Wikipedia

List of Douglas C-47 Skytrain operators

Further information: Douglas C-47 Skytrain

List of C-47 Skytrain operators includes the country, military service, known squadrons, and related data. The Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. The C-47 has served with over 90 countries outside of the United States:

Royal Air Force Dakota III
Two USAAF C-47A Skytrains over France, 1944
British paratroops inside C-47 Dakota, 1944

Operators

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Current operators

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Douglas Dakota 6859, South African Air Force, 2008

Bolivia

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Colombia

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Colombian Air Force AC-47 Fantasma, 2008

El Salvador

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Guatemala

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Malawi

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Mali

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Mauritania

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South Africa

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Thailand

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Former operators

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Argentine Air Force TA-05

Argentina

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Australia

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Douglas C-47B, ex-RAAF A65-94, 2005

Bangladesh

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Belgium

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Brazil

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Forca Aerea Brasileira Douglas C-47, at Museu Aeroespacial

Cambodia

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Canada

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C-47 RCAF YYF, 1967

Chad

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Czechoslovakia

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Denmark

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Ethiopia

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This 1943 C-47 served as the President of Finland's official airplane in the 1970s, as Finnish Air Force DO-9.

Finland

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  • The Finnish Air Force operated nine from 1960 to 1984. One was involved in the Finnish Air Force's deadliest crash on 3 October 1978, when the aircraft crashed soon after takeoff, killing all 15 aboard.[12]

France

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  • The French Air Force operated Skytrains from September 1944 on, when Lend-Lease C-47Bs were delivered to the Groupe de Transport 1/15. After the war, they were the only transport aircraft in large numbers with the Junkers 52 until the late 1950s.[13]
  • The French Navy used an example in the First Indochina War as a transport aircraft.[14] After some were used as training aircraft by the squadron 56S.[15]
 
Luftwaffe Douglas C-47B Skytrain .

Germany

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The single operational C-47 of the Hellenic Air Force.

Greece

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The Hellenic Air Force's received a total of 78 aircraft, in several batches, with 26 ex-RAF Dakota IVs received from 1947 to 1949, 16 ex-USAAF C-47s in 1947–48, 30 C-47s supplied from the US under the Mutual Assistance Program and six aircraft from Olympic Airways in 1963. They equipped the 355th and 356th Transport Squadrons.[16] These were widely used in the Greek Civil War (1946–49) in transport and bombing roles.[17] The 13th Transport Flight used C-47s in the Korean War,[18] earning a U.S. Presidential Citation.[19] The 356th Squadron converted to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules in 1975, but 26 C-47s remained operational with 355 Squadron at the beginning of the 1980s, with aircraft gradually being phased out over time, with four aircraft remaining operational in 2000 and the last aircraft, a veteran of the Korean War, grounded in 2008.[20]

Haiti

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Honduras

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A Honduran Douglas C-47A-20-DK Skytrain aircraft (FAH 304, c/n 12962, ex-USAF 42-93089) taking off for a joint US/Honduran parachute jump during a mobilization of US exercise "Task Force Dragon/Golden Pheasant" in 1988.

Hungary

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India

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Indonesian Air Force C-47 Dakota 1 in Dirgantara Mandala Museum

Indonesia

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Iran

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The IIAF acquired 22 Douglas C-47 Skytrains in 1949.

Israel

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Douglas DC-3 Dakota of the Israeli Air Force.

Italy

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  • Italian Air Force
    • Operated 19 C-47s and 8 C-53 as staff transports and ECM aircraft into the mid-1980s.[24]

Japan

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Shōwa L2D3, WW2 era
  • On 24 February 1938, a subsidiary of Nakajima (Mitsui) purchased production rights and technical data to the DC-3 for $90,000. The aircraft was extensively redesigned to use Japanese raw materials and the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines were replaced with Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 radial engines. Production initially lagged behind expectations until 1942. Japanese DC-3s were given the Navy designation L2D-2 (L-transport, 2-second Douglas type, D-Douglas, 2-second sub-type). L2D1 was used for imported DC-3s. The Japanese built eight subtypes in two basic configurations, as passenger transport and as cargo planes. In two years Nakajima built 71 L2D-2s before handing production over to Showa, which built 416, including 75 freighters equipped with a large side door.
 
