Douglas C-47 Skytrain (Dakota), Military Transport Aircraft (Le Bourget)

In hangar no.5 of Le Bourget museum, dedicated to the airplanes of World war II, the leading place is occupied by the most famous non-combat aircraft in the history of aviation. Douglas DC-3 aircraft, which gave rise to mass passenger air transportation, made its first flight on December 17, 1935, its military version called C-47 Skytrain went into series in early 1942. Unlike the civil DC-3, the aircraft had a wide loading door and reinforced floor for heavy loads. The plane took on board 21 soldiers with full equipment or 2700 kg cargo.

"Douglas" worked on all fronts, their simplicity, versatility and endurance allowed to provide support to troops in the most remote places. History knows the fact that transportation on the C-47 75 people (during the evacuation of the pilots of Colonel Doolittle from China after bombing Tokyo in 1942). For C-47 there is even a victory in air combat-dodging the attack of a Japanese fighter Mitsubishi Zero American pilot pressed the plane to the ground so low that the Japanese, making a mistake, crashed into the ground. The name "Dakota" aircraft received in the Royal British air force. After world war II, General Eisenhower declared that the C-47 was one of the four weapons that allowed the United States to win. This is a "Douglas" transport aircraft, a versatile off-road car called a "Jeep", a "Bazooka" hand-held rocket launcher, and an atomic bomb. In the United States was built 10047 units, and about three thousand were released domestically, including the 2000 in the USSR, where the aircraft received the name Li-2. "Dakota" has found a very wide application after the war. A significant part of them was purchased by civilian airlines and converted into passenger transport vehicles are still used by the armies of Colombia, Greece, El Salvador and South Africa.

Douglas C-47A has a wingspan of 29.11 m and a length of 19.43 m, take-off weight 14060kg. 2 Pratt &Whitney R-1830-92 engines with a power of 1200 HP each provide flight at a speed of 370 km/h and a practical ceiling of 7315 m. the flight Range in the standard version of 2575 km, but with additional tanks the aircraft carried out transportation from the USA to the Pacific theater of war.

In the museum presents C-47A of 436 transport aircraft group, 81 squadrons.

The aircraft began service in Europe on March 25, 1944, the crew under the command of Lieutenant Dwayne Smith gave it the name "Buzz Buggy".

In "Day D", June 6, 1944 Buzz Buggy among 950 such aircraft delivered from the airports of Britain to the continent 15 thousand British and American paratroopers.

You can look inside the "Douglas", and sit in the cockpit, but it is not available to the owners of the usual free ticket. In order to be able to see the inside of the exhibits (Concord, Boeing-747), you need to buy a ticket for 9 euros.