View source for Douglas C-47 Skytrain

{{short description|Military transport aircraft derived from DC-3}}
{{Redirect|C-47}}
{{Redirect|R4D|the rocket engine|R-4D}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= C-47 Skytrain / Dakota <br />C-53 Skytrooper
 |image= C47 Skytrain - Duxford D-Day Show 2014 (cropped).jpg
 |caption= C-47 ''43-30652 "Whiskey 7"'' at 2014 Duxford D-Day Show
 |type= [[Military transport aircraft]]
 |national_origin= [[United States]]
 |manufacturer=[[Douglas Aircraft Company]]
 |designer=
 |first_flight={{Start date|df=yes|1941|12|23}}<ref>[http://www.boeing.com/history/products/c-47-skytrain.page C-47 Skytrain Military Transport Historical Snapshot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028191922/https://www.boeing.com/history/products/c-47-skytrain.page |date=28 October 2020 }}. ''Boeing''. Retrieved: 29 June 2017.</ref>
 |introduction=
 |retired=
 |status=In service
 |primary_user= [[United States Army Air Forces]]
 |more_users= [[Royal Air Force]]<br />[[United States Navy]]<br />[[Royal Canadian Air Force]]<br />[[#Operators|See operators]]
 |produced=<!--years in production, e.g. 1970–1999, still in active use but no longer built-->
 |number_built=10,174
 |unit cost=
 |developed_from = [[Douglas DC-3]]
 |variants = [[Douglas XCG-17]] <br /> [[Douglas AC-47 Spooky]] <br /> [[Douglas R4D-8]]
 |developed_into=
}}

The '''Douglas C-47 Skytrain''' or '''Dakota''' ([[Royal Air Force|RAF]] designation) is a [[airlift|military transport aircraft]] developed from the civilian [[Douglas DC-3]] airliner. It was used extensively by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] during [[World War II]]. During the war the C-47 was used for [[Military transport aircraft|troop transport]], [[Air cargo|cargo]], [[paratrooper]], for towing [[Military glider|gliders]] and military cargo parachute drops. The C-47 remained in front-line service with various military operators for many years.<ref name="Parker, Dana T. pp. 13, 35">Parker 2013, pp. 13, 35, 37, 39, 45–47.</ref>  It was produced in approximately triple the numbers as the larger, much heavier payload [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]], which filled a similar role for the U.S. military.

Approximately 100 countries' armed forces have operated the C-47 with over 60 variants of the aircraft produced. As with the civilian DC-3, the C-47 remains in service, over 80 years after the type's introduction.

==Design and development==
The C-47 differed from the civilian DC-3 by way of numerous modifications, including being fitted with a cargo door, hoist attachment and strengthened floor - along with a shortened tail cone for [[Military glider|glider-towing]] shackles, and an [[Astrodome (aeronautics)|astrodome]] in the cabin roof.<ref name="Wilson">Wilson, Stewart. ''Aircraft of WWII''. Fyshwick, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd., 1998. {{ISBN|1-875671-35-8}}.</ref><ref>Parker 2013, pp. 37, 39, 45-47.</ref>

During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. The U.S. naval designation was R4D. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] and [[Santa Monica, California]], and [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]]. Between March 1943 and August 1945, the Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s.<ref name="Parker, Dana T. pp. 13, 35"/><ref>Herman 2012, pp. 202-203, 227.</ref>

The specialized C-53 ''Skytrooper'' troop transport started production in October 1941 at Douglas Aircraft's Santa Monica plant. It lacked the cargo door, hoist attachment, and reinforced floor of the C-47. Only 380 aircraft were produced in all because the C-47 was found to be more versatile.

===Super DC-3 (R4D-8)===
{{main|Douglas R4D-8}}
[[File:C-117D Super Dakotas US Navy 1967.jpg|thumb|U.S. Navy C-117Ds at [[RAF Mildenhall]] in 1967]]