JMSDF R4D-6Q Manazuru

Laos

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Libya

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Morocco

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  • Royal Moroccan Air Force – received a few DC-3s in 1961, handed over by Royal Air Maroc.[27] As of 1962, 10 C-47s were on strength.[28] Four additional aircraft were delivered by the United States around 1964.[29] At least 10 C-47s were still operational as of 1975.[30] However, they have been retired before 1985.[31]

Mozambique

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Netherlands

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New Zealand

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Royal New Zealand Air Force C-47

Niger

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North Yemen

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Norway

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Norwegian Air Force C-47

Pakistan

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  • Pakistan Air Force
    • Received eight C-47 Dakota cargo planes which it used to transport supplies to soldiers fighting in the 1947 War in Kashmir against India.

Papua New Guinea

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Paraguay

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Douglas C-47 Sytrains of Paraguay's Transporte Aero Miltar at Asuncion's P.G. Stoessner Airport

Philippines

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C-47 Skytrain Philippine Air Force

Poland

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  • Polish Air Force operated up to 17 C-47As, known as C-47 Dakota. Several were acquired in 1944–1945 from the USSR, and most bought in 1946 from US stocks. They were used until early 1960, along with Soviet-built Li-2s.[35]
  • LOT Polish Airlines operated nine C-47s, also known as Dakota, bought in 1946 from US stocks and used as passenger airliners (registration numbers SP-LCA to LCI). Several ex-Air Force aircraft were used as well. They were used until 1959, at least three crashed.[36]

Portugal

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Portuguese Air Force C-47A
Section source: Geocities C-47[37]

The first Portuguese Dakota (where it was only known as the Dakota) was interned in 1944 and it remained the sole example in Portuguese service transporting military VIPs until September 1958 when additional Dakotas came from the United States. Portuguese Dakotas were used for a wide variety of roles including one aircraft (6155) used as a bomber during the Portuguese Colonial War, and two converted to spray pesticides. The Dakota was retired in 1976. One (6157) was preserved for the Museu do Ar (Air Museum).

Portuguese Air Force
  • 81 Squadron – Transport mission
  • E.I.C.P.A.C. – Esquadra de Instrução Complementar de Pilotagem de Aviões Pesados (Heavy Transport Training Squadron). Formed at B.A.2 Ota in 1960 with C-47s.
  • E.L.T.S. – Esquadrilha de Ligação de Transporte Sanitário (Sanitary Transport Squadron). Also based at Lisbon, had aircraft equipped for VIP and medical transport.
  • 101 Squadron – Formed at B.A.10 – Beira (Moçambique) on 5 February 1962 with C-47s. Later transferred to Lourenço Marques as Esquadra 801.
Aeronáutica Militar (Army Military Aviation)
  • Esquadrilha Independente de Aviação de Caça-Secção de Transportes Aéreos (Fighter-Air Transport Section of Independent Aviation Squadron)

Romania

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Rhodesia

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Saudi Arabia

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Senegal

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Somalia

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South Africa

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Southern Rhodesia

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South Korea

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Republic of Korea Air Force EC-47Q, KAI Aerospace Museum.

South Yemen

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Soviet Union

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  • Soviet Air Force: The Lisunov Li-2 was a license-built DC-3, produced in Russia. Some 6000 were built between 1939 and 1952.[42] The Soviet Union also operated C-47s supplied under Lend-Lease during World War II.

