone|Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9]] or the 14-cylinder [[Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp]], but the Twin Wasp was chosen for most military versions and was also used by most DC-3s converted from military service. Five DC-3S ''Super DC-3s'' with [[Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasp]]s were built in the late 1940s, three of which entered airline service.

===Production===
Total production including all military variants was 16,079.<ref name="Gradidge p. 20">Gradidge 2006, p. 20.</ref> More than 400 remained in commercial service in 1998. Production was:
* 607 civilian variants
* 10,048 military C-47 and C-53 derivatives built at [[Santa Monica, California]], [[Long Beach, California]], and [[Oklahoma City]]
* 4,937 built under license in the Soviet Union (1939–1950) as the [[Lisunov Li-2]] ([[NATO reporting name]]: '''Cab''')
* 487 [[Mitsubishi Kinsei]]-engined aircraft built by Showa and Nakajima in Japan (1939–1945), as the [[Showa/Nakajima L2D|L2D Type 0 transport]] (Allied codename '''Tabby''')

Production of DSTs ended in mid-1941 and civilian DC-3 production ended in early 1943, although dozens of the DSTs and DC-3s ordered by airlines that were produced between 1941 and 1943 were pressed into the US military service while still on the production line.<ref>Pearcy 1987, p. 76</ref><ref>Pearcy 1987, pp. 69–117</ref> Military versions were produced until the end of the war in 1945. A larger, more powerful Super DC-3 was launched in 1949 to positive reviews. The civilian market was flooded with second-hand C-47s, many of which were converted to passenger and cargo versions. Only five Super DC-3s were built, and three of them were delivered for commercial use. The prototype Super DC-3 served the US Navy with the designation YC-129 alongside 100 R4Ds that had been upgraded to the Super DC-3 specifications.

===Turboprop conversions===
[[File:Ntps-c47-N834TP-071112-01cr-16.jpg|thumb|BSAS C-47–65ARTP powered by [[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6|Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-65AR]] turboprop engines]]
From the early 1950s, some DC-3s were modified to use [[Rolls-Royce Dart]] engines, as in the [[Conroy Turbo Three]]. Other conversions featured [[Armstrong Siddeley Mamba]] or [[Pratt & Whitney PT6]]A [[turboprop|turbines]].

The Greenwich Aircraft Corp DC-3-TP is a conversion with an extended fuselage and with [[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6|Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR or PT6A-67R]] engines fitted.<ref>[http://www.dodson.com Turbo Dakota DC-3 "Turbine Conversion Aircraft"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914073930/http://dodson.com/ |date=September 14, 2018}}. dodson.com. Retrieved September 12, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/aca7e965b47f885785256cc2000c5ac4/$FILE/SA3820SW.pdf "FAA Supplemental Type Certificate Number SA3820SW"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228045406/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/aca7e965b47f885785256cc2000c5ac4/$FILE/SA3820SW.pdf |date=December 28, 2016}} retrieved March 28, 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.turbinedc3.com/conversion_process_turbine_dc3.html Turbo Dakota DC-3 Conversion Process] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926233224/http://www.turbinedc3.com/conversion_process_turbine_dc3.html |date=2014-09-26}}, Dodson International. Retrieved March 28, 2015</ref>

The [[Basler BT-67]] is a conversion of the DC-3/C-47. Basler refurbishes C-47s and DC-3s at [[Wittman Regional Airport|Oshkosh]], [[Wisconsin]], fitting them with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprop engines, lengthening the fuselage by {{cvt|40|in}} with a fuselage plug ahead of the wing, and some local strengthening of the airframe.<ref>[http://www.baslerturbo.com/specifications.html "Basler BT-67"]. Basler Turbo Conversions, LLC via baslerturbo.com, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2009.</ref>

