Knowra Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a twin-engine propeller airliner introduced in 1935. Its range, capacity, and reliability helped make scheduled passenger service commercially viable and it later served widely as a military transport.
Radial engine : An internal-combustion engine whose cylinders radiate outward from a central crankshaft. The DC-3’s Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines used this configuration.
Douglas DC-2 : A twin-engine Douglas airliner introduced in 1934, preceding the larger DC-3. The DC-3 developed from the DC-2’s successful basic design.
C-47 Skytrain : The United States Army Air Forces’ military transport version of the DC-3. It carried troops, cargo, and paratroopers in large numbers during World War II.
Airline economics : The study of costs, revenues, and competition in commercial air transport. The DC-3 could carry enough passengers to make many scheduled routes profitable.
Pan Am Flight 6 : A 1956 Pan American World Airways flight whose Boeing 377 ditched in the Pacific after an engine failure. Its long-range, pressurized Boeing Stratocruiser illustrates how airliners advanced beyond the DC-3.
Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp : A 14-cylinder, twin-row radial aircraft engine produced by Pratt & Whitney. It powered most DC-3s and contributed to the aircraft’s dependable operation.
Douglas Sleeper Transport : A DC-2 variant designed with sleeping berths for overnight airline travel. American Airlines sought a larger sleeper aircraft, prompting Douglas to develop the DC-3.
Dakota (aircraft) : The British Commonwealth name for military versions of the Douglas DC-3. Dakota aircraft served transport roles across Allied forces.
Air mail : A postal service in which letters and parcels are transported by aircraft. Before the DC-3, U.S. airlines often depended on mail contracts to support passenger service.
D-Day : The Allied amphibious invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. C-47s, the DC-3’s military counterpart, towed gliders and dropped paratroopers during the invasion.
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