Large numbers of DC-3s and surplus C-47s were in commercial use in the United States in the 1940s. In response to proposed changes to the [[Federal Aviation Regulations|Civil Air Regulations]] airworthiness requirements that would limit the continuing use of these aircraft, Douglas offered a late-1940s DC-3 conversion to improve takeoff and single-engine performance. This new model, the DC-3S or "Super DC-3", was 39 in (0.99 m) longer. It allowed 30 passengers to be carried, with increased speed to compete with newer airliners. The rearward shift in the center of gravity led to larger tail surfaces and new outer, swept-back wings. More powerful engines were installed along with shorter, jet ejection-type exhaust stacks. These were either 1,475&nbsp;hp (1,100&nbsp;kW) [[Wright R-1820]] Cyclones or 1,450&nbsp;hp (1,081&nbsp;kW) [[Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasp]]s in larger engine nacelles. Minor changes included wheel-well doors, a partially retractable tailwheel, flush rivets, and low-drag antenna. These all contributed to an increased top speed of {{convert|250|mph|km/h kn|abbr=on}}. With over 75% of the original DC-3/C-47 configuration changed, the modified design was virtually a new aircraft.<ref>[http://www.dc3history.org/dc3super.html "Super DC-3"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721153357/http://www.dc3history.org/dc3super.html |date=21 July 2017 }}. dc3history.org. Retrieved 23 June 2010.</ref> The first DC-3S made its maiden flight on 23&nbsp;June 1949.<ref name="Frnc Doug p464-5">Francillon 1979, pp. 464–465.</ref>

The changes fully met the new FAR 4B airworthiness requirements, with significantly improved performance. However, little interest was expressed by commercial operators in the DC-3S. It was too expensive for the smaller operators that were its main target; only three were sold to [[Capital Airlines (United States)|Capital Airlines]]. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps had 100 of their R4D aircraft modified to Super DC-3 standards as the R4D-8, later redesignated the C-117D.<ref name="Frnc Doug p466-7">Francillon 1979, pp. 466–467.</ref>

==Operational history==
===World War II===
[[File:US Army Pathfinders June 1944.jpg|thumb|[[Pathfinder (military)|U.S. Army Pathfinders]] and [[United States Army Air Force|USAAF]] flight crew prior to [[D-Day]], June 1944, in front of a C-47 Skytrain at [[RAF North Witham]]]]
The C-47 was vital to the success of many Allied campaigns, in particular, those at [[Battle of Guadalcanal|Guadalcanal]] and in the jungles of [[New Guinea]] and [[Burma Campaign|Burma]], where the C-47 and its naval version, the R4D, made it possible for Allied troops to counter the mobility of the light-traveling Japanese Army. C-47s were used to airlift supplies to the encircled American forces during the [[Battle of Bastogne]] in Belgium. Possibly its most influential role in military aviation, however, was flying "[[The Hump]]" from India into China. The expertise gained flying "The Hump" was later used in the [[Berlin Airlift]], in which the C-47 played a major role until the aircraft were replaced by [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster]]s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}}

In Europe, the C-47 and a specialized [[Paratrooper|paratroop]] variant, the C-53 Skytrooper, were used in vast numbers in the later stages of the war, particularly to tow [[military glider|gliders]] and drop paratroops. During the [[Allied invasion of Sicily|invasion of Sicily]] in July 1943, C-47s dropped 4,381 Allied paratroops. More than 50,000 paratroops were dropped by C-47s during the first few days of the [[D-Day]] campaign also known as the [[invasion of Normandy]], France, in June 1944.<ref>Cacutt, Len. "The World's Greatest Aircraft," Exeter Books, New York, NY, 1988. {{ISBN|0-7917-0011-9}}.</ref> In the [[Pacific War]], with careful use of the island landing strips of the Pacific Ocean, C-47s were used for ferrying soldiers serving in the Pacific theater back to the United States.

About 2,000 C-47s (received under [[Lend-Lease]]) in British and Commonwealth service [[British military aircraft designation systems|took the name "Dakota"]], possibly inspired by the acronym "DACoTA" for Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft.<ref>[http://www.boeing.com/history/products/c-47-skytrain.page "History: Douglas C-47 Skytrain Military Transport"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028191922/https://www.boeing.com/history/products/c-47-skytrain.page |date=28 October 2020 }}. Boeing. Retrieved: 14 July 2015.</ref>

The C-47 also earned the informal nickname "[[Albatross|gooney bird]]" in the European theatre of operations.<ref name="Proceedings">O'Rourke, G.G, CAPT USN. "Of Hosenoses, Stoofs, and Lefthanded Spads". ''United States Naval Institute Proceedings'', July 1968.</ref> Other sources<ref>''C-47/R4D Skytrain units of the Pacific and CBI'', David Isby, Osprey Combat Aircraft #66, Osprey Publishing Limited, 2007</ref> attribute this name to the first aircraft, a USMC R2D—the military version of the DC-2—being the first aircraft to land on Midway Island, previously home to the long-winged albatross known as the gooney bird which was native to Midway.