South Africa-based Braddick Specialised Air Services International (commonly referred to as BSAS International) has also performed Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop conversions, having performed modifications on over 50 DC-3/C-47s / 65ARTP / 67RTP / 67FTPs.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130118152916/http://www.bsasinternational.com/index.php/turbine-aircraft Turbine Aircraft] Retrieved June 2, 2020.</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:Douglas DC-3 Aigle Azur Palas Jet 1953.jpg|thumb|[[Aigle Azur]] (France) Douglas C-47B in 1953, with a ventral [[Turbomeca Palas]] booster jet for hot and high operations]]
[[File:Air India DC 3 at Heathrow.jpg|thumbnail|[[Air India]] DC-3 at [[London Heathrow Airport]] in 1958]]
[[File:Douglas C-47B EP-ACK Iranian Natnl Ringway 24.04.54 edited-2.jpg|thumbnail|[[Iran Air| Iranian National Airways]] DC-3 in 1954]]
[[File:DC-3 on Floats N130Q.JPG|thumb|DC-3 on amphibious EDO floats in 2003.]]
[[File:Two DC-3s - one loading, one taxiing.jpg|thumb|Two C-47s - one boarding skydivers, while another taxis by, 1977]]
[[File:Douglas DC 3 from 1942 at Santa Monica Airport California Photo by Steve Shelokhonov July 2024 IMG 3845 2.jpg|thumb|Douglas DC-3 built in 1942 as a 28-seat paratrooper and glider tug. Retired from military service in 1946, now on display at [[Museum of Flying]], [[Santa Monica Airport]], [[California]], July 2024]]
[[File:CX-DC3-VRHDB2.jpg|thumb|''Betsy'', a DC-3 now in the [[Hong Kong Science Museum]] inaugurated operations with [[Cathay Pacific]] in 1946]]
[[File:C-47s at Tempelhof Airport Berlin 1948.jpg|thumb|C-47 Skytrains during the [[Berlin Airlift]]]]

American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from [[Newark, New Jersey]] and [[Chicago]], Illinois.<ref>Holden, Henry. [http://www.dc3history.org/douglasdc3.html "The DC-3 Genesis of The Legend"]. dc3history.org. Retrieved October 7, 2010.</ref> Early U.S. airlines like [[American Airlines|American]], [[United Airlines|United]], [[Trans World Airlines|TWA]], [[Eastern Air Lines|Eastern]], and [[Delta Air Lines|Delta]] ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry, which eventually replaced [[train]]s as the most common means of long-distance travel across the United States. A nonprofit group, Flagship Detroit Foundation, continues to operate the only original American Airlines Flagship DC-3 with air show and airport visits throughout the U.S.<ref name="DC-3.">[http://www.flagshipdetroit.org/ "DC-3"]. Flagship Detroit Foundation. Retrieved October 7, 2010.</ref>

In 1936, [[KLM]] Royal Dutch Airlines received its first DC-3, which replaced the DC-2 in service from [[Amsterdam]] via Batavia (now [[Jakarta]]) to [[Sydney]], by far the world's longest scheduled route at the time. In total, KLM bought 23 DC-3s before the war broke out in Europe.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} In 1941, a [[China National Aviation Corporation]] (CNAC) DC-3 pressed into wartime transportation service was bombed on the ground at Suifu Airfield in China, destroying the outer right wing. The only spare available was that of a smaller Douglas DC-2 in CNAC's workshops. The DC-2's right wing was removed, flown to Suifu under the belly of another CNAC DC-3, and bolted up to the damaged aircraft. After a single test flight, in which it was discovered that it pulled to the right due to the difference in wing sizes, the so-called DC-2½ was flown to safety.<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/aircraft02.htm "CNAC'S DC-2 1/2"] Retrieved November 8, 2016.</ref>

During World War II, many civilian DC-3s were requisitioned for the war effort and more than 10,000 U.S. military versions of the DC-3 were built, under the designations [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47, C-53, R4D, and Dakota]]. Peak production was reached in 1944, with 4,853 being delivered.<ref>Gradidge 2006, p. 15.</ref> The armed forces of many countries used the DC-3 and its military variants for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. Licensed copies of the DC-3 were built in Japan as the Showa L2D (487 aircraft); and in the Soviet Union as the [[Lisunov Li-2]] (4,937 aircraft).<ref name="Gradidge p. 20"/>

