DC3

[Geoff S]

We were treated to the spectacle of a DC3/C47/Dakota flying slowly over the airfield at Asbnourne this afternoon. It was at about 1500' at a guess (ie quite low) and flying south west.

Geoff

[Cuban8]

Douglas really got it right back in the mid 1930s with the DC3. So advanced for its time and way ahead of anything else, the DC3 still looks modern today and continues in commercial use with Buffalo Airways of Ice Pilots fame.
Anyone remember the impromptu spirited display by the BBMF's Dakota at the Nats a good few years back?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[thomas oliver 1]

​ In 1946, I was attached to 232 Squadron RAF Mauripur, Karachi. servicing Dakotas. I have tried to attach a photo of the line up but can't manage, although it might be viewable in albums. They are standing not on concrete but miles and miles of 6ft wide roofing felting overlapped about 6 in and laid on the sand. The aircraft had to taxi always in a direction to blow the felt down. I was on duty one evening ushering in a visiting kite and the pilot began to ignore my torch signals, and almost ran me down. He got out and proceeded to try to place me on a charge, but the Officer in Charge of the flight and a mere Pilot Officer had witnessed the occasion and told the Pilot - a Wing Commander in no uncertain terms that he was at fault and not I. Later I was stationed at Poona near Bombay, and a visiting Dakota landed and when the steps were installed, out stepped Air Marshall Sir Claud Auchinlech, followed by Field Marshall Montgomery. I had to service the aircraft and when I entered to run it up, I was not surprised at the shear luxury of the interior, as my own regular aircraft was a modified transport Liberator bomber which had been commissioned for Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser - C in C SEAC. It was also fitted out the same with a luxuriuos cabin with bunk bed and desk. These big wigs certainly knew how to treat themselves during the austerity of war..Tom Oliver.

[John Privett]

Tom - your photos are in your album. You can insert them into a post by clicking the 'camera' icon (2nd last in the top row of icons) selecting the album (you probably only have one so far) and then the photo to display.

[Cuban8]

Many years ago a TV programme about the Berlin airlift, featured Jimmy Edwards the comedian and ex-RAF pilot, talking about his adventures during that emergency.
He recalled once taking a Dakota on a sortie and wondered at the time why its handling and performance was below par. It eventually transpired that the aeroplane had been mistakenly overloaded with cargo meant for an Avro York!!

[Peter Miller]

How many of you have heard of the Douglas DC 2 1/2?

It was in CHina in WWII and people were being evacuated because of the advance of the Japanese. All the aircraft had been loaded and gone but there were still some people needing to escape.

In the hangar was a DC3 with a badly damaged wing. There was also a spare wing off a DC2 which had about 10 feet less wingspan.

They fitted the DC-2 wing to the DC-3 and it flew out to safety with one wing 5 feet shorter than the other

[Peter Miller]

Another little anecdote

The RAF bought the Vickers Valetta as their DC -3 replacement

IN Aden we had a squadron of Valettas and the Maintenance Unit that I was on was given the job of scrapping one of these. I know, .I was on the team chopping it up with axes.

The Valetta was replaced by....you've guessed it, an Douglas DC-3

I did have\ a flight in a DC-3, 10 shillings round the Tower at Blackpool

Edited By Peter Miller on 07/04/2018 08:50:57

[Peter Miller]

Oh and another one.

When I was on Master Diversion Flight (Station Flight) at St Mawgan in the late 50s there was an ailine called Skyways that used to fly down with holiday makers fromBlackpool to Newquay at week ends.

The duty crew used to see the aircraft in ad do starte\r cfrew when they left. (Most civilian pilots gave the ground crew a tip, not this lot)

On two occasions that I was doing starter crew the passengers got in, The aircrew got ready to start and one of us said " aren't you going to take the aileron control locks out?"

The co-pilot then had to come down the fuselage, open the door, put the steps down (A ladder) get the control locks and climb all the way back up to the cockpit and in a Dak that is a steep climb.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[J D 8]

In the 90's an oil tanker ran aground on the Pembrokeshire coast spilling much of it's cargo. Some of us Coastguards helped out with turning the pollution control Dakotas around.

Problem was they could not turn around at the refueling point of the local airfield [no reverse on a Dak ] So a number of us would push them back on the UC leg's.

It was a dirty job with oil coming down from above and getting everywhere and plenty more being poured in on top to replace what was lost !

[Geoff S]

Posted by Peter Miller on 07/04/2018 08:36:06:

How many of you have heard of the Douglas DC 2 1/2?

It was in CHina in WWII and people were being evacuated because of the advance of the Japanese. All the aircraft had been loaded and gone but there were still some people needing to escape.

In the hangar was a DC3 with a badly damaged wing. There was also a spare wing off a DC2 which had about 10 feet less wingspan.

They fitted the DC-2 wing to the DC-3 and it flew out to safety with one wing 5 feet shorter than the other

So my wing building bodges don't really matter. If I accidentally make one wing sevral inches shorter than the other it'll be perfectly OK? That's a relief

Your anecdotes are always worth a read, Peter. Thanks.

Geoff

[Kim Taylor]

Posted by thomas oliver 1 on 06/04/2018 21:24:59:

They are standing not on concrete but miles and miles of 6ft wide roofing felting overlapped about 6 in and laid on the sand. The aircraft had to taxi always in a direction to blow the felt down.

From the mid 70's on I worked for a company which manufactured pumps. During the war they designed and manufactured the machinery to create these temporary airfields.

The first was the 'Wobbly Wheel Roller' which was towed along behind a tractor or whatever was to hand and was used to compact the ground. It had a large hopper which was filled with water (or sand I guess) and when full weighed several tons.

The second was called the 'Stamp Licker' which took huge rolls of felt and as it was towed along it spread bitumen on to the overlapping edges of the felt which was supposed to stick them together - obviously this wasn't always effective from Thomas' observations.

Whilst I was working there, we still on occasion had to dig out the drawings for various bits and bobs to be made as spare parts, and I'm sure I remember seeing a brand new Wobbly Wheel Roller in the dispatch area, so I guess that they were still in use then.

Kim

[Stuart C]

I once flew to Paris in one of these. "Passengers in the tail section, please avoid treading between the stringers." Crazy!