Who is the chief designer of the ds 3 aircraft? The same “Douglas”. Cargo plane for transportation

The Swedish Air Force Museum is located near the town of Lynköping, 250 km southwest of Stockholm.

The hall with this exhibition is located on the -1st floor, but it is designed as an “underwater” hall. In the center of the hall are raised from the bottom Baltic Sea the remains of the legendary aircraft.

This is the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, an American military transport aircraft developed on the basis of the passenger DC-3. Made its first flight on December 23, 1941, about 10,000 aircraft were built. The Skytrain was widely used by the Allied forces in World War II, and after its end it remained in service for a long time in many countries around the world. Some copies continue to be used at the beginning of the 21st century.

And this is the Swedish DC-3 Hugin (Swedish Air Force s/n 79001) in 1951:

On June 17, 1952, the governments of the USSR and Sweden exchanged harsh notes. In particular, the note from the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that on June 13, at 13.10, two foreign aircraft invaded Soviet airspace in the Ventspils area. The interceptors raised into the air drove them away. Due to the fog, it was not possible to determine their type and nationality. It is unknown whether the deceased DC-3 was among them.

Swedish journalists managed to find out that shortly before the incident, Sweden purchased two DC‑3s from the United States, equipped with the latest photo and radio reconnaissance equipment at that time. According to the son of the DC-3 navigator Gosta Blad, the reconnaissance aircraft should fly in international waters on tacks parallel to the borders of the USSR.

According to former pilot MiG fighter David Lando, DC-3 was shot down by his colleague in the 483rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, Grigory Osinsky. Osinsky's MiG-15, equipped with additional fuel tanks, is suitable for operation in deep neutral waters. Osinsky flew to neutral waters in a few minutes; saw the target; received orders to destroy. There was no talk of identifying or forcing the intruder aircraft to land on USSR territory. The first time Osinsky passed the low-speed DC‑3. Two and a half minutes after completing the maneuver, he opened fire; hit the right engine, the plane caught fire. There was no order to shoot at the fleeing crew.

Osinsky's plane was landed in Riga. The pilot was taken by transport plane to Moscow, from where he returned with the Order of the Red Banner of Battle. According to Lando, the order to shoot down the plane in neutral waters could only have come from Moscow.

In 1992, the Russian Ministry of Defense declassified documents related to the DC-3 case. It has been documented that the Swedish plane was shot down by the deputy squadron commander for political affairs of the 483rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, Captain Grigory Osinsky. The order for destruction was given by the commander of the Baltic air defense region, Colonel Fedor Ivanovich Shinkarenko (the organizer of a top-secret special group of fighters designed to lie in wait and destroy foreign aircraft violating the border).

The DC-3 flight was detected by radar at 12.15 at a distance of 95 kilometers northwest of Vindava, in the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The plane was heading south at an altitude of 7000 m.

At 12.44 it turned around and flew north.

At 12.46 Osinsky took off on a MiG-15 fighter.

At 13.14 he discovered DC-3 at an altitude of 6700 m ahead on the left. After maneuvering from behind on the right at a 2/4 angle, he opened fire from a distance of 800 m. Before opening fire, the DC-3 did not react to the approach of the fighter. The route passed below the scout. Having turned the fighter and without leaving the attack, Osinsky from a distance of 500-600 m opened fire from all points; he could clearly see the path of the shells and the explosions. I left the attack at a distance of 150-200 m to the left; at that moment the left engine of the scout caught fire and the landing gear fell out; the plane turned around and descended to the left; at an altitude of 6000 m, one parachutist separated from the plane.

The plane, completely engulfed in flames, began to descend sharply at an angle of 50 degrees; at an altitude of 4000 m, Osinsky launched another attack on the burning plane; at an altitude of 3800 m, the falling burning plane entered continuous clouds. DC-3 shot down over open sea outside the territory of the USSR, 100-110 km from the border city of Ventspils, at 13.20.

At 13.55 Osinsky, on the orders of Shinkarenko, landed in Riga.

According to the testimony of Hero of the Soviet Union, retired Colonel General F.I. Shinkarenko, a group of operators trained at the school of radio surveillance specialists worked on DC-3. The main task of DC‑3 is to detect the location of USSR air defense radars. The Swedes flew carefully and in a unique way: usually along the border, then crossed the border for a short time, went a little deeper into the territory of the USSR, turned around and “ran away.” Such flights have become commonplace. It is impossible to intercept and land a reconnaissance aircraft at our airfield. But such flights can no longer be allowed. Therefore, while still on the ground, Shinkarenko gave the order to Captain Osinsky to destroy the scout.

After the attack, the fighter escorted the burning DC-3 until it crashed in international waters. The point of impact of the plane was spotted - it turned out to be northeast of the island of Gotland.

According to Shinkarenko, DC-3’s connection with its base was not broken suddenly or by accident. The crew turned it off themselves to ensure secrecy as soon as the plane turned towards the USSR. That's what they did this time too. And after the MiG-15 attack, DC-3 no longer had the opportunity to go on air.