After the war, thousands of cheap ex-military DC-3s became available for civilian use.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Norton |first1=Bill |title=Air War on the Edge: A History of the Israeli Air Force and Its Aircraft Since 1947 |date=2004 |publisher=Midland |isbn=9781857800883 |page=99 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q84hAQAAIAAJ|language=en}}</ref> [[Cubana de Aviación]] became the first Latin American airline to offer a scheduled service to [[Miami]] when it started its first scheduled international service from [[Havana]] in 1945 with a DC-3. Cubana used DC-3s on some domestic routes well into the 1960s.<ref>[https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200519.html FlightGlobal archive (April 18, 1953)]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160306203832/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%200598.html FlightGlobal archive (November 14, 1946)]</ref>

Douglas developed an improved version, the Super DC-3, with more power, greater cargo capacity, and an improved wing, but with surplus aircraft available for cheap, they failed to sell well in the civilian aviation market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Douglas DC-3 Dakota |url=https://www.ukhat.org/aircraft-detail?aircraft=douglas-dc-3-dakota&id=12 |website=UK Heritage Aviation Trust |access-date=November 9, 2019 |archive-date=December 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224214927/https://www.ukhat.org/aircraft-detail?aircraft=douglas-dc-3-dakota&id=12 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Only five were delivered, three of them to [[Capital Airlines (United States)|Capital Airlines]]. The U.S. Navy had 100 of its early R4Ds converted to Super DC-3 standard during the early 1950s as the [[Douglas R4D-8|Douglas R4D-8/C-117D]]. The last U.S. Navy C-117 was retired on July 12, 1976.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010621174759/http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/PART10.PDF "The Seventies 1970–1980: C-117, p. 316"].  ''history.navy.mil''. Retrieved August 10, 2010.</ref> The last U.S. Marine Corps C-117, serial 50835, was retired from active service during June 1982. Several remained in service with small airlines in North and South America in 2006.<ref>Gradidge 2006, pp. 634–637.</ref>

The [[United States Forest Service]] used the DC-3 for [[smoke jumping]] and general transportation until the last example was retired in December 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last= Gabbert|first=Bill|title=The last Forest Service DC-3 retires|newspaper=Fire Aviation |date=December 21, 2015|url= https://fireaviation.com/2015/12/12/the-last-forest-service-dc-3-retires/|access-date= March 7, 2020}}</ref>

A number of aircraft companies attempted to design a "DC-3 replacement" over the next three decades (including the very successful [[Fokker F27|Fokker F27 Friendship]]), but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3. While newer airliners soon replaced it on longer high-capacity routes, it remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s as a regional airliner before being replaced by early [[Regional jet|regional jets]].

=== DC-3 in the 21st century===
[[File:DC-3 in SoAfrica.jpg|thumb|[[Rovos Air]] C-47A operating in South Africa, 2006]]
[[File:RNZAF C-47 Dakota, 2010.jpg|thumb|DC-3 flown as a [[warbird]], previously flew for the [[Royal New Zealand Air Force]] and New Zealand's [[National Airways Corporation (New Zealand)|National Airways Corporation]].]]
Perhaps unique among prewar aircraft, the DC-3 continues to fly in active commercial and military service as of 2025, ninety years after the type's first flight in 1935, although the number is dwindling due to expensive maintenance and a lack of spare parts.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021|reason=The original version of this unsourced claim was made in the 5 May 2017 edit; although the AS OF date has since been updated a couple of times, there is no cited source for any date.}} There are small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as [[cargo airline|cargo aircraft]]. Applications of the DC-3 have included passenger service, aerial spraying, freight transport, military transport, missionary flying, [[skydiving|skydiver]] shuttling and sightseeing. There have been a very large number of civil and military operators of the DC-3/C-47 and related types, which would have made it impracticable to provide a comprehensive listing of all operators.