===Postwar era===
[[File:C-47s at Tempelhof Airport Berlin 1948.jpg|thumb|C-47s unloading at [[Tempelhof Airport]] during the [[Berlin Blockade|Berlin Airlift]], 1948]]
The [[United States Air Force]]'s [[Strategic Air Command]] had Skytrains in service from 1946 to 1967. The US Air Force's [[6th Special Operations Squadron]] was flying the C-47 until 2008.

With all of their aircraft and pilots having been part of the Indian Air Force prior to independence, both the [[Indian Air Force]] and [[Pakistan Air Force]] used C-47s to transport supplies to their soldiers fighting in the [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]].
[[File:R4D-5L Que Sera Sera landing at South Pole 1956.jpg|thumb|left|A U.S. Navy R4D-5L was the first aircraft to land at the South Pole, 31 October 1956 for ''[[Operation Deep Freeze|Operation Deep Freeze II]]'']]
After World War II, thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civilian airline use, some remaining in operation [[Buffalo Airways#Fleet|in 2012]], as well as being used as private aircraft.

In October 1956, a U.S. Navy R4D-5L named ''Que Sera Sera'' landed at the South Pole in Antarctica. This was the first time humans had been at the pole since 1912 (see [[Robert Falcon Scott|Robert F. Scott]]'s [[Terra Nova Expedition|British Antarctic Expedition]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The USAP Portal: Science and Support in Antarctica - This weekend in history: The first flight to the South Pole |url=https://www.usap.gov/news/4677/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.usap.gov}}</ref>

===Vietnam War===
Several C-47 variants were used in the [[Vietnam War]] by the United States Air Force, including three advanced electronic-warfare variations, which sometimes were called "electric gooneys" designated EC-47N, EC-47P, or EC-47Q depending on the engine used. In addition, HC-47s were used by the 9th Special Operations Squadron to conduct [[psychological warfare]] operations over South Vietnam and Laos. Miami Air International, Miami International Airport was a USAF military depot used to convert the commercial DC-3s/C-47s into military use. They came in as commercial aircraft purchased from third-world airlines and were completely stripped, rebuilt, and reconditioned. Long-range fuel tanks were installed, along with upgraded avionics and gun mounts. They left as first-rate military aircraft headed for combat in Vietnam in a variety of missions. {{#tag:ref|Air International out of Miami International Airport was a military depot used by the air force to convert the DC-3s into military use.<ref>[http://www.ec47.com/tnhist.htm "Chronological History of the EC-47's Location by Tail Number."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008231847/http://www.ec47.com/tnhist.htm |date=8 October 2020 }} ''ec47.com''. Retrieved: 7 April 2009.</ref>|group=Note}} EC-47s were also operated by the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian Air Forces.<ref>Rickard, J. [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_EC-47N.html "Douglas EC-47N"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423141309/http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_EC-47N.html |date=23 April 2020 }}. historyofwar.org, 12 November 2008. Retrieved: 7 April 2009.</ref> A gunship variation, using three 7.62&nbsp;mm miniguns, designated [[AC-47 Spooky|AC-47 "Spooky"]], often nicknamed "[[Puff the magic dragon]]", also was deployed.<ref name="Proceedings"/>