On the same day, USSR Minister of War Vasilevsky sent a report to Stalin: “Today, June 13, at 13:20, 100 kilometers northwest of Vindava, our MiG-15 fighter shot down a foreign twin-engine aircraft under the following circumstances (the essence of the matter is stated, based on Shinkarenko’s report)". And further:

“According to the pilot’s observation, the downed aircraft was an American-made C‑46D Commando type, but the pilot did not see any identification marks.

It is possible that the pilot made a mistake in determining the type of aircraft, since the Swedes are armed with a somewhat similar appearance aircraft "SAAB-90A".

The Swedes organized search and rescue operations exactly in the place where the plane fell, but could not find it.

In the following days of June 1952, the Swedes scrambled two Catalina amphibious aircraft to search for the missing DC-3, one of which violated Soviet airspace and was also shot down. However, his crew is picked up by a German ship, which was passing at that moment in this area of ​​the Baltic Sea:

In March 1993, the Swedish military attempted to find the DC-3 aircraft using an underwater robot. The plane could not be found, but a submarine, presumably Russian, of the “Lioness” or “Bars” type, which approximately sank in May 1917, was discovered near the Swedish island of Gotland.

Interview with Swedish journalist Malcolm Dixelius, who directed a documentary about this plane and participated in the search for remains at the bottom of the Baltic. This interview was recorded in 2004.

Malcolm, was there any point in revisiting this whole story? More than fifty years have passed since the plane crashed?
- There was certainly a meaning. For us Swedes, the DC-3 is the only one shot down in Peaceful time a plane in which people died. So this episode is very important for our history. Over the years, a lot of contradictory information has been mixed into the case of the disappearance of DC-3,
In 1998, a group of like-minded people gathered and set themselves the goal of finally trying to resolve this issue. Understand how it all really happened.

After the Soviet Union officially admitted its guilt, and the Swedish Government declassified the fact that the crew was conducting radio reconnaissance, did the expedition no longer encounter any serious obstacles and problems along the way?
- That's not entirely true. Many materials from this case have still not been classified as secret. And although recognition by the Soviet side took place, and certain aspects of this story became public, there was still a lot of uncertainty. For example, radar surveillance data contradicted the diagram drawn up by the pilot Osinsky and the information provided by Colonel Shinkarenko. And most importantly, almost the entire water area of ​​the possible search zone has already been surveyed several times. And nothing was found, although an 18-meter-long plane is still not a needle in a haystack.

And then the search party took a different route?
- Yes, and that was a mistake. Based on the available data, the group initially made false conclusions, began to look for new search areas and failed again. This lasted for almost four years, after which it was decided to return to the original version, i.e. look where the only item from the DC-3 was once found - a bullet-riddled rubber dinghy. IN in this case We proceeded from the fact that previously the search might not have been conducted very well. We lowered the equipment even closer to the bottom and began to comb the possible square of the fall, moving along the corridors - back and forth. (By the way, during the search work, three submarines were simultaneously found at the bottom - two Soviet, and one from tsarist times).

Well, in June 2003, when it seemed that there were no more chances, luck still smiled at us. The plane lay at a depth of approximately 125 meters, and it was indeed very difficult to identify it. However, when the video cameras were lowered, divers examining the wreckage clearly saw the "three crowns" - the emblem of the Swedish army.

Based on the results of the initial inspection of the aircraft, what facts have you already been able to confirm, or, on the contrary, question?
- Firstly, the nature of the damage clearly indicates that the shooting was to kill, no one was going to land the plane. Secondly, we can now say with confidence that there was no violation of the state border of the USSR. The crew was indeed engaged in reconnaissance, but reconnaissance, let’s say, legal. It is no secret that in most countries, radio interception as a way to monitor neighbors is considered a completely acceptable activity. Another thing is that for many in Sweden, the awareness of this fact contradicted the declared policy of our neutrality. But this is a debatable issue, and it’s not what we’re talking about now.

The main thing is that the plane followed exactly the prescribed route: the location and time of the fall indicate that the DC-3 was strictly in the specified area. This, in particular, is confirmed by one of our finds - the watch of one of the crew members preserved in the plane's body, which stopped at the time 11:28 (13.28 Moscow time - author's note). At this time the plane was in the neutral zone...

Tell us a little about how the process of lifting the plane went.
- It was quite heavy. After a more thorough inspection of the hull by divers, it became clear that there was much more damage to it than it seemed. Therefore, initially we began to lift it in parts (torn-off fragments, wings, individual objects). However, the hull itself was still raised in its entirety - there was a risk of damaging the remains of human skeletons and bones that were inside, and this could seriously complicate the already complex procedure for identifying crew members.

After the airframe was raised in March 2004, work began to lift soil from the bottom surface over an area approximately equal to football field. This work is carried out using a unique technology: pieces of soil approximately 20-30 cm thick are frozen and lifted on board. The first blocks have been lifted, and some interesting things have already been found (in particular, the briefcases of the crew members, several certificates, parachutes, etc.), but the main work will be completed only in August-September.