A common saying among aviation enthusiasts and pilots is "the only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3".<ref>Holden 1991, p. 145</ref><ref>{{cite news|last= Glancey|first=Jonathan|title=The Douglas DC-3: Still Revolutionary in its 70s|date=October 10, 2013|publisher=BBC|url= http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131009-dc3-still-flying-at-70|access-date= January 21, 2017}}</ref>
Its ability to use grass or dirt runways makes it popular in developing countries or remote areas, where runways may be unpaved.<ref>{{cite news|title=Colombia's Workhorse, the DC-3 airplane |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/colombias-workhorse-the-dc-3-airplane/2012/03/09/gIQA8yN36R_gallery.html#photo=1 |access-date=March 15, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buffaloairways.com/index.php?page=douglas-dc-3 |title=Douglas DC-3 |website=[[Buffalo Airways]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118181052/http://www.buffaloairways.com/index.php?page=douglas-dc-3 |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 1, 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=InternetArchiveBot}}</ref>

The oldest surviving DST is N133D, the sixth Douglas Sleeper Transport built, manufactured in 1936. This aircraft was delivered to [[American Airlines]] on 12 July 1936 as NC16005. In 2011 it was at Shell Creek Airport, [[Punta Gorda, Florida]].<ref>
{{cite web|last=Moss|first=Frank|title=World's Oldest DC-3|publisher=douglasdc3.com|url=http://www.douglasdc3.com/olddc3/olddc3.htm|access-date= August 9, 2011}}</ref> It has been repaired and has been flying again, with a recent flight on 25 April 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sunshine Skies|url=https://www.facebook.com/sunshineskiesdc3/posts/507107916018608 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/419623481433719/507107916018608 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=N133D Flight Tracking and History|url=http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N133D|access-date=2020-06-23|website=FlightAware|language=en}}</ref> The oldest DC-3 still flying is the original American Airlines ''Flagship Detroit'' (c/n 1920, the 43rd aircraft off the Santa Monica production line, delivered on 2 March 1937),<ref>Pearcy 1987 p. 22</ref> which appears at airshows around the United States and is owned and operated by the Flagship Detroit Foundation.<ref name="DC-3."/>

The base price of a new DC-3 in 1936 was around $60,000–$80,000, and by 1960 used aircraft were available for $75,000.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110430163718/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1960/1960%20-%202684.html "The de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd"]. ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'', November 18, 1960, p. 798. Retrieved January 1, 2021.</ref> In 2023, flying DC-3s can be bought from $400,000-$700,000.

As of 2024, the Basler BT-67 with additions to handle cold weather and snow runways are used in Antarctica including regularly landing at the South Pole during the austral summer.

===Original operators===
{{main|List of original DC-3 operators}}

==Variants==
{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2017}}
{{Main|List of Douglas DC-3 family variants}}

===Civil===
;DST
:Douglas Sleeper Transport; the initial variant with two {{convert|1000|-|1200|hp|kW|adj=on}} [[Wright R-1820 Cyclone]] engines and standard sleeper accommodation for up to 16 with small upper windows, convertible to carry up to 24 day passengers.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=QdsDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA23 "Sleeping Car of the Air Has Sixteen Sleeping Berths"]. ''Popular Mechanics'', January 1936.</ref>
;DST-A
:DST with {{cvt|1000|-|1200|hp}} [[Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp]] engines
;DC-3
:Initial non-sleeper variant; with 21 day-passenger seats, {{cvt|1000|-|1200|hp}} Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, no upper windows.
;DC-3A
:DC-3 with {{cvt|1000|-|1200|hp}} Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.
;DC-3B
:Version of DC-3 for TWA, with two {{cvt|1100|-|1200|hp}} Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines and smaller convertible sleeper cabin forward with fewer upper windows than DST.
;{{Visible anchor|DC-3C}}
[[File:TransNorthern DC-3 landing at ANC.jpg|thumb|[[TransNorthern]] Super DC-3 (C-117D) in [[Anchorage, Alaska]]]]
:Designation for ex-military C-47, C-53, and R4D aircraft rebuilt by Douglas Aircraft in 1946, given new manufacturer numbers, and sold on the civil market; Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines.<ref>[http://www.douglasdc3.com/faa/a-669.pdf "Aircraft Specifications NO. A-669"]. [[FAA]]. Retrieved October 20, 2011.</ref>
;DC-3D
:Designation for 28 new aircraft completed by Douglas in 1946 with unused components from the cancelled USAAF C-117 production line; Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines.<ref>Gradidge 2006, pp. 632–633.</ref>
;{{visible anchor|DC-3S}}
:Also known as Super DC-3, substantially redesigned DC-3 with fuselage lengthened by {{convert|39|in|m|1}}; outer wings of a different shape with squared-off wingtips and shorter span; distinctive taller rectangular tail; and fitted with more powerful [[Pratt & Whitney R-2000]] or {{cvt|1475|hp}} Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines. Five completed by Douglas for civil use using existing surplus secondhand airframes.<ref>Gradidge, 2006, p. 634.</ref> Three Super DC-3s were operated by Capital Airlines 1950–1952.<ref>Pearcy, Arthur ''Douglas Propliners DC-1 – DC-7'', Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1995, {{ISBN|1-8531026-1-X}}, pp. 93–95.</ref> Designation also used for examples of the 100 R4Ds that had been converted by Douglas to this standard for the U.S. Navy as R4D-8s (later designated C-117Ds), all fitted with more powerful Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, some of which entered civil use after retirement from military service.<ref>Gradidge 2006, pp. 634–639.</ref>