=== USAF retirement ===
In June 1975 the USAF retired the last C-47 in service.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-30 |title=Today in Aviation History: Last Operational Douglas C-47 Skytrain Was Retired - Vintage Aviation News |url=https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/today-in-aviation-history-last-operational-douglas-c-47-skytrain-was-retired.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |language=en-US}}</ref> In the US Navy and Marine Corps, the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]] airliner in U.S. Navy service was named the [[McDonnell Douglas C-9|C-9B Skytrain II]] in honor of the C-47 Skytrain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=C-9B Skytrain II |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/c/c-9b-skytrain-ii0.html |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=public1.nhhcaws.local |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Variants==
{{Main|List of Douglas DC-3 family variants}}
[[File:C-47 in RCAF in livery. Operated by the RAF in England during WWII ..jpg|thumb|C-47 in RCAF livery, still flying today. Operated by the RAF in England during WWII. FZ692 participated in two major airborne operations, Normandy and the Rhine Crossing.]]
[[File:Two USAAF C-47A Skytrains.jpg|thumb|Paratroop C-47, 12th Air Force Troop Carrier Wing, invasion of southern France, 15 August 1944]]
[[File:C-47inside.jpg|thumb|Interior view of Douglas C-47, [[Hendon]] Aerodrome, [[England]]]]
[[File:6th Special Operations Squadron and aircraft.jpg|thumb|Aircraft of the [[6th Special Operations Squadron]] including a turboprop C-47 (Basler BT-67) in use by the U.S. Air Force, {{Circa|2005}}]]
[[File:Douglas C-47's.jpg|thumb|Douglas C-47 lineup at Willow Run, Michigan Airshow, August 2017]]
[[File:C-47B Skytrain -serial 43-49942 Bluebonnet Belle-26Oct2008.jpg|thumb|C-47B Skytrain ''43-49942'']]
[[File:douglas c47-a skytrain n1944a cotswoldairshow 2010 arp.jpg|thumb|A former USAAF C-47A Skytrain which flew from a base in Devon, England, during the [[D-Day]] Normandy invasion and shows "[[invasion stripes]]" on her wings and fuselage ]]
[[File:Douglas C-53 'N86584' (13956017704).jpg|thumb|Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, c/n 4935, operated by a [[skydiving]] service at [[Eloy, Arizona]]]]
[[File:Mesa-Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum-Douglas C-47 Skytrain Dakota “Old Number 30”-1.jpg|thumb|Douglas C-47A Skytrain ''Old Number 30'']]
[[File:Mesa-Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum-Douglas C-47 Skytrain Dakota “Old Number 30”-3.jpg|thumb|C-47 Skytrain cockpit]]
[[File:DOUGLAS C-47A - SKYTRAIN.jpg|thumb|Douglas C-47A Skytrain of the Venezuelan Air Force]]