What sensational things did you find in the archives? In particular, is there now any clarity on the question of who actually gave the command to shoot down the DC-3? As far as I know, some sources reported that such an order was given almost personally by Stalin himself?
- Today we are more or less confident that the decision to shoot down the plane was made by Shinkarenko without permission. At the same time, he had very serious information from the MGB and the GRU and knew that recently there had actually been violations of the USSR border. Including aircraft of the Swedish Air Force, which conducted intensive electronic and aerial reconnaissance.

Naturally, DC-3 class aircraft were not suitable for the role of “intruders” - they were too slow and vulnerable. The main headache for Soviet air defense was caused by the latest generations of Spitfires, which were mainly engaged in photography, but behaved very defiantly. It was very difficult to observe these planes, and almost impossible to catch up with them. At the beginning of May 1952, USSR Aviation Minister Vershinin created a special commission to understand the reasons for the failures of Soviet air defense, after which Shinkarenko was appointed to the post of commander air defense in the Baltics.

Shinkarenko, who had just returned from Korea (where the situation was no less tense), intended to act decisively. He was an experienced pilot,
His personal account included several aircraft shot down in air battles. He chose the DC-3 as the “victim” as an ideal target, and an unarmed one at that.

Having made this choice, Shinkarenko begins to prepare the ground. In particular, in his reports he interprets the DC-3 maneuvers as attempts to cross the state border. It must be said that Shinkarenko at that time was confident in his abilities, since he was on friendly terms with the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force (at one time he was his student). It is very likely that they knew about Shinkarenko’s intentions at the very top, they expected feats and victorious reports from him (and, apparently, prepared for them in advance)

We found the plane late, but we still made it. The crew of the Catalina is still alive, the pilot of the DC-3 is still alive (it was he who was supposed to fly on the 13th, but at the last moment he was suddenly replaced), and several members of the radio interception group who could have been on this plane are still alive. Our film is primarily for them. Children, grandchildren, widows finally found justice. They may no longer think about how it all happened. This burden has now been lifted from them. They are no longer looking - with the rise of the DC-3, the answers to the questions that tormented them have, for the most part, already been received.

Sources were used in preparing the article.

The Douglas DC-3 is a multi-role twin-engine airliner produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company from 1936 to 1942.

Photo ​Douglas DC-3

According to the opinions of the world's leading experts, the Douglas DC-3 aircraft is a truly successful model not only for its time, but also until the 70s of the last century. Due to the reliability of this aircraft, quite acceptable flight characteristics and ease of maintenance, Douglas DC-3 aircraft are partially in use today.

The development of the Douglas DC-3 aircraft was carried out on the basis of the DC-2 model, however, aircraft manufacturers took into account earlier shortcomings and nuances and improved this model as much as possible. Initially, the aircraft were operated during the Second World War as transport and transport-passenger aircraft, however, later they entered service in civil aviation– it is known about 607 aircraft specially produced for civil aviation.

Douglas DC-3 photo

The aircraft's power plant consists of two Wright R-1820 Cyclone piston screw engines (depending on modification), capable of developing a total power of 2200 hp. and fly at speeds up to 333 km/h (cruising flight speed). The reliability of this aircraft was tested by pilots of several generations, and in fact the pilots did not have any complaints regarding control, speed and maneuverability.

Douglas DC-3

Depending on the cabin configuration, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft can accommodate 24 passengers (basic production model), however, these aircraft were actively used for any purpose, including transporting cargo, landing paratroopers, etc.

In addition to the basic production version, the aircraft was produced in several modifications, mainly adapted for specific missions.

The basic production version of the aircraft was named Douglas DST, while during daytime missions passenger flights, the aircraft could accommodate 24 passengers, however, in the case of long-term air travel or air travel at night, the cabin was equipped with special sleeping areas and allowed only 16 people to be accommodated on board.

Photo of Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 version was a more universal model, designed for a constant number of passengers on board - 21 people. This version did not receive any technical innovations.

The Douglas DC-3A model received updated, more efficient and powerful (1200 hp each), Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 piston aircraft engines, allowing it to accelerate to a speed of 350 km/h (cruising speed).

The modification of the Douglas DC-3B began to have more reliable Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines with a power of 1200 hp. every. Among other things, more capacious fuel tanks allowed the aircraft to cover distances of up to 2.5 thousand kilometers.

The Douglas DC-3C was a redesigned military version of this aircraft. Any there were no changes in the flight performance of the aircraft; however, the cabin was converted for civil aviation, which allowed to various airlines world to exploit this model.

The Douglas DC-3D model was a 28 new aircraft produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company from parts and components of military models.

Douglas DC-3 cockpit

Douglas DC-3S is an improved model, equipped with a new modified wing and tail section, which slightly increases the maneuverability and controllability of the aircraft. The model was equipped with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engines with a power of 1300 hp. each, which provided the aircraft with a cruising speed of 370 km/h.

Douglas DC-3\LXD1 - a special version produced in a single copy for the Japanese Navy.

The Douglas C-41A model was produced as a VIP transport for high-ranking persons. The main distinguishing feature of this modification was the high-quality interior, which almost completely absorbed flight noise.