===Military===
;C-41, C-41A
:The C-41 was the first DC-3 to be ordered by the USAAC and was powered by two {{cvt|1200|hp}} Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 engines. It was delivered in October 1938 for use by [[United States Army Air Corps]] (USAAC) chief General [[Henry H. Arnold]] with the passenger cabin fitted out in a 14-seat VIP configuration.<ref>Pearcy 1987, p. 34</ref> The C-41A was a single VIP DC-3A supplied to the USAAC in September 1939, also powered by R-1830-21 engines; and used by the [[Secretary of War]]. The forward cabin converted to sleeper configuration with upper windows similar to the DC-3B.<ref>[http://www.aero-web.org/specs/douglas/c-41.htm "Douglas C-41A"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907232959/http://www.aero-web.org/specs/douglas/c-41.htm |date=2008-09-07}} aero-web.org. Retrieved August 10, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_C-41A.html |title=Douglas C-41A |work=historyofwar.org |last=Rickard |first=J. |date=November 11, 2008 |access-date=June 8, 2017}}</ref>
;C-48
:Various DC-3A and DST models; 36 impressed as C-48, C-48A, C-48B, and C-48C.
:*C-48 - 1 impressed ex-[[United Airlines]] DC-3A.
:*C-48A - 3 impressed DC-3As with 18-seat interiors.
:*C-48B - 16 impressed ex-United Airlines DST-A [[air ambulance]]s with 16-berth interiors.
:*C-48C - 16 impressed DC-3As with 21-seat interiors.
:<!-- dummy to fix WP:LISTGAP issue -->
;C-49
:Various DC-3 and DST models; 138 impressed into service as C-49, C-49A, C-49B, C-49C, C-49D, C-49E, C-49F, C-49G, C-49H, C-49J, and C-49K.
;C-50
:Various DC-3 models, fourteen impressed as C-50, C-50A, C-50B, C-50C, and C-50D.
;C-51
:One impressed aircraft originally ordered by Canadian Colonial Airlines, had starboard-side door.
;C-52
:DC-3A aircraft with R-1830 engines, five impressed as C-52, C-52A, C-52B, C-52C, and C-52D.
;C-68
:Two DC-3As impressed with 21-seat interiors.
;C-84
:One impressed DC-3B aircraft.
;Dakota II
:British [[Royal Air Force]] designation for impressed DC-3s.
;LXD1
:A single DC-3 supplied for evaluation by the [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]] (IJNAS).
;R4D-2
:Two Eastern Air Lines DC-3-388s impressed into [[United States Navy]] (USN) service as VIP transports, later designated '''R4D-2F''' and later '''R4D-2Z'''.
;R4D-4
:Ten DC-3As impressed for use by the USN.
;R4D-4R
:Seven DC-3s impressed as staff transports for the USN.
;R4D-4Q
:Radar countermeasures version of R4D-4 for the USN.
;[[Douglas XCG-17|XCG-17]]
:Experimental assault glider, one converted.

