Douglas C-47A Skytrain

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 7

Speed: 4

Maneuverability: 8

Firepower: n/a

Climb Rate: 2

Ground Attack: 5

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	196	215	229	20	230@ 8350'	106 mph	3:17	9:13	23:07
kph	316	346	369	354	370@ 2600m	170 kph

Historical Statistics

Service Date: December 1941

Primary Guns: none

Secondary Guns: none

Defensive Guns: none

Ordnance: up to 6,065 lb (2750 kg) of freights or 28 paratroopers (in game limited to 14)

Engine(s): 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radials rated for 1,200 hp each at sea level

Int Fuel Capacity: 4,835 lbs (2,192 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: none

Maximum Speeds: 230 mph (370 kph) at 8,800 ft (2,682 m)

Ceiling: 26,400 ft (8,050 m)

Loaded Weight: 28,000 lbs (12,700 kg)

Wing Area: 985.8 sq ft (91.7 sq m)

Wing Loading: 28.4 lbs/sq ft (138.5 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Cargo Capacity: Able to carry up to 6,000 lbs. of supplies or 14 combat troops, the C-47 has the largest cargo capacity in the game.

Weaknesses

Defense: Lacking completely in defensive guns, the only defense a C-47 can offer is to turn tail and run.

History

In 1932, United Airlines thought it had engineered a coup that would leave it in position to control the American air travel market. Most airlines operated ancient Ford and Fokker "tri-motor" planes, which were both slow and costly to operate and maintain. Boeing, the parent company of United, had just rolled the new Model 247 off the production line and every airline wanted one. However, United's order would tie up the production line for over a year and all the other airlines would just have to wait.

TWA, realizing that this would put them out of business, promptly issued a specification to aircraft manufacturers in order to develop a modern airliner of their own. The specification called for a tri-motor design in order to allow the plane to take-off with a full load despite the loss of an engine. All major aircraft manufacturers, except Boeing, were invited to submit a design.

The design from Douglas aircraft, known as the Douglas Commercial One or DC-1, was unique in that it allowed passengers to walk upright in the fuselage. But it was a twin-engine design and thus would have to be able to take-off on one engine to meet the specification. Despite reservations, TWA was excited by the commercial possibilities and contracted for a single example.

The new airliner had seats for only ten passengers, but it incorporated a galley and the first aerial lavatory for luxury on long flights. In order to prove the ability to take-off with only a single engine, the test pilots took off from Albuquerque, NM, flew to Winslow, AZ and landed entirely on one engine. The plane thus passed certification and TWA issued an order for twenty "improved" DC-1s in December 1938.

The "improved DC-1" was known as the DC-2 and it incorporated a few changes requested by TWA. The fuselage length was extended two feet to allow the installation of another pair of passenger seats, bringing the total capacity to twelve passengers. Other changes included a new rudder assembly, wheel brakes, wing flaps and stressed-skin construction.

About this time the plane started to attract the attention of the military, which was still using the old Ford and Fokker tri-motors. The DC-2 was undergoing military evaluations when the war broke out. In response to their immediate need for planes, twenty-four civilian DC-2s were drafted into service from the airlines by the Army as the C-33 transport.

In the meantime, American Airlines had been left out of the DC-2 revolution and wanted a plane of their own. But rather than the more pedestrian transports used by the other airlines, American wanted a "flying Pullman", a plane designed for more luxury than the DC-2 could deliver. By modifying the DC-2 design, Douglas was able to produce the Douglas Sleeper Transport, a plane equipped with either fourteen sleeper berths, as the DST, or twenty-eight standard seats as the DC-3.

Rather than continue with the smaller DC-2 design, the Army ordered the DC-3 to be produced as the C-47A, which was equipped with a large cargo door in place of the standard passenger entryway. Equipped with folding canvas seats, the C-47 could carry 28 fully laden combat troops (limited in game to 14) or up to 6000 lbs. of supplies. Returning to the original civilian design of the Douglas Sleeper Transport, the C-47A could be outfitted with fourteen bunks for use as an aerial ambulance and the cargo area was roomy enough to hold a jeep and a 37mm gun. The C-47 served the USAAF with distinction, taking part in every major airborne operation, including Sicily, D-Day and Market Garden.

Sources

Davis, Larry; C-47 Skytrain In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1995.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

The Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc.

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II