;C-47
:Initial military version of the DC-3 had four crew (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, and radio operator) and seats for 27 troops alongside the fuselage interior. "Aerial Ambulances" fitted for casualty evacuation could carry 18 stretcher cases and a medical crew of three; 965 built (including 12 for the United States Navy as R4D-1).
;{{visible anchor|C-47A}}
:C-47 with a 24-volt electrical system, 5,254 built including USN aircraft designated R4D-5
;RC-47A
:C-47A equipped for photographic reconnaissance and ELINT missions
;SC-47A
:C-47A equipped for Search Air Rescue; redesignated '''HC-47A''' in 1962
;VC-47A
:C-47A equipped for VIP transport role
;C-47B
:Powered by R-1830-90 engines with two-speed superchargers (better altitude performance) to cover the [[China]]-[[Burma]]-[[India]] routes, 3,364 built
;VC-47B
:C-47B equipped for VIP transport role
;XC-47C
:C-47 tested with Edo Model 78 floats for possible use as a seaplane<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Jt8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+mechanics+July+1932+airplane&pg=PA19 "Aviation in Long Pants" (photo of XC-47C).] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909121532/https://books.google.com/books?id=Jt8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+mechanics+July+1932+airplane&pg=PA19 |date=9 September 2023 }} ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'', July 1944.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syCb1b24ZMU "DC-3s On Floats."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027160446/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syCb1b24ZMU |date=27 October 2020 }} ''[[YouTube]]'', 8 November 2008. Note: first part has rare World War II film footage and narration by project manager for the XC-47C.</ref>
;C-47D
:C-47B with second speed (high blower) of engine supercharger disabled or removed after the war
;[[AC-47 Spooky|AC-47D ''Spooky'']]
:Gunship aircraft with three side-firing .30&nbsp;in (7.62&nbsp;mm) [[Minigun]] machine guns
;EC-47D
:C-47D with equipment for the Electronics Calibration, of which 26 were so converted by Hayes in 1953; prior to 1962 was designated '''AC-47D'''
;NC-47D
:C-47D modified for test roles
;RC-47D
:C-47D equipped for photographic reconnaissance and ELINT missions
;SC-47D
:C-47D equipped for Search Air Rescue; redesignated '''HC-47D''' in 1962
;VC-47D
:C-47D equipped for VIP transport role
;C-47E
:Modified cargo variant with space for 27–28 passengers or 18–24 litters
;C-47F
:YC-129 redesignated, Super DC-3 prototype for evaluation by USAF later passed to USN as '''XR4D-8'''
;C-47L/M
:C-47H/Js equipped for the support of American Legation United States Naval Attache (ALUSNA) and Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) missions
;EC-47N/P/Q
:C-47A and D aircraft modified for ELINT/ARDF mission, N and P differ in radio bands covered, while Q replaces analog equipment found on the N and P with a digital suite, redesigned antenna equipment and uprated engines
;C-47R
:One C-47M modified for high altitude work, specifically for missions in Ecuador
;C-53 Skytrooper
:Troop transport version of the C-47 that lacked the reinforced cargo floor, large cargo door, and hoist attachment of the C-47 ''Skytrain''. It was dedicated for the troop transport role and could carry 28 passengers in fixed metal seats arranged in rows in the former cargo space; 221 built.
;XC-53A Skytrooper
:One testbed aircraft modified in March 1942 with full-span slotted flaps and hot-air leading edge de-icing. Converted to C-53 standard in 1949 and sold as surplus.
;C-53B Skytrooper
:Winterized and long-range Arctic version of the C-53 with extra fuel tanks in the fuselage and separate navigator's astrodome station for celestial navigation; eight built.
;C-53C Skytrooper
:C-53 with larger port-side access door; 17 built.
;C-53D Skytrooper
:C-53C with 24V DC electrical system and its 28 seats attached to the sides of the fuselage; 159 built.
;C-117A Skytrooper
:C-47B with 24-seat airline-type interior for staff transport use, 16 built.
;VC-117A
:Three redesignated C-117s used in the VIP role
;SC-117A
:One C-117C converted for air-sea rescue
;C-117B/VC-117B
:High-altitude two-speed superchargers replaced by one-speed superchargers, one built and conversions from C-117As all later '''VC-117B'''
;[[Douglas R4D-8/C-117D|C-117D]]
:USN/USMC R4D-8 redesignated C-117D in 1962.
;LC-117D
:USN/USMC R4D-8L redesignated LC-117D in 1962.
;TC-117D
:USN/USMC R4D-8T redesignated TC-117D in 1962.
;VC-117D
:USN R4D-8Z redesignated VC-117D in 1962.
;[[Douglas R4D-8/C-117D|YC-129]]
:Super DC-3 prototype for evaluation by USAF redesignated C-47F and later passed to USN as '''XR4D-8'''. [[Wright R-1820]] engines uprated to 1425 hp.
;CC-129
:Canadian Forces designation for the C-47 (post-1970)
;[[Douglas XCG-17|XCG-17]]
:One C-47 tested as a 40-seat troop glider with engines removed and faired over
;R4D-1 Skytrain
:USN/USMC version of the C-47
;R4D-3
:Twenty C-53Cs transferred to USN
;R4D-5
:C-47A variant 24-volt electrical system replacing the 12-volt of the C-47; redesignated '''C-47H''' in 1962, 238 transferred from USAF
;R4D-5L
:R4D-5 for use in Antarctica. Redesignated '''LC-47H''' in 1962. Photos of this type show the removal of underslung engine oil coolers typical of the R-1830 engine installation; apparently not needed in the cold polar regions.
;R4D-5Q
:R4D-5 for use as special ECM trainer. Redesignated '''EC-47H''' in 1962
;R4D-5R
:R4D-5 for use as a personnel transport for 21 passengers and as a trainer aircraft; redesignated '''TC-47H''' in 1962
;R4D-5S
:R4D-5 for use as a special ASW trainer; redesignated '''SC-47H''' in 1962
;R4D-5Z
:R4D-5 for use as a VIP transport; redesignated '''VC-47H''' in 1962
[[File:JMSDF R4D-6Q(9023) right front view at Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum April 29, 2017 02.jpg|thumb|JMSDF R4D-6Q]]
[[File:Douglas R4D-8.jpg|thumb|United States Navy R4D-8]]
;R4D-6
::157 C-47Bs transferred to USN; redesignated '''C-47J''' in 1962
;R4D-6L, Q, R, S, and Z
:Variants as the R4D-5 series; redesignated '''LC-47J''', '''EC-47J''', '''TC-47J''', '''SC-47J''', and '''VC-47J''' respectively in 1962
;R4D-7
:44 TC-47Bs transferred from USAF for use as a navigational trainer; redesignated '''TC-47K''' in 1962
;[[Douglas R4D-8/C-117D|R4D-8]]
:R4D-5 and R4D-6 remanufactured aircraft with stretched fuselage, [[Wright R-1820]] engines, fitted with modified wings and redesigned tail surfaces; redesignated C-117D in 1962
;R4D-8L
:R4D-8 converted for Antarctic use, redesignated '''LC-117D''' in 1962
;R4D-8T
:R4D-8 converted as crew trainers, redesignated '''TC-117D''' in 1962
;R4D-8Z
:R4D-8 converted as a staff transport, redesignated '''VC-117D''' in 1962
;C-47TP "Turbo Dak"
:Refit with two Pratt & Whitney Canada [[Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6|PT6A-67R]] [[turboprop]]s and fuselage stretch for the South African Air Force
;[[Basler BT-67]]
:C-47 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened structure, modern avionics, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turboprops