===Conversions===
[[File:Maritime Patrol and Rescue Conroy Tri-Turbo Three Fitzgerald.jpg|thumb|The only example of the [[Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three]] at the 1978 [[Farnborough Airshow]]. This aircraft saw service in both the Arctic and Antarctica]]
;Dart-Dakota: for BEA test services, powered by two [[Rolls-Royce Dart]] turboprop engines.
;Mamba-Dakota: A single conversion for the Ministry of Supply, powered by two [[Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba]] turboprop engines.
;Airtech DC-3/2000
:DC-3/C-47 engine conversion by [[Airtech Canada]], first offered in 1987. Powered by two [[Shvetsov ASh-62|PZL ASz-62IT]] radial engines.<ref>[http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?lang=eng&prtl=1&sbPrtl=&estblmntNo=900434230000&profile=cmpltPrfl&profileId=801&app=sold "AirTech Company Profile"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807084049/http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?lang=eng&prtl=1&sbPrtl=&estblmntNo=900434230000&profile=cmpltPrfl&profileId=801&app=sold |date=August 7, 2016}}. ic.gc.ca. Retrieved November 22, 2009.</ref>
;[[Basler BT-67]]
:DC-3/C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened structure, modern avionics, and powered by two [[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6|Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-67R]] turboprop engines.
;BSAS C-47TP Turbo Dakota
:A South African C-47 conversion for the [[South African Air Force]] by Braddick Specialised Air Services, with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65R turboprop engines, revised systems, stretched fuselage, and modern avionics.
;[[Conroy Turbo-Three]]
:One DC-3/C-47 converted by [[Conroy Aircraft]] with two [[Rolls-Royce Dart|Rolls-Royce Dart Mk. 510]] turboprop engines.
;Conroy Super-Turbo-Three
:Same as the Turbo Three but converted from a Super DC-3. One converted.
;[[Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three]]
:Conroy Turbo Three further modified by the removal of the two Rolls-Royce Dart engines and their replacement by three Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6s (one mounted on each wing and one in the nose).
;Greenwich Aircraft Corp Turbo Dakota DC-3
:DC-3/C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened wing center section, updated systems, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR turboprop engines.<ref>[http://www.turbinedc3.com/conversion_process_turbine_dc3.html Turbo Dakota DC-3 Conversion Process] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926233224/http://www.turbinedc3.com/conversion_process_turbine_dc3.html |date=2014-09-26}}, Dodson International. Retrieved January 4, 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.turbinedc3.com/engines_props_specs_turbine_dc3.html Specs – Engines & Props] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413044722/http://turbinedc3.com/engines_props_specs_turbine_dc3.html |date=2013-04-13}}, Dodson International. Retrieved January 4, 2013</ref>
;TS-62
:Douglas-built C-47s fitted with Russian [[Shvetsov ASh-62]] radial engines after World War II due to shortage of American engines in the Soviet Union.{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}} Some TS-62s featured a small extra cockpit window on the left side.
;TS-82
:Similar to TS-62, but with 1650 hp [[Shvetsov ASh-82]] radial engines.{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}}
;USAC DC-3 Turbo Express
:A turboprop conversion by the United States Aircraft Corporation, fitting [[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6|Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R]] turboprop engines with an extended forward fuselage to maintain center of gravity. First flight of the prototype conversion, (N300TX), was on July 29, 1982.<ref>Taylor 1983 {{page needed|date=December 2011}}</ref>

===Military and foreign derivatives===
[[File:Showa L2D.jpg|thumb|Nakajima L2D in Japanese markings showing engine and cockpit glazing differences on later variants.]]
;[[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-53 Skytrooper]]
:Production military DC-3A variants.
;[[Showa/Nakajima L2D|Showa and Nakajima L2D]]
:Developments manufactured under license in Japan by [[Nakajima Aircraft Company|Nakajima]] and [[Showa Aircraft Industry|Showa]] for the IJNAS; 487 built.
;[[Lisunov Li-2|Lisunov Li-2 and PS-84]]
:Developments manufactured under license in the [[USSR]]; 4,937 built.