Sudan

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Sweden

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Swedish Air Force Tp 79 (C-47A)

The Swedish Air Force started using C-47s soon after World War II for transport purposes. A few were converted to SIGINT platforms and eavesdropped on Soviet radio communications and radar stations in the 1950s. One such aircraft was shot down by Soviet fighters in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in 1952 with all of the crew killed.[44]

Turkey

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Uganda

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United Kingdom

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A Douglas Dakota C.III of the Royal Air Force with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on a trip to the Channel Islands in 1945.

United States

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C-47 transport planes, Operation Market Garden, 1944

Venezuela

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C-47, Venezuelan Air Force

Republic of Vietnam

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Yugoslavia

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Yugoslav Air Force C-47
  • SFR Yugoslav Air Force
    • 41 were operated from 1946 until 1976. 20 were received through military aid in 1953–1954. Also operated Li-2 aircraft
  • SUKL (Federal ATC Authority) used 1 aircraft for navid[check spelling] calibration until 1986.
  • Yugoslav Airlines operated around 20 converted military Dakotas bought from Great Britain in 1947.

Zambia

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Zimbabwe

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See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Hoyle Flight International 2021, p. 16
  2. ^ Hoyle Flight International 2021, p. 19
  3. ^ a b Hoyle Flight International 2021, p. 24
  4. ^ Cooper & Grandolini 2018, p. 33
  5. ^ Hoyle Flight International 2021, p. 29
  6. ^ Hoyle Flight International 2021, p. 31
  7. ^ "Douglas DC-3/C-47 en la Fuerza Aérea Argentina" Archived 31 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine Avialatina Retrieved: 10 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Transportes Navales" histarmar.com Retrieved: 20 July 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f ADF Serials list of Australian military DC-2s/DC-3s/C-47s Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 19 June 2010
  10. ^ Cooper, Grandolini & Delalande 2015, p. 34
  11. ^ "FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1961–1963, VOLUME XXI, AFRICA". Office of the Historian.
  12. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-1-DK (DC-3) DO-10 Kuopio Airport (KUO)". aviation-safety.net.
  13. ^ (in French) Jacques Moulin, Le Douglas C-47/DC-3 "Dakota", 25 April 2008
  14. ^ "Dakota". www.netmarine.net.
  15. ^ "Les Dakota d'entraînement de l'Escadrille 56S". 7 June 2017.
  16. ^ Mylonas Air-Britain Aeromilitaria Spring 2016, pp. 6–7
  17. ^ Mylonas Air-Britain Aeromilitaria Spring 2016, pp. 8–13
  18. ^ Mylonas Air-Britain Aeromilitaria Summer 2016, pp. 51, 54–55
  19. ^ Mylonas Air-Britain Aeromilitaria Summer 2016, p. 55
  20. ^ Mylonas Air-Britain Aeromilitaria Autumn 2016, pp. 104–105
  21. ^ Jessup, Stuart (1 July 2013). "DOUGLAS C-47D SKYTRAIN, A-9038, INDONESIAN ARMY". abpic.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  22. ^ Nichols, Brian G (10 January 2011). "DOUGLAS C-47 DAKOTA MK.III, U-605, INDONESIAN NAVY". abpic.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  23. ^ "AC-47 Gunship TNI AU: Pesawat Angkut Berkemampuan Serbu". indomiliter.com (in Indonesian). 12 December 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Italian Air Force Aircraft Types". www.aeroflight.co.uk.
  25. ^ "ダグラスR4D-6/-6Qスカイトレイン『まなづる』". KWAT's homepage.
  26. ^ Cooper, Grandolini & Delalande 2015, p. 8
  27. ^ Cooper & Grandolini 2018, p. 30
  28. ^ Cooper & Grandolini 2018, p. 32
  29. ^ Cooper & Grandolini 2018, p. 40
  30. ^ Cooper, Grandolini & Fontanellaz 2019, p. 20
  31. ^ Cooper, Grandolini & Fontanellaz 2019, p. 62
  32. ^ "SubFleets for: LAM Mozambique". AeroTransport Data Bank. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  33. ^ Delalande, Arnaud (15 March 2018). "Niger's desert warriors". Key Aero.
  34. ^ Cooper 2017, p. 42
  35. ^ Morgała, Andrzej (1976). Polskie samoloty wojskowe 1939–1945. Wydawnictwo MON. Warsaw (in Polish), p. 647-651
  36. ^ Jońca, Adam (1985). Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956, Barwa w lotnictwie polskim no.4, WKiŁ, Warsaw, ISBN 83-206-0529-6 (in Polish), p.8
  37. ^ Portugal Service
  38. ^ a b Dan Antoniu (2014). Illustrated History of Romanian Aeronautics. p. 236. ISBN 978-973-0-17209-6.
  39. ^ Cooper 2017, p. 14
  40. ^ World Air Forces – Countries "World Air Forces Countries". Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link).
  41. ^ Cooper 2017, p. 31
  42. ^ Brouwer, Maarten. "Lisunov Li-2 (NATO: Cab)". Archived from the original on 26 April 2006. Retrieved 5 July 2006.
  43. ^ Cooper et al. 2011, p. 112
  44. ^ Bortom Horisonten : Svensk Flygspaning mot Sovjetunionen 1946–1952 by Andersson, Lennart, Hellström, Leif
  45. ^ Cooper et al. 2011, p. 177
  46. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 133.
  47. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  48. ^ "English: Cockpit of the aircraft DC-3 "N34" – P. Alejandro Díaz – 2005 – N34 is a Douglas DC3 which was operated by the FAA to check navigational radio aids (VOR's and non-directional beacons). It was decided to preserve it for its historical value. The aircraft makes regular rounds at air shows, as a static display. On February 13, 2014, FAA pilots flew N34 from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in Amarillo, Texas where N34 became an indoor exhibit at the Texas Air & Space Museum. This picture taken September, 2005 at Reno – Stead Airport; Sony DSC-F828 & Photoshop Elements". September 2005.
  49. ^ Cooper et al. 2011, p. 199

