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Douglas DC3 Dakota

The Dakota

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remains in front line service with various military operators to the present day.

The C-47 differed from the civilian DC-3 in numerous modifications, including being fitted with a cargo door and strengthened floor, along with a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles, and an astrodome in the cabin roof.[3][4]

During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. The U.S. Naval designation was R4D. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

History adapted from Wikipedia.

Yorkshire Air Museum

The Yorkshire Air Museum is open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day and is the largest independent air museum in Britain and is also the location of The Allied Air Forces Memorial. It is a Registered Charity and nationally accredited museum (No.66). Situated in a 22 acre parkland site on the former World War II RAF Bomber Command Station at Elvington near the City of York, the Museum/Memorial is located on the largest and most original WWII station open to the public. It was also the only base used by the French heavy bomber squadrons during the war and today includes award winning gardens, a large NAAFI style restaurant and shop, 15 top class exhibitions and over 60 historic aircraft and vehicles, many of which are in working order. In 2011 & 2013 it was voted the top Specialist Attraction in Britain. Our President is Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton and our Vice Presidents include Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford RAF, Chief of the Air Staff, General Denis Mercier Chief of the French Air Force, General Jean-Paul Paloméros Supreme Allied Commander NATO and His Grace Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York.

Test shamelessly stolen from the Museum's website. Go look.

KN353

The Museum’s Dakota IV was manufactured in Oklahoma City, USA, as a C-47B and entered RAF service at RAF Montreal as KN353 in February 1945. In March 1945, it was transferred to 300 Wing in Australia and from May until December 1946 it served in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) with the ACSEA Communications Unit. From then until October 1947, when it was returned to the UK at 12 MU Kirkbride, it was in the Far East. During transit back to the UK, on final approach at Castel Benito in Libya, the Dakota suffered double engine failure due to a bird strike. The pilot, Flying Officer Alan Thame, landed the aircraft safely in spite of having no engine power and limited vision due to bird remains on the cockpit windows.

In February 1953, the aircraft was bought by Transair Ltd and registered as G-AMYJ. While on a troop-carrying charter with the RAF in 1954 it carried the designation XF747. Subsequently, the Dakota was flown by many small operators, including a spell in Egypt with Nile Delta Services as SU-AZF, until it was bought by Air Atlantique at Coventry Airport for Pollution Control work in the early 1980s. The aircraft was donated to the museum by Air Atlantique in December 2001 and is being restored in the appropriate RAF colour scheme.