==Accidents and incidents==
{{Further|List of accidents and incidents involving the DC-3}}

== Aircraft on display ==
Douglas C-47-DL serial number 41-7723 is on display at [[Pima Air & Space Museum]] near [[Tucson]], [[Arizona]].  The aircraft was previously displayed at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force|United States Air Force Museum]].<!-- At the time, the museum had yet to be renamed --><ref>{{Cite web |title=Douglas C-47 |url=https://pimaair.org/museum-aircraft/douglas-c-47/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Pima Air & Space |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=USAF Serial Number Search Results: 41-7723 |url=http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzUsafSearch.pl?target=41-7723&content= |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=cgibin.rcn.com}}</ref>

A decommissioned DC-3 is part of the seating area at a [[McDonald's]] in [[Taupō]], [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= lovetaupo.com |first=Love Taupo {{!}} |title=McDonald's Taupo |url=https://www.lovetaupo.com/en/operators/mcdonald-s/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website= lovetaupo.com |language=en}}</ref>

A DC-3 has been converted into an exhibit at [[Madurodam]], [[The Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.madurodam.nl/nl/nieuws/levensgroot-dakota-vliegtuig-landt-madurodam | title=Levensgroot Dakota-vliegtuig landt in Madurodam &#124; Madurodam | date=October 23, 2018 }}</ref>

A DC-3 was deliberately submerged in July 2009 for divers in [[Kaş]], [[Antalya]].<ref>https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/546994/Freedivers-underwater-WW2-plane-Kas-Turkey</ref>

==Specifications (DC-3A-S1C3G)==
[[File:Douglas DC-3 3-view line drawing.svg|frameless|right|300px|3-view line drawing of the Douglas DC-3]]
[[File:N34---Douglas-DC3-Cockpit.jpg|thumb|DC-3 cockpit]]
{{multiple image|align = right |direction = vertical |width = 220 |image1 =Douglas DC-3C cold start.jpg |image2 =DC-3 spinning props.JPG |caption2 =A 1944 Douglas DC-3C starting its engines and taxiing with its tail wheel unlocked}}

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920''<ref name="Franc"/><!-- for giving the reference for the data -->
|prime units?=kts
|crew=two
|capacity=21–32 passengers
|length m=19.7
|length ft=64
|length in=5
|length note=
|span m=29.0
|airfoil=NACA2215 / NACA2206
|span ft=95
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=5.16
|height ft=16
|height in=9
|height note=(level attitude) 23 ft 6 in
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=987
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=9.17
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=16,865
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=25,200
|gross weight note=payload w/full fuel, 3,446 lb
|fuel capacity={{convert|822|USgal|L|1|abbr=on}}
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp]]
|eng1 type=14-cyl. air-cooled two row radial piston engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=1,200
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=[[Hamilton Standard 23E50]] series
|prop dia m=3.5
|prop dia ft=11
|prop dia in=6
|prop dia note=hydraulically controlled constant speed, feathering
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=223
|max speed note=at 8,500 ft (2,590 m)
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=183
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=125.9
|stall speed mph=78.2
|stall speed kts=68.0
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=223
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=77
|minimum control speed note= with one engine inoperative
|range nmi= 1,370
|range note=(maximum fuel, 3500 lb payload)
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=, cruise speed/range at 10,000 ft ASL, cruise fuel consumption of 94 gph at 50% power, 157kt IAS, 1,740 nm
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=23,200
|ceiling note=, with one engine operative, 9,000 ft
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=1,140
|climb rate note=, rate of climb at sea level with one engine operative, 200 fpm
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=25.5
|wing loading note=
|power/mass=0.0952 hp/lb (156.5 W/kg)
|thrust/weight=
}}<ref>Accessed 6 October 2023, https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/1994/june/pilot/flying-the-dc-3 </ref>

==Notable appearances in media==
{{Main|Aircraft in fiction#Douglas DC-3}}
[[File:2022-06-09 Douglas DC-3 of McDonald's at Taupo.jpg|thumb|A retired DC-3 was used as part of a [[McDonald's]] restaurant in [[New Zealand]].]]