===RAF designations===
[[File:c-47b dakota g-ampy arp.jpg|thumb|A Dakota IV in RAF Transport Command colors, owned by the [[Classic Air Force]], operating out of [[Coventry Airport]]]]

;Dakota I
:RAF designation for the C-47 and R4D-1.
;Dakota II
:RAF designation for nine C-53 Skytroopers received under the lend lease scheme. Unlike the majority of RAF Dakotas, these aircraft were therefore dedicated troop transports, lacking the wide cargo doors and reinforced floor of the C-47.
;Dakota III
:RAF designation for the C-47A.
;Dakota IV
:RAF designation for the C-47B.
;Airspeed AS.61
:Projected conversion of Dakota I aircraft by [[Airspeed Ltd.|Airspeed]]. None built.
;Airspeed AS.62
:Projected conversion of Dakota II aircraft by Airspeed. None built.
;Airspeed AS.63
:Projected conversion of Dakota III aircraft by Airspeed. None built.
;BEA Pionair/Dart-Dakota
:Conversion of Dakota to [[Rolls-Royce Dart]] power and used by [[British European Airways|BEA]] to prove turboprop engines prior to entry into service of [[Vickers Viscount]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%203204.html |title=1952 &#124; 3204 &#124; Flight Archive |publisher=Flightglobal.com |date=15 August 1951 |access-date=27 June 2018 |archive-date=22 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053207/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%203204.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Royal Thai Air Force designations===
;B.L.2
:({{langx|th|บ.ล.๒}}) designation for the C-47.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Thai Military Aircraft Designations |url=https://designation-systems.net/non-us/thailand.html |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=designation-systems.net}}</ref>
;B.TL.2
:({{langx|th|บ.ตล.๒}}) designation for the RC-47.<ref name=":0" />

===Aftermarket conversions===
{{main|List of Douglas DC-3 family variants#Conversions}}

==Operators==
[[File:SAAF C-47ATP 6840 (5) (6929086921).jpg|thumb|South African Air Force C-47TP "Turbo Dak"]]
[[File:RTAF Basler BT-67.JPG|thumb|A Royal Thai Air Force Basler BT-67 (C-47 conversion with Pratt & Whitney turboprops and stretched fuselage)]]
[[File:A Douglas C-47 Skytrain (Dakota) of the Indian Air Force.jpg|thumb|The IAF's heritage aircraft, Douglas C-47 Skytrain (Dakota), during the Republic Day Flypast 2024.]]
{{See also|List of Douglas C-47 Skytrain operators}}

{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
* {{ARG}}
* {{AUS}}
* {{BEL}}
* {{BEN}}
* {{Flag|Biafra}}
* {{BAN}}
* {{BOL}}
* {{BRA}}
* {{BIR}}
* {{CAM}}
* {{CAN}}<ref>[http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/hst/dakota-eng.asp "Douglas DC-3 (CC-129) Dakota."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611201610/http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/hst/dakota-eng.asp |date=11 June 2011 }} ''DND - Canada's Air Force''. Retrieved: 14 October 2009.</ref>
* {{CHA}}
* {{CHI}}
* {{CHN}}
* {{COL}}
* {{CGO}}
* {{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
* {{CUB}}
* {{CZS}}
* {{DNK}}
* {{DOM}}
* {{ECU}}
* {{flagicon|Egypt|1922}} [[Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt]]
* {{ESA}}
* {{ETH}}
* {{FIN}}
* {{FRA}}
* {{GAB}}
* {{GRE}}
* {{GUA}}
* {{HAI}}
* {{HON}}
* {{HUN}}
* {{ISL}}
* {{IND}}
* {{IDN}}
* {{Flagcountry|Pahlavi dynasty}}
* {{ISR}}
* {{ITA}}
* {{CIV}}
* {{JOR}}
* {{JPN}}
* {{KEN}}
* {{flagdeco|Laos|1952}} [[Kingdom of Laos|Laos]]
* {{LBA}}
* {{MAD}}
* {{MWI}}
* {{MLI}}
* {{MRT}}
* {{MEX}}
* {{MON}}
* {{MAR}}
* {{NLD}}
* {{NZL}}
* {{NIC}}
* {{NIG}}
* {{NGA}}
* {{flag|Northern Rhodesia}}<ref name=trade>{{cite web |url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |title=Trade Registers |publisher=Armstrade.sipri.org |access-date=20 June 2013 |archive-date=29 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229003804/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{NOR}}
* {{OMN}}
* {{PAK}}
* {{PAN}}
* {{PNG}}
* {{PAR}}
* {{PER}}
* {{Flag|Philippines|1936}}
* {{POL}}
* {{POR}}
* {{Flag|Rhodesia}}
* {{ROM}}
* {{RWA}}
* {{SAU}}
* {{SEN}}
* {{Flag|South Africa}}
* {{KOR}}
* {{Flag|South Vietnam}}
* {{SOM}}
* {{USSR}} (also as [[Lisunov Li-2]])
* {{SRI}}
* {{ESP}}
* {{SWE}}
* {{SYR}}
* {{TWN}}
* {{TAN}}
* {{THA}}
* {{TOG}}
* {{TUR}}
* {{UGA}}
* {{URU}}
* {{UK}}
* {{USA}}
* {{VEN}}
* {{VNM}}
* {{Flag|West Germany}}
* {{YEM}}
* {{YUG}}
* {{ZAI}}
* {{ZAM}}<ref name=trade/>
{{div col end}}