The Douglas C-48 modification was introduced as only one aircraft, and was used for almost 20 years by the American airline United Air Lines as a business class aircraft.

The Douglas C-48A model is an 18-seat passenger aircraft, which is essentially an updated version of the Douglas DC-3A, with the exception of a modified interior, improved aerodynamic shapes and installed electronics.

The Douglas C-48B version was nothing more than a modification of the C-48A model, specifically oriented to the needs of medical aviation.

The Douglas C-48C model had a spacious 21-seat passenger cabin, and at its core the aircraft was actually a military version converted for the needs of civil aviation.

VIP salon Douglas DC-3

The Douglas C-49 series aircraft were modifications based on the Douglas DC-3 and Douglas DST versions, with various cabin layouts.

The Douglas C-50 series of aircraft consisted of redesigned aircraft of the Douglas DC-3 version - the main difference was only the cabin equipment and overall passenger capacity.

The Douglas C-51 model was ordered from an American aircraft manufacturer in a single version specifically for the Canadian air carrier Canada Colonial Airlines.

Douglas C-52 is a modified and redesigned version of the Douglas DC-3A model, with new Pratt & Whitney R-1830 piston aircraft engines installed with increased power.

Douglas DC-3 interior

The Douglas C-68 was a modified, 21-seat version of the Douglas DC-3A. The passenger compartment was equipped with new, more comfortable passenger seats, as well as a number of other minor innovations. Only two aircraft of this version were built.

The Douglas C-84 is a redesigned version of the DC-3B. A distinctive feature of this aircraft was the modified wing shape, as well as more capacious fuel tanks.

The Douglas R4D-2 model was converted into a high-class aircraft and was operated only by Eastern Air Lines for charter flights and business air transportation.

Modifications Douglas R4D-4, Douglas R4D-4R and Douglas R4D-4Q are special versions developed for US Navy aircraft.

The military version of the Douglas DC-3 Dakota II aircraft is a special development for the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. The model is currently out of service.

Among other things, several special versions were created based on the Douglas DC-3 model, which are quite popular all over the world.

• Airtech DC-3\2000– a redesigned version of the DC-3 model? With installed PZL ASz-62IT aircraft engines capable of developing power of 1100 hp. every. Among other things, the aircraft’s avionics were replaced with new, more advanced and modern ones;
• Basler BT-67– an improved version of the Douglas DC-3 aircraft, which received an increased fuselage length, which contributed to greater passenger capacity, as well as new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-67R engines;
• BSAS C-47 TP Turbo Dakota– a special version developed on the basis of the DC-3 model for the South African Air Force, with new installed Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65R turboprop aircraft engines;
• Conroy Turbo Three– modification equipped with Rolls-Royce Dart Mk turboprop engines. 510;
• Conroy Super Turbo Three– a redesigned version of the Conroy Turbo Three model, equipped with more modern engines and avionics;
• Conroy Tri Turbo Three– three-engine modification, equipped with powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65R turboprop engines;
• Greenwich Aircraft Corp Turbo Dakota DC-3– a modification built on the basis of the DC-3 model, with two installed Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR turboprop engines, an extended fuselage, and a modified wing;
• TS-62– special version adapted for Soviet aircraft engines ASh-62IR;
• TS-82– analogue of the TS-62 model, adapted for ASh-82FN engines;
• USAC DC-3 Turbo Express– modification based on the DC-3 version, equipped with a turboprop power plant, including two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R engines;
• Douglas C-47– a version of the DC-3 model intended for use in the US Air Force as a transport or transport-passenger aircraft;
• Showa\Nakajima L2D– military version produced for the Japanese Air Force and Navy;
• Lisunov Li-2- a model produced under license in the USSR.

Technical characteristics of Douglas DC-3.

• Crew: 2 people;
• Passenger capacity: 21 people (Depending on modification);
• Aircraft length: 19.7 m (Depending on modification);
• Wingspan: 29 m (Depending on modification);
• Aircraft height: 5.16 m (Depending on modification);
• Empty weight of the aircraft: 7.65 tons (Depending on modification);
• Payload: 4.35 tons (depending on modification);
• Maximum take-off weight6 12 tons (Depending on modification);
• Cruising speed: 333 km/h. (Depending on modification);
• Maximum flight speed: 370 km/h. (Depending on modification);
• Maximum flight range: 2400 km. (Depending on modification);
• Maximum flight altitude: 7100 m;
• Aircraft engine type: piston (Depending on modification);
• Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-1820 Cyclone (Depending on modification);
• Power: 2 × 1100 hp (Depending on modification).

So, Piper is hiding behind Douglas.

Well, Douglas himself, as we have already found out, was rebuilt from a C-47B and turned into a DC-3. Now a little history. The plane, built in 1945, received serial number 16865, but as a result of duplication of the number, it was changed to 33613. How this could be and what it means, I still don’t understand...

After entering the US Army Air Force on July 7, 1945, he received military numbers 44-77281 and then, apparently due to uselessness, was transferred on February 24, 1946 to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC).
And already on April 11, 1946, it became a civilian aircraft with registration number NC53480 and its new owner was Raymond J. Wilson from Los Angeles, CA.

But after the plane received a new owner on April 18, 1946 in the person of Hancock College of Aeronautics (Santa Clara, CA), on April 29, 1946 it changed its number to NC63288.
And just a few months later, on December 18, 1946, it received a new owner, La Brea Securities (Los Angeles). It was then purchased by the University of Southern California for its College of Aeronautics on February 4, 1947. And in November 1953 it was acquired by Humble Oil & Refining Company (Houston, TX) and on December 5, 1956 it received its current number N97H and the name Gooney Bird. Did they cover their tracks after the new aircraft was withdrawn from the Air Force? :-)))

After a period of stability in the owners, on February 9, 1965, the owner changed again, now it is Butterworth System Inc., of Bayonne, NJ. But on May 25, 1965, Humble Oil bought him back and he returned to Texas. On October 22, 1967, it was purchased by J.W. Harrison and W.H. Wheeler from Tyler, TX, and on May 13, 1974, W.H. Wheeler became the sole owner of the aircraft.

Five years later, on April 3, 1979, B Inc of Dallas, TX became the new owner.
He was still in Texas when, on February 5, 1980, N79H was registered with the Fort Worth Apache Corporation of Euless, TX. AFS Leasing of Bluefield, WV purchased it on December 6, 1983 and the N97H operated flights for "Sentimental Journeys".
On February 1, 1988, it was re-registered to Victory Lap (San Leandro, CA) and just a few days later, on February 10, 1988, the registration changed to Bill Celli Leasing of Lafayette, CA.
The Otis Spunkmeyer Company then purchased him on September 2, 1992, while he was still working on Sentimental Journeys.

Arthur J. Gallagher (Itasca, IL) became the owner on October 4, 1999 and was succeeded by William B. Field of Hayward, CA on January 13, 2000. He was the owner of the Bud Field Vintage Air Museum from Hayward, CA.
On May 17, 2005, it was purchased by Stephen Hiller of Hayward, but N97H was still at home in the Bud Field Aviation hangar.

And now this is a plane from the collection of the Evgeny Barsov Flying Museum. I hope that this will not be the only such unusual specimen!!!

And we are moving inside. This is not a small angle of inclination due to the presence of a tail wheel.

There is a fairly large utility room where necessary and useful things for the aircraft are stored.

There is also a kitchenette, which we still haven’t figured out.

In front of the cockpit on the left there is a large compartment for luggage and other heavy items.

General view of the cabin. I was pleased with the rather laconic design of the cockpit, despite the fact that there is everything here except the autopilot.

Monitors are installed in the top panel to monitor all engine parameters, the temperature of all cylinder heads and exhaust gases.

Convenient steering wheel

Garmin set with 430 and a multifunction panel, there is also an audio panel and a radio station

Co-pilot's instruments

Propeller group control. There is no reverse :-)))

Co-pilot's helm

general view of the 2nd pilot's workplace

kvass

another bigger view

additional space for a flight engineer

view towards the salon

American Ordnung: first aid kit and fire extinguisher

There's still oil in these luggage compartments

view of the salon from the cockpit

in the front part of the cabin there are two such sofas

by the way, they unfold

next to the right are these headquarters places with a map of the USA, the map now needs to be changed

Front part of the cabin

During the flight from the USA, we took dry food with us, but didn’t eat it. There are life rafts behind him

There is also a spacious toilet, albeit with a dry closet, but that’s okay too

and I’m right there. They didn’t allow us to check the dry toilet, for emergencies only

The washbasin is still bad and I don’t know if it can be fitted here, but there is a sink

The chairs are very comfortable and all recline to a reclining position.

and this is us in the utility compartment in the rear, behind the toilet

boxes with supplies for aircraft maintenance

General view of the salon

Exit, there is a Lama helicopter on the street

The cabin again, under the red cover there are fire hydrants

Photo 45.

switches for tank groups and trimmer?

cabin view from below

power supply monitoring devices

The top handle of the flaps, just below the landing gear, and I don’t know even lower

Brake fluid level indicator. By the way, it says here that on October 22, 1948 it was converted to DC-3 and therefore received a second serial number!!!

circuit breakers

airplane sign

some other equipment on the starboard side behind the pilots

This is such a comfortable chair, it’s very good that it’s not leather...

Well, where would we be without glasses? :-))

Reviewing documents

Door ladder, no more than one person on it at a time

And again we get off the plane and inspect it

General view from under the left wing

They immediately made the appropriate inscription

I still don't understand what this means?

Tail

Photo 68.

The engines here are P&W R-1830-75, it seems to have 1350 hp

The main racks, make no mistake, they are very large

Cleaning niche for the main pillars, no visible oil leaks, like new

Photo 72.

The lower part, here we drain the sediment

Engine with oil pan so as not to spoil the asphalt

General front view

larger

So we had a question: why is there a light bulb in front of the light bulb?

Engine plates, one was replaced on the way from the USA, but sat down due to problems with the engine in Canada and the problematic engine was replaced there.

Another hard to read sign. This is the kind of goose that lives in Stupino. Hurry up to see before you run away to Surgut :-)))

LTH:
Modification DC-3E
Wingspan, m 28.96
Length, m 19.57
Height, m ​​5.16
Wing area, m2 91.69
Weight, kg
empty plane 7697
normal takeoff 12700
Engine type 2 PD Pratt Whitney R-1830-93 Twin Wasp
Power, hp 2 x 1200
Maximum speed, km/h 369
Cruising speed, km/h 293
Practical range, km 2414
Maximum rate of climb, m/min 345
Practical ceiling, m 7071
Crew 2-3
Payload: normal - 21 passengers, maximum - 28 passengers

Another idiot's dream came true - yesterday I flew a Douglas DC-3. More precisely, the plane I flew on was a Douglas C-41A - a military VIP version specially manufactured in one copy, in 1939, for the Air Force. It was originally built in a DST - "Douglas Sleeper Transport" configuration - with four berths in the nose and a cabin in the rear. During the war, it was used as a personal aircraft by the commander of American aviation, General Arnold. In December 1945, he was decommissioned, and unlike most of his brothers, he did not end up in some Africa or South America, and in 1953 it was converted into the prototype of modern business jets. The berths were removed from the plane and a luxurious (as seen in 1953) interior was made. With it (updated several times) he flies to this day. It was originally sold to the Standard Oil Company, and after that it changed hands every couple of years, working mostly for different oil companies. At the end of the 80s, he fell into the museum rotation and changed several museums. A couple of years ago it was completely overhauled and restored to flying condition. On this moment the plane flew only 10,000 hours, which is a very small figure for the DC-3 (there are planes that flew 90,000 hours), and in terms of flight time it is one of the youngest DC-3s in the air. These days, the plane is owned by a company called Golden Age Air Tours and operates for hobbyists. air history on west coast USA.

I've been wanting to fly a DC-3 for a very long time (I even thought about flying to Canada and flying on Buffalo Airways, which until recently used the DC-3 for passenger transportation, but it turned out to be very difficult and expensive) and when he flew in our area this weekend, I couldn’t miss this opportunity. The flight cost was $299 for 45 minutes. The plane took off from the local airport in Napa and flew to San Francisco, circling over the bay. For me, accustomed to commercial flights, it was very unusual that they were allowed to stand up right after takeoff, go into the cockpit and use the phone to make calls from the plane :). In 2016, I was driving a Ford Trimotor built in 1929 and it was very interesting for me to compare how much progress has been made in aviation over 10 years. I want to say that the progress was very strong - if the sensations from flying on the Traimotor were like on the An-2, then flying on the DC-3 is quite comparable to flying on the An-24. The plane did not shake or rattle despite the low altitude, and engine noise was relatively low (although this may be a result of the "VIP" version). Overall I really liked it.

By the way, next year this aircraft, along with about 30 other DC-3/C-47s, will participate in events marking the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings - Daks over Normandy.

Photos are clickable. And for modellers, a detailed roll of it can be viewed at svsm.org.

1. I think that among non-military aircraft, the DC-3 is one of the most beautiful aircraft of its time

2. Closer nose

3. Polished aluminum

4.

5. The plane has more powerful engines than the standard DC-3 - P&W 1830-94 with 1350 hp, versus P&W 1830-90 with 1200 hp.

6. History of the aircraft

7. Tail

8. At non-commercial American airports you can go directly onto the platform and walk along it

9. Napa is one of the main tourist regions of northern California, and one of the most expensive, so the line of business jets at the local airport is not surprising.

10. Cockpit. The warm lamp quality is slightly spoiled by the displays in the middle. I don’t know if this is necessary or if the owners just decided it was better this way.

11. PIC place

12. Salon. It was made like this in 1953, and you can see a lot of retro details in it.

13. Mobile phone

14. Course, altitude (feet) and speed (knots)

15. No smoking and fasten your seat belts

16. "Air conditioner" and individual light bulb

17. Kitchen

18.Dataplate

19. This is what its interior looked like in 1940.

20. Taxiing for takeoff

21. Sea of ​​rivets

22. Pilots. These historic aircraft are typically flown by commercial pilots in their spare time.

23. San Quentin maximum security prison. When it was built, it was on the outskirts of everything, but now it is surrounded by the most expensive real estate in our area :).

24. San Rafael Bridge through the open cockpit window. Surprisingly, it was not cold at all, despite the fact that it was warm outside, but not hot.

25. A great rarity in our area, since 20 years ago they showed all the military bases, a warship. This is the tanker USNS Yukon (T-AO-202).

26. Was accompanied by two tugs.

27. It is very strange that he had crew cars on his deck. This is what aircraft carriers do when they permanently change their location, but I don’t think I’ve heard anything similar about the Yukon. Judging by Marine Traffic, he is now parked in the former .

28. Bridge, Yukon and oil terminal in the distance.

29. Homes of local rich people cost from $5 to $10 million.

30. San Francisco in a Haze

31. Angel Island - at the top you can see a concreted area with three rusty rectangles - this is the former position of the Nike Hercules air defense system. The rusty rectangles are the lids of underground missile storage facilities. One such position was converted into a nearby

32. San Francisco

33. Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Point, built in the 1860s, can be seen under the arch. I'm talking about him too.

34. Alcatraz. I never wrote about it, because I’ve never been :).

35. Museum ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien, the stern of the museum submarine USS Pampanito is visible in front of it

36. San Francisco. In the distance you can see the former Hunters Point naval shipyard with a huge truss crane. At the time of its construction in 1947, it was the largest in the world and could lift 630 tons. The shipyard was closed in the 70s, but the military trashed its entire territory so much (there they removed radioactive paint from ships coming from atomic tests and buried it right on the spot) that they still cannot clean it up, which is why it is still empty.

37. Vessels queuing for unloading/loading at the port of Okledno.

38. Bulk Treasure Island. It was built in 1936-37 for the world exhibition in 1939. In the background is the Port of Oakland and the former Alameda naval base where Mythbusters was filmed and where the aircraft carrier USS Hornet Museum now stands

39. Golden Gate

40. Abandoned barracks on Angel Island.

41. Oil terminals. Uv. gruppman Obviously he can tell something interesting about them :).

42. Landing

43. The plane flew low and collected a whole generation of bugs on the windshield

44. Immediately after landing, the mechanic starts wiping something

45. Meanwhile, the airport lives its own life - oil workers flew from Arkansas on a Dassault Falcon 2000EX to drink wine.

46. ​​That's all, I hope it was interesting.

Eric Tegler

On a spring morning in 1966, North Central Airlines Flight 787 took off from Appley Field in Omaha, Nebraska, en route to Grand Forks, North Dakota, with seven stops. On its first leg to Norfolk, Nebraska, the plane flew at 155 mph.

Everything was business as usual until a sudden retaliatory strike struck Captain Al Bergum and co-pilot Tom Truax. Black smoke and flames pour from the left engine nacelle. As Bergum rushed to turn off the engine and turn on the propeller, the crew turned on the one-shot fire extinguisher. However, the fire burned. Fifteen miles from Norfolk Airport, Burgum and Truax were faced with the difficult decision of trying to make it to the runway or landing in a farmer's field with 26 passengers and three crew members on board.

The captain decided to land the plane in a patch of alfalfa. Fortunately, it was an aircraft designed for this very situation. A commercial aviation icon, war hero, and aerial workhorse, the Douglas DC-3.

Hatching of the "Gooney Bird"

Getty ImagesBettmann

There are thousands of stories about the DC-3. From “Gooney Bird” and “Dumbo” to “Spooky” and “Puff The Magic Dragon,” at least two dozen aliases attest to his versatility and durability. More than 16,000 DC-3s and military versions of the C-47 were built in more than 50 variants. More than 300 are still flying.

The DC-3 originated in the still nascent commercial airline industry, and air travel was much riskier and more difficult before the DC-3 came along. The airline's first American flight was a 23-minute journey across Tampa Bay in 1914, when one passenger joined the pilot on Benoit's noisy, windy, open-cockpit flying boat. By the 1920s, the Ford Trimotor reliably carried 13 passengers from coast to coast, but its limited range (570 miles), slow cruising speed (100 mph), and modest instrumentation meant the trip took 48 hours (though not all of it was on board). Trimotor). Compared to these early flights, the DC-3 was a quantum leap forward.

Douglas Aircraft Company built the "Douglas Commercial 3" based on the 1933/34 Douglas DC-1 and DC-2. Around the same time, American Airlines CEO S.R. Smith convinced Donald Douglas to develop a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 for long-distance flights. With a cabin two feet wider than the DC-2, it accommodated 14 to 16 berths or 21 passenger seats.

Getty ImagesThe Washington Post

The new airliner first flew on December 17, 1935, and its expanded dimensions perfectly balanced workload and revenue. Transcontinental trips from Los Angeles to New York can be made in about 15 hours, or 17 hours in the other direction. According to Flying Magazine, the DC-3 combines reliability with performance characteristics and comfort like no other aircraft, revolutionizing air travel and finally making airlines profitable. Airlines such as TWA, Delta, American and United have ordered entire fleets of the DC-3, making the aircraft the choice for long-haul travel.

Then the war began.

Become a world war legend

Getty ImagesKeystone-France

At the outbreak of World War II, the last civilian DC-3s were built in early 1943. Most were drafted into military service, and the C-47 (or Navy R4D) began rolling out of the company's Long Beach plant in droves. It differed from the DC-3 in many ways, including the addition of a cargo door and reinforced floor, a shortened tail cone for tow shackles, and attachments. In 1944, the Army Air Corps converted the DC-3 into a glider (XCG-17), and it greatly outperformed the gliders towed by the C-47 on D-Day. The C-47 served in every theater.

A large number of The C-47 was released for use after the war, but airlines quickly adopted the larger, faster DC-4 and DC-6 for primary routes. Small regional airlines such as North Central eagerly purchased DC-3s sold major airlines, while surplus C-47s became an armada of cargo cargo transports, cementing the aircraft's reputation as capable of hauling just about anything you could fit through the door. Douglas made the longer, more powerful and faster DC-3S or "Super DC-3" in the late 1940s, meeting with little success in airline sales, although the Navy and Marines adopted it as the R4D-8/C -117D.