Due to the large number produced; [[Golden Age of Aviation]] and [[World War II]] significance; and nearly a century of service in passenger, cargo, and military roles throughout the world; the aircraft maintains significant popular interest and has appeared in numerous works of fiction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lunken |first=Martha |date=2010-08-26 |title=DC-3, A Real Man's Airplane |url=https://www.flyingmag.com/pilots-places-pilots-adventures-more-dc-3-real-mans-airplane/ |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=FLYING Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{aircontent
|see also=

|related=
* [[Basler BT-67]]
* [[Douglas AC-47 Spooky]]
* [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]]
* [[Douglas R4D-8/C-117D]]
* [[Douglas DC-2]]
* [[Lisunov Li-2]]
* [[Showa/Nakajima L2D]]
* [[Conroy Turbo-Three]]
* [[Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three]]

|similar aircraft=
* [[Boeing 247]]
* [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]]
* [[Douglas DC-5]]
* [[Focke-Wulf Fw 206]]
* [[Junkers Ju 52]]
* [[Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar]]
* [[Saab 90 Scandia]]
* [[Vickers VC.1 Viking]]

|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of civil aircraft]]
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{ill|Rene J. Francillon|lt=Francillon, René|fr|René Jacquet-Francillon}}. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I''. London: Putnam, 1979. {{ISBN|0-87021-428-4}}.
* Gradidge, Jennifer M. ''The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3: The First Seventy Years, Volumes One and Two''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006. {{ISBN|0-85130-332-3}}.
* Holden, Henry M.. ''The Douglas DC-3''. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books, 1991. {{ISBN|0-8306-3450-9}}.
* Kaplan, Philip. ''Legend: A Celebration of the Douglas DC-3/C-47/Dakota''. Peter Livanos & Philip Kaplan, 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-9557061-1-0}}.
* {{cite book |author1=Key Publishing |title=Lockheed Constellation |series=Historic Commercial Aircraft Series, Vol 13 |date=2023 |publisher=Key Publishing |location=Stamford, Lincs, UK |isbn=9781802823707 |url={{GBurl|AahDzwEACAAJ}}}}
* O'Leary, Michael. ''DC-3 and C-47 Gooney Birds''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1992. {{ISBN|0-87938-543-X}}.
* O'Leary, Michael. ''When Fords Ruled the Sky (Part Two)''. ''Air Classics'', Volume 42, No. 5, May 2006.
* Pearcy, Arthur. ''Douglas DC-3 Survivors, Volume 1''. Bourne End, Bucks, UK: Aston Publications, 1987. {{ISBN|0-946627-13-4}}.
* Pearcy, Arthur. ''Douglas Propliners: DC-1–DC-7''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1995. {{ISBN|1-85310-261-X}}.
* {{cite magazine|last=Reinhard|first=Martin A.|title=Talkback|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=January–February 2004|issue=109 |page=74 |issn=0143-5450}}
* [[John W. R. Taylor|Taylor, John W. R.]] ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1982–83''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1983. {{ISBN|0-7106-0748-2}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Wulf|first1=Herman de|title=An Airline at War|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=August–November 1990|issue=13|pages=72–77 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Yenne, Bill. ''McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants''. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1985. {{ISBN|0-517-44287-6}}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://www.dc3history.org DC-3/Dakota Historical Society]
* [http://www.douglasdc3.com/ The DC-3 Hangar – Douglas DC-3 specific site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040806152215/http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Aerospace/DC-3/Aero29.htm Centennial of flight Commission on the DC-3]
* [http://www.aviation-history.com/douglas/dc3.html Douglas DC-3 at the Aviation History Online Museum]
* [https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/items/show/65548 Instruction manual: DC-3, DST] – The Museum of Flight Digital Collections

{{Douglas airliners}}
{{Douglas aircraft}}
{{Douglas DC-3 family}}
{{USAF transports}}
{{ADF aircraft designations}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas Dc-3}}
[[Category:Douglas DC-3| ]]
[[Category:1930s United States airliners]]
[[Category:Douglas aircraft|DC-03]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1935]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear]]
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