Bibliography

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  • Cooper, Tom (2017). Hot Skies Over Yemen, Volume 1: Aerial Warfare Over the South Arabian Peninsula, 1962–1994. Solihull, UK: Helion & Company Publishing. ISBN 978-1-912174-23-2.
  • Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert (2018). Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 1: Air Warfare over the Last African Colony, 1945-1975. Warwick, UK: Helion & Company Publishing. ISBN 978-1-912390-35-9.
  • Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert; Delalande, Arnaud (2015). Libyan Air Wars, Part 1: 1973-1985. Helion & Company Publishing. ISBN 978-1-909982-39-0.
  • Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert; Fontanellaz, Adrien (2019). Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 2: Air Warfare Over the Last African Colony, 1975-1991. Warwick, UK: Helion & Company Publishing. ISBN 978-1-912866-29-8.
  • Cooper, Tom; Weinert, Peter; Hinz, Fabian; Lepko, Mark (2011). African MiGs, Volume 2: Madagascar to Zimbabwe. Houston: Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9825539-8-5.
  • Hoyle, Craig (2021). "World Air Forces 2022". Flight International. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  • Jefford, C. G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Mylonas, Ioannis (Spring 2016). "The C-47 Dakota in the Hellenic Air Force – Part 1". Air-Britain Aeromilitaria. Vol. 42, no. 165. pp. 6–13. ISSN 0262-8791.
  • Mylonas, Ioannis (Summer 2016). "The C-47 Dakota in the Hellenic Air Force – Part 2". Air-Britain Aeromilitaria. Vol. 42, no. 166. pp. 51–61. ISSN 0262-8791.
  • Mylonas, Ioannis (Autumn 2016). "The C-47 Dakota in the Hellenic Air Force – Part 3". Air-Britain Aeromilitaria. Vol. 42, no. 167. pp. 100–109. ISSN 0262-8791.

Further reading

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