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

==Surviving aircraft==
{{Main|List of surviving Douglas C-47 Skytrains}}
Large numbers of C-47s, C-117s and other variants survive, on display in museums or as monuments; operated as [[warbird]]s; or remaining in service.
[[File:TC-47D SN 44-76502.jpg|thumb|TC-47D on display at [[McChord AFB]], 2016]]
As part of the 75th-anniversary commemoration in June 2019, 14 American C-47s and another group of 'Daks' from Europe retraced the route across the English Channel to [[Normandy]] taken by roughly 850 of these aircraft on [[D-Day]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Miss Montana – Miss Montana to Normandy |url=https://missmontanatonormandy.com/miss-montana-2/ |access-date=9 June 2019 |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212234013/https://missmontanatonormandy.com/miss-montana-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Golds |first1=Alan |title=A World War II-era veteran returns to the air |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/d-day-75th-anniversary-miss-montana-flight-to-normandy/ |access-date=9 June 2019 |work=www.cbsnews.com |date=2 June 2019 |language=en |archive-date=9 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609014841/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/d-day-75th-anniversary-miss-montana-flight-to-normandy/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Among them were ''That's All, Brother'', ''Betsy's Biscuit Bomber'', ''Miss Montana'', ''Spirit of Benovia'', ''D-Day Doll'', ''Boogie Baby'', N47E ''Miss Virginia'', and ''Whiskey 7''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Mighty Fifteen{{mdash}}The American Contingent Flying to Normandy |url=https://ddaysquadron.org/the-mighty-fifteen-the-american-contingent-flying-to-normandy/ |website=The D-Day Squadron |publisher=DC-3 Society |access-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130021736/https://ddaysquadron.org/american-contingent/ |archive-date=30 November 2019 |quote=See archive link for aircraft photos. |url-status=live}}<!-- original linked page was titled "Our American Contingent" -->{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Specifications (C-47B-DK)==
[[File:Douglas C-47 Skytrain drawings.svg|thumb|Douglas C-47 Skytrain 3-view drawing]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I<ref name="Francillon">{{cite book |last1=Francillon |first1=René J. |title=McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I |date=1988 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=London |isbn=0870214284 |pages=217–251}}</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--   General characteristics
-->
|crew=4 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator)
|capacity=28 troops or {{cvt|6000|lb|t|2}} of cargo
|length ft=63
|length in=9
|length note=
|span ft=95
|span in=6
|span note=
|height ft=17
|height in=0
|height note=
|wing area sqft=987
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil='''root:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA 2215]]; '''tip:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA 2206]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019 |archive-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326174850/https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|empty weight lb=18135
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=26000
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=31000
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--   Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C Twin Wasp]]
|eng1 type=14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines
|eng1 hp=
|eng1 note={{blist|{{cvt|1200|hp|kW}} takeoff rating|{{cvt|1000|hp|kW}} normal rating at {{cvt|14500|ft}}}}
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=constant-speed propellers
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--   Performance
-->
|max speed mph=224
|max speed note=at {{cvt|10000|ft}}
|cruise speed mph=160
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=1600
|range note=normal range
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=3600
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=26400
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|10000|ft}} in 9 minutes 30 seconds
|wing loading lb/sqft=26.3
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.0926|hp/lb|kW/kg}}

|more performance=
<!--   Armament
-->
|armament=<!-- add bulletted list here or if you want to use the following
specific parameters, remove this parameter-->
|guns=
|bombs=
|rockets=
|missiles=
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity=
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Basler BT-67]]
* [[Conroy Turbo-Three]]
* [[Douglas AC-47 Spooky]]
* [[Douglas DC-3]]
* [[Douglas XCG-17]]
* [[Lisunov Li-2]]
* [[Showa/Nakajima L2D]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]]
* [[Junkers Ju 52|Junkers Ju 52/3m]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
* [[List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)]]
* [[List of non-carrier aircraft flown from aircraft carriers]]
|see also=
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite magazine|last=Anderson|first=C. E. "Bud"|title=Caught by the Wing-tip|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=December 1981 – March 1982|issue=17 |pages=74–80 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Chorlton, Martyn. ''Paths in the Wood''. Cowbit, UK: Old Forge Publishing Ltd, 2003. {{ISBN|0-9544507-0-1}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=De Vink|first1=Hervé|title=Adieu au "Dakota" de la Force aérienne belge|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=August 1976 |issue=81 |pages=17–19 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=Farewell to the Dakotas of the Belgian Air Force}}
* Donald, David. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1997. {{ISBN|0-7607-0592-5}}.
* Flintham, Victor. ''Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of Air Combat, 1945 to the Present''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. {{ISBN|0-8160-2356-5}}.
* Francillon, René J. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920''. London: Putnam & Company, 1979. {{ISBN|0-370-00050-1}}.
* Gradidge, Jennifer M. ''The Douglas DC-1, DC-2, DC-3: The First Seventy Years''. Two volumes. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006. {{ISBN|0-85130-332-3}}.
* Herman, Arthur. ''Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II''. New York: Random House, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1-4000-6964-4}}.
* Kaplan, Philip. ''Legend: A Celebration of the Douglas DC-3/C-47/Dakota''. Peter Livanos & Philip Kaplan, 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-9557061-1-0}}.
* Parker, Dana T. ''Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II''. Cypress, California: Dana Parker Enterprises, 2013. {{ISBN|978-0-9897906-0-4}}.
* Pearcy, Arthur Jr. "Douglas R4D variants (US Navy's DC-3/C-47)". ''Aircraft in Profile, Volume 14''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications, 1974, pp.&nbsp;49–73. {{ISBN|0-85383-023-1}}.
* {{cite journal|title=Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation|journal=Air Enthusiast Quarterly |date=n.d. |issue=2 |pages=154–162 |issn=0143-5450}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Serrano|first1=José Luis González|title=Fifty Years of DC Service: Douglas Transports Used by the Spanish Air Force |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=March–April 1999 |issue=80 |pages=61–71 |issn=0143-5450}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Widfeldt|first=Bo|title="Operation Ball": USAAF Operations in Sweden 1944–45 |magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=April–July 1980|issue=12 |pages=51–53 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Yenne, Bill. ''McDonnell Douglas: A Tale of Two Giants''. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1985. {{ISBN|0-517-44287-6}}.

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://www.boeing.com/history/products/c-47-skytrain.page Boeing: Historical Snapshot: C-47 Skytrain military transport]
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/53264079 Manual: (1943) T.O. No. 01-40NC-1 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions C-47 Airplane] {{dead link|date=January 2015}}
* {{cite web | title =Our Tow Ships | publisher =National WWII Glider Pilots Association, Inc. 9 July 2014 | url = http://www.ww2gp.org/OurTowShips/index.php }}
* [https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/items/show/48136 Pilot training manual for the C-47] – [https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/ The Museum of Flight Digital Collections]

{{Douglas aircraft}}
{{Douglas DC-3 family}}
{{AircraftDesignationNavboxShell
 |1={{USAF transports}}
 |2={{USN transports}}
 |3={{USAF system codes}}
 |4={{Swedish military aircraft designations}}
 |5={{CF aircraft}}
 |6={{Czech transport aircraft}}
 |7={{Thai transport aircraft designations}}
 |8={{Thai observation aircraft designations}}
 |9={{Spanish transport aircraft}}
 |10={{ADF aircraft designations}}
}}

[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1941]]
[[Category:Douglas aircraft|C-047 Skytrain]]
[[Category:Douglas DC-3]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:1940s United States military transport aircraft|Douglas C-047 Skytrain]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear]]