From an information panel on site:
The DC-3 is one of the world's great aircraft. On July 2, 1933, the DC-1 made it first appearance, an all-metal transport that within a short time established 19 world records. The production model, the DC-2, was larger and faster and was soon flown by every major airlines in the United States. In 1936, the DC-2 was further enlarged and improved to meet the requirements of American Airlines, and the resulting aircraft became available in two versions: the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST), equipped with 14 berths for passengers on transcontinental routes, and the DC-3, a day transport version built to accommodate 21 passengers. The DC family of transports incorporated all the luxury and safety improvements introduced in the Boeing 247 plus a bigger and more efficient passenger cabin.
The DC-3 immediately met with an enthusiastic reception and went into mass production. It was the first transport aircraft able to operate at a profit and so introduced many passengers to the benefits of air travel. By 1939, the DC-3 made up the bulk of the world's airline traffic. More that 800 were supplied to civil air lines throughout the world and, during World War II, more than 10,000 were built for military service.
In Canada, the Royal Canadian Air Force introduced the military version, the C-47, in 1943, while the DC-3 first entered civil use with Trans-Canada Airlines in 1945, the year before production of the aircraft ceased. Fifty years after the introcuction of the DC-3, large numbers still remained in service throughout the world and are likely to continue flying for sometime. In Canada alone, just under a hundred are still in use.
The aircraft on display is, appropriately, the first DC-3 acquired by Trans-Canada Air Lines, and flew for 38 years in Canadian service. It was manufactured in 1942 as a civil DC-3 with Wright Cyclone-engines and began its career with the United States Army Air Force as a C-49J Transport. It was converted for civil use by Canadair Ltd., Montreal, for Trans-Canada Airlines in 1945 and was sold by TCA to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company of Canada, who refinished it as a VIP transport with Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp engines. It continued in service with Goodyear until 1983, when it was donated to the Museum.
From the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum's Website:
Highlights:
A U.S., twin-engine airliner designed by Douglas Aircraft Company Incorporated and produced from 1936 to 1954
Usually seated twenty-one passengers and two crew but could carry up to thirty-two passengers
Developed in 1935 as a derivative of the DC-2 and could carry fourteen berths (for overnight flights)
Became one of the most successful airliners of all time, revolutionizing air transport for decades
Served with airline companies and military forces around the world
16,000 DC-3s were manufactured primarily as military transport planes (5,400 in the U.S.S.R. and Japan)
More than 500 listed in the U.S. and Canadian civil aircraft register
First flight was on December 17, 1935.
Artifact no.:
1983.0457
Manufacturer:
Douglas Aircraft Company Inc.
Manufacturer Location:
United States
Manufacture Date:
1942
Registration no.:
C-FTDJ
Acquisition Date:
1983
History:
The DC series of aircraft was developed in response to the challenge posed by the Boeing 247 and culminated in the magnificent DC-3, the most successful air transport of all time. The DC-3 met with immediate enthusiasm as the first airliner in the United States able to work at a profit without government subsidy. By 1939 the DC-3 accounted for 90% of world airline trade. Almost indestructible, large numbers of DC-3s continued to fly in the 1990s, carrying passengers and cargo.
The DC-3 came into being almost by default. Douglas built a larger version of the DC-2 to contain berths for night flights. The result, called the Douglas Sleeper Transport, had a longer, wider fuselage. The DST was a limited success, but when its big fuselage was filled with passenger seats instead of berths, the DC-3 was born. A combined total of about 3000 DC-3s were built under licence in Japan and Russia.
Current Location:
Airlines Exhibition, Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Provenance:
Donation from Goodyear Corporation
This DC-3 was manufactured in 1942 by Douglas Aircraft Company Incorporated. It was completed as a DC-3 airliner after to the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and later served with the U.S. Army Air Forces as a C-49J. In 1945, it was sold to Trans-Canada Air Lines, becoming the first DC-3 operated by that airline.
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company bought the aircraft in 1948 and refinished it for VIP transportation. It served with Goodyear until 1983, when the company donated it to the Museum.
Technical Information:
Wing Span 29.1 m (95 ft 6 in)
Length 19.6 m (64 ft 5 in)
Height 5.2 m (16 ft 11 in)
Weight, Empty 8,300 kg (18,300 lb)
Weight, Gross 11,430 kg (25,200 lb)
Cruising Speed 274 km/h (170 mph)
Max Speed 381 km/h (237 mph)
Rate of Climb 335 m (1,100 ft) /min
Service Ceiling 7,010 m (23,000 ft)
Range 1,650 km (1,025 mi)
Power Plant two Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, 1,200 hp, engines
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