Warbird Information Exchange

I don't think many DC-3s were actually taken away from the airlines and given to the Air Corps. I'll wager not many because when Plan A was activated all airline routes became military wartime routes and the airlines continued to run but under military control. They went on a 12 hour workday and flew around the clock. All the DC-3s flying with the airlines were hardpressed to meet the workload so pulling aircraft would have been counterproductive to the war effort.

So I think that again, the driving factor for the restoration would have to be, what was its job during the war? Was it originally built as a DC-3 or a C-47.

That being said, there is a C-41A that is out there, I had the priviledge of flying it just a little bit. It is restored as a period airliner but it is the only C-41A ever designated as such. It was assigned to Boling Field during the war, it was bought by the Air Corps right off of the Douglas line and it was fitted with airline type interior. It's history shows that it was used as Hap Arnold's transport during the war. There are pictures of a DC-3 in OD paint with Churchill and Roosevelt on the stairdoor. Is it this aircraft ? No one has been able to verify it. If it is, then this aircraft may very well be the first aircraft to carry a sitting President. It would predate the Sacred Cow by several years.

All of that being said, would I change it ? I would have an awfully hard time, she's polished and she's beautiful, I'd hate to see her painted OD. The interior is correct for her original purpose as a VIP transport.

I guess that really boils down to one thing, it's like the man said; " when you get your own Spitfire you can paint it any color you like "!

Not too far off topic (to the previous post)...

A Pan Am Clipper carrying FDR to the Casablanca Conference is still acknowledged as the first aircraft to carry a USA President while in office, IIRC. There is a famous picture showing FDR and his birthday cake while in flight to the Conference.

Again, IIRC and I can't find my notes at this moment, FDR transferred to a C54 for the final leg of the flight.

That's true John, but these pictures were taken BEFORE we entered WWII when Churchill spent about a month living at the White House while they were working out Lend Lease. As I said, it bears a little more research. Wouldn't be the first time that history was found to be manipulated by the people of the day. It could be that they flew domestically but it might have been hushed up at the time because of the circumstances of Churchill's reason for being in country. We were supposed to be neutral.

I flew the 2 DC-3's that courtesy has up for sale. In fact I flew 1944M into Rockford. The previous owners (Era Aviation)spent hundreds of thousands of dollars maybe as muchas 1 million on these aircraft to make them suitable for Part 121 Scheduled airline service (same maintence required for example as Delta or United Airlines). With interiors as nice as they are for airline flying I could not gut them out to make them C-47s or make them cargo birds. Not to mention these two aircraft flew the last scheduled air service flights in US history. (I know there are other operators that still fly Part 135, but they operate unsheduled flights.) That alone almost makes them worth keeping as they are.

Unfortunately the events of 9/11 required Era to install a cockpit bulletproof door in both DC-3s to continue to operate them as under Part 121.
The can still be operated under Part 135 though.

I would consider repainting the outside of the aircraft in WWII markings, but then again I love the polished alimunim look of 1944M.

I agree with you Otter. I too had the chance to fly the one that came from Houston. They are beatiful aircraft and it would be a shame to gut them out and make them into stripped C-47s.

Agreed.

Here’s a twist, though. Up until around ten years ago the FAA and Piedmont Airlines (later USAir) took their DC-3s to shows for just crew accommodations. In this period, it was not unusual for an operator who had theirs in military colors to be told by a show they weren’t needed because they already had a type for “free”.

The FAA took their 3 out of retirement a couple of years ago, but I’m not sure how aggressive their show schedule is these days.

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