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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0896.PDF
FLIGHT Forty-third of the Latest Recognition Series Aircraft Types and DOUGLAS DAKOTA IN the R.A.F. the military transport version of theDouglas DC-3 airliner is known as the Dakota; inAmerica it has been named the Sky train, but a senior officer of the U.S. Army Air Force in Great Britain recently told a member of Flight staff that they recognise it only as the C-47 ; they will have none of these pet names, not even those bestowed by their own people in America. Un- doubtedly they are wise in adhering to their official mili- tary designations, but a name is surely easier to remember than a combination of letters and figures. This variety of names and symbols by which even the most familiar type of American aircraft is known to differ- ent people in different places is rather an unnecessary com- plication. One feels it should have been possible to agree upon one name per aircraft, but this pleasant state of simplicity has not so far even been attempted, in spite of its obvious benefit in teaching the all-important subject of aircraft recognition to personnel of the Allied forces and Civil Defence Services. In fts original form as a civil airliner, the DC-3 was cer~ tainly one of the most successful and efficient aircraft. It was in use on a wide variety of airlines all over the world, and no machine was better known unless it was its imme- diate predecessor, the DC-2, from which it was developed. To-day it is probably no exaggeration to say that it is the backbone of the U.S. Army air transport, and the R.A.F. have found it no less useful, while a number are being operated by British Overseas Airways both from this country and in the Middle East. Powered by a pair of 1,050 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Twin- Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, the Dakota (or Skytrain, or C-47) nas top speed of 230 m.p.h. at 8,500ft., cruises at 207 m.p.h. at 15,000ft., has a service ceiling of 23,200ft., and a maximum range at operating speed of 2,125 miles. It is of light alloy construction with Alclad stressed-skin covering, and has a gross weight of 25,200 lb., of which 8,750 lb. is useful load. The wings have a straight trailing-edge and a backswept leading-edge out- board of the rectangular centre-section, the tips being very small. The tailplane is similar in plan and the large single fin and rudder has a broad curved apex, a straight trailing- edge and a fairly large fillet on the root of the leading-edge. NARROW FLAT SECTION CENTRE PRONOUNCED DIHEDRAL SMALL NOSE STRAICHT TRAILING EDCE Span Length Height Wing area DIMENSIONS 95ft. 64ft. tin: /6ft. IIin. ..987 sq. ft. DEEP
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