Charly Triballeau/AFP

But in fact, the basic DC-3/C-47 configuration was so good that it didn't require special improvements. Its two 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engines produce 1,200 hp. each, providing enough thrust to lift more than 20 passengers and more than 6,000 pounds of luggage or cargo. Cruising at speeds of 160 to 180 mph, the DC-3 can fly about 1,600 miles, land in less than 3,000 feet and take off again in less than 1,000 feet. Its low handling speed and durability have made it an ideal aircraft for a variety of jobs, including military special operations.

This included a return to war. In response to increased Viet Cong attacks on rural South Vietnamese outposts in Vietnam in 1963, American air commandos began assisting the defense of small villages at night, using their C-47 transport aircraft to fly in circles and drop flares, exposing the attacking defending troops. The practice inspired the idea of ​​equipping the C-47 with firepower and eventually an Air Force effort called Project Gunship I.

Getty ImagesUniversalImagesGroup

The Air Force has modified several C-47 aircraft by installing three General Electric 7.62 mm mini-cannons to fire through two openings in the rear window and the side cargo door, all on the left side of the aircraft. The sight was installed in the window of the left cockpit. Orbiting a target at 3,000 feet and 140 miles per hour, the modified AC-47 could place a bullet in every square yard of a football field-sized target in three seconds.

Another C-47, used in Vietnam as a leaflet-dropping, speaker-equipped psychological warfare aircraft, was informally dubbed the "bullshit bomber."

Capt. Ron W. Terry, an Air Force counterinsurgency expert, led the team from the 4th Air Commando Squadron that flew the first AC-47 missions in December 1964. They were the first of many during the period from late 1964 to early 1969, during which more than 6,000 villages and fire bases came under the protective cover of AC-47. No one fell while the plane was overhead. Terry returned to the States in 1965, bringing with him information that would lead to the development of the AC-130 Hercules.

Cargo plane for transportation

US Air Force

By the early 1960s, turboprop airliners such as the Convair 580 had surpassed the efficiency of the DC-3s as a regional airliner. They can operate on the same short runways as the DC-3 with similar fuel consumption, but with greater range, speed and the added comfort of a pressurized cabin. In an era when Americans were flying into space, paying an airline to fly a DC-3 seemed increasingly quaint.

Despite disappearing from all but a few airlines, DC-3s were still ubiquitous in the 1970s and '80s, often seen on airport ramps next to 747s and DC-10s operating as freighters and freight forwarders. . They fought forest fires as air tankers, delivered oversized cargo to metropolitan markets and were the aircraft of choice for drug cartels. However, one of the most famous cargo missions for the C-47 was supplying food to the city of Berlin during the Berlin Airlift, along with other aircraft such as the C-54 Skymaster and C-74 Globemaster.

The DC-3 remained in military service until 2008 - 72 years old - until the Air Force's 6th Special Operations Squadron finally retired its Gooney turbogenerator. Other DC-3s continue to fly on missions as test beds for sensor development for the military and as freighters with companies such as Canada's Buffalo Airways.

US Air Force/David Dixon

Almost 100 countries have operated the DC-3 and have long forgotten planes, including a crashed C-47 discovered in northern Siberia this spring. In addition to airliners and cargo vehicles DC-3/C-47s have flown as VIP and executive transports, electronic intelligence gatherers, float planes, ambulances, Antarctic research aircraft and warships, to name a few.

Maybe, The best way to label the DC-3 is simply to call it a legend. People are still eager to fly to airshows, and in remote areas the arrival of Guni means help and support. It's simple, durable and surprisingly relevant to this day.

One story, thousands more

Getty ImagesFrederic Lewis

On that spring morning in 1966, Captain Bergum probably knew legendary history of his wounded plane as it limped across the Nebraskan sky. As he began his descent, to reduce the chances of wheel spin during a single-engine landing, Bergum continued to raise the landing gear. When fully retracted, the DC-3's wheels still protruded from underneath the aircraft, providing a soft buffer when emergency landing. Just before the field, he closed the throttle on the remaining engine.

By combing and then plowing the green alfalfa, the DC-3 was softened by the dense vegetation. As it calmed down, both propellers struck the ground and the tail wheel made light contact as the plane slid to a quick, straight stop.

The crew and passengers emerged unharmed by the sound of an approaching tractor and John Deere station wagon. Farmer David Dick saw the DC-3 strain to land from his kitchen. He invited the passengers to return to the farm for coffee and cookies. Bergum and Truax secured the plane and assessed the damage. Apart from the need for new engines and props, the DC-3 was largely unscathed. Transport to Norfolk Airport was quickly arranged and, surprisingly, all passengers decided to resume flying on another north-central DC-3.

A few days later, a farmer cut a swath across his field and another crew hopped on a plane, flying from the alfalfa to a nearby airport, and a couple of weeks later it was back on duty.