DOUGLAS DC-3 / C-47 / R4D-6S
BEFORE THE U.S. ENTERED WORLD WAR II, THE CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT KNOWN AS THE DC-3 HAD ALREADY FLOWN OVER 300 MILLION MILES IN DOMESTIC SERVICE. THE DC-3 WAS THE ONLY TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT BEING MANUFACTURED IN LARGE QUANTITIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR. THE POPULAR DC-3 WAS DESIGNATED AS THE C-47 BY THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES. IT WAS THE MOST USED ALLIED TRANSPORT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. AROUND THE WORLD, THE C-47 SERVED BY TRANSPORTING FOOD, FUEL, AMMUNITION, VEHICLES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES; EVACUATING WOUNDED; DROPPING PARATROOPERS; AND TOWING MORE GLIDERS THAN ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT. TIME AND AGAIN, IT PROVED ITSELF TO BE SAFE AND RELIABLE.

THIS AIRCRAFT, S/N-17278, STARTED OUT AS A C-47B ORDERED ON A USAAF 1942 WARTIME PROCUREMENT CONTRACT AT THE DOUGLAS OKLAHOMA CITY PLANT. IT WAS ONE OF 148 U.S. C-47B’S THAT WERE DIVERTED TO THE U.S. NAVY AND REDESIGNATED AS A R4D-6S. THE “S” SUFFIX IDENTIFIED THAT IT WAS OUTFITTED AS A SUBMARINE SEARCH AIRCRAFT. IT FLEW ALONG THE EASTERN U.S. SEABOARD. AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN COURTESY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS, QUANTICO, VIRGINIA.

THIS EXHIBIT WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT FROM: NATIONAL WWII GLIDER PILOTS ASSOCIATION, INC., TEXAS AVIATION HERITAGE FOUNDATION, INC., SILENT WINGS MUSEUM FOUNDATION, INC., LUBBOCK AERO, CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS