Unrivaled Influence: The Douglas DC-3's Impact on Aviation

There are very few aircraft that have had the impact on history that the Douglas DC-3 has had. Beginning as a development of the highly successful DC-2, the DC-3 is said to be the first commercial aircraft to be able to make a profit without relying on government subsidies. It was a rugged, reliable aircraft that could take more people, further distance, faster. When the Second World War broke out the DC-3 was the best airliner in the world. With the outbreak of WW2 militaries around the world began pressing DC-3s into service. It wouldn’t be long until a military version was created in the form of the C-47/C-53. Utilized in a wide variety of roles it would provide the backbone for much of the Allied war effort. Post-war, the C-47 would soldier on in many air forces around the world for many years. With the U.S it saw additional service in Korea and Vietnam. It also resumed life as an airliner where it was slowly phased out. In total more than 10,600 were built of which over 10,200 were C-47/C-53s.
Thanks to the following:
- San Diego Air and Space Museum
- Imperial War Museum
- World War Photos
-Australian War Memorial
- National Library of Australia
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#aviation #aircraft #aviationhistory #dc3 #flying #history #ww2 #ww2aircraft #aircraft
0:00 - 0:30 - Introduction
0:30 - 2:40 - DC-3/DST
2:40 - 4:18 - Airlines
4:18 - 6:39 - C-47
6:39 - 7:12 - C-53 Skytrooper
7:12 - 7:22 - R4D
7:22 - 8:29 - RAF Dakota
8:29 - 9:02 - World War Two
9:02 - 9:17 - The Hump
9:17- 9:54 - Europe
9:54 - 10:33 - Post war
10:33 - 11:05 - AC-47
11:05 - 12:33 -Super DC-3
12:33 - 13:44 - Special Variants
13:44 - 15:04 - Conclusion

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thanks for everyone who watched and commented on my first upload of this video. Unfortunately, there were a few mistakes that made it through editing that needed to be rectified. These have been fixed and the video reuploaded 👍👍✈✈

[@monsieurcommissaire1628]

I've loved the DC-3 since childhood, when I built countless models of them in various scales. This was probably my favourite of your excellent videos so far. Wonderful aircraft. Really lovely too, one of the most beautiful aircraft ever. The soundtrack, particularly from those 2 14-cylinder P&W radials, must've been awesome, too, but then I've got a soft spot for Pratt & Whitney radials; their fine products kept my dad aloft and alive in Korea. He said they were really loud and had a lot of spark plugs. I love the sounds they make myself. I got a bit of a thrill seeing the aerial shot of a DC-3 above Le Plus Grand Paquebot du Monde: Normandie! It appears that she is arriving at New York Harbor on her maiden voyage.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️ It is a lovely aircraft, nice clean, sleek lines. It would be some soundtrack. A few years back they assemble 15 or so in England to commemorate the D-Day landings and Berlin Airlift. Now that would have been quite the sight and sound. Magnificent. That is really interesting. That is a wonderful shot.

[@calsurflance5598]

Excellent history lesson on one of my favorite aircraft. I did not hear a mention of the C-41. The first DC-3 purchased by the US Government became General Hap Arnold’s personal transport. Only 1 was built with this designation. I had the opportunity to fly in this aircraft about 35 years ago while working at the Fresno airport. I believe it is now at an aviation museum in Texas.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️. It wasn't covered in this video, but you can find it in my video on the DC-2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3TJiJSDZq5qqsksi=fHb3zyQ5n_NCiAm8&t=464 Awesome that is very cool 👍✈️

[@carlosallende2595]

I seem to recall that here in Melbourne you can still book nostalgia flights on these; not a hundred percent sure though.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Indeed you can. There is one that operates out of Essendon 👍✈️

[@garymorris1856]

In my opinion, it is the most iconic aircraft in history.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes quite possibly. It sure was an important and significant aircraft in aviation history 👍✈️

[@allangibson8494]

You probably should have covered the Russian Li-2 and Japanese Showa / Nakajima L2D as well. One Li-2 is still operational in Europe (it was used as a parachute aircraft in the 75th anniversary D-Day celebrations). The DST and DC-3 had structural differences in the fuselage - the DST had a line of windows in the cabin roof to provide light to the upper sleeper berths. The early DC-3’s and DST’s had the passenger door on the starboard side where the later C-47’s had it on the port side and the C-53’s had doors on both sides of the rear fuselage… The Li-2 can be identified by the engine cowlings (due to having shutters fitted for cold weather operations), cargo door shape (because they didn’t receive the design package for this), the wood stove in the cabin and about half of them had a turret in the place of the astrodome behind the cockpit. The Japanese L2D versions had an extra cockpit window behind the pilots for the navigator. L2D’s with wooden wings were also built. The DC-2 1/2 was a civilian CNAC DC-3 that was damaged in China by a Japanese air raid - this happened in mid 1941 before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes I definitely could have covered them in much more depth, but sometimes it is hard to fit everything in. Perhaps it would be best to do a separate video on them so I can go into detail about the two versions. Would be quite interesting. 👍✈️

[@Hcb37]

No worries, better to make the fixes and repost. Most people don’t understand the amount of work that goes into these relatively short histories.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That's what I thought too. Especially considering I messed up one of the designations of the C-47 (accidentally said A7-47 instead if AC-47). I just didn't like having it wrong. Thanks, it's a bit of work but good fun 👍✈️

[@mustafasfleas7342]

Perhaps it's only urban-legend... But as the legend has been passed down, the DC-3 still holds the title for greatest numbers of cargo pounds carried for the fewest pounds of fuel burned. And while so many dozens of machines have since exceeded the DC-3's cargo capacity, none are able to match its efficiency of cost per cargo pound transported.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That would make sense. I guess when you look at how much heavy lifting it did during the war and how long it has been in service, I'm not surprised.

[@Rural53NZ]

Great video, but you missed how in New Zealand they used them as top dressing aircraft and threw them around a couple of hundred feet off the ground.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thanks, sorry about that. I try and fit in as much as possible but somethings do get missed. To be honest I've never heard about this before, that is very interesting 👍✈️

[@davidvavra9113]

Well done!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you👍✈️

[@johnjephcote7636]

I miss the daily drone of those tramp steamers of the sky as I was growing up in the 1950s.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That would be cool. Personally I don't think the sound of jet engine beats that of a piston engine aircraft

[@joeschenk8400]

To err is human....etc. Reupload is just as good...lots of numbers, easy to mix it up. Three thumbs up-imogi will not print!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yeah it's easy, most videos have one small blooper 🤣🙃 I mixed up a designation (A7-47 instead of AC-47), something I consider needed to be corrected. Anyhow, thanks for rewatching 👍👍👍✈️

[@OscarReyes-ud4vz]

No doubt! The perfect plane!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Agree. It is a great design

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

This channel is the go . Great bloody research too , be damned .

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️

[@adamconroy2146]

I don't know if you mentioned this, but if you did here goes again. I don't expect she was, but was the DC3 pressurised in the cab?.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

No it wasn't. I read an interview from a group who still flies the DC-3. They stated that one of the benefits of the DC-3 is that it is a very simple aircraft, with relative simple systems (At least by todays standards). However they believed this made it a very safe aircraft even today as there was a lot less that could/can go wrong. No computers or electronics to go haywire.

[@ashcarrier6606]

Yes, it is.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

For your next Heinz Tomato Soup dinner , please see Robert Morley's Australian advertisement , circa 1972 . ' Robert Morley Heinz Advertisement ' . KZbin .

[@AntiqueAirshow]

😅👍✈️