Douglas DC-3

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The Douglas DC-3 is a radial piston-powered propliner, and later military cargo aircraft, built by Douglas Aircraft Company with first flight in 1935.

Many DC-3s were impressed into US military service during World War II with more than 10,000 additional military variants built under the designations of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, C-53 Skytrooper, and Douglas R4D (US Navy). British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and South African military variants referred to the C-47 as the "Dakota". The C-47 and C-54 were the primary transport aircraft used by the US in the Berlin Airlift.

Summary

“ The DC-3 is a twin-engine, low-wing, propeller-driven airliner developed and produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company of the United States. The DC-3 (Douglas Commercial 3) is one of the great legends of the history of aviation as it revolutionized the air transport industry by enabling air carriers to operate profitably. The DC-3 took its maiden flight in 1935 and more than 10,000 were eventually produced.

The Golden Age of Flight, the period between World War I and World War II, witnessed the nascent aircraft industry make enormous strides in advancing the performance of aircraft of all types, from military to specialized racers. Commercial aviation represented one of the great prospects during this time of heated development. The problem for commercial aviation at this time was that aircraft carried too few passengers and cargo to be profitable. This changed as a result of the president of American Airlines requesting that Douglas Aircraft create a larger, more luxurious airplane than any that existed at the time. Douglas created the DST, the Douglas Sleeper Transport. First flown on December 17, 1935, the DST comprised fourteen luxury sleeper berths for high-end passengers. The "day" version, called the DC-3, had 21 seats. The DST/DC-3 was an all-metal design and featured retractable landing gear, two sets of instruments, and an autopilot.

The airframe quickly proved to be a great success, with the day version going into high production. For the first time, airlines could operate profitably, and without government subsidies. By 1938, the DC-3 accounted for 95% of all commercial airline traffic; by 1939, 90% of the entire world's commercial air traffic flew on the DC-3. During World War II, the United States and the Allies used a modified version of the DC-3, designated the C-47, extensively. The C-47 participated in all major campaigns of World War II, proving the critical logistical factor in a number of them. In all, 803 commercial versions of the DC-3 and 10,123 military variants took to the sky. Russia built an additional 3,000 under license, designated the airframe the Li-2, and Japan built 500.

The DC-3 measures 64 ft 8 in (19.71 m) in length, stands 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m) tall, and has a wingspan of 95 ft 2 in (29 m). The aircraft is powered by two 1,200 hp (895 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines turning 3-blade Hamilton Standard constant-speed propellers. The DC-3 has a range of 1,495 mi (2,406 km), a service ceiling of 20,800 ft (6,340 m) above sea level, and a climb rate of 1,130 ft (344 m) per minute. It cruises at 207 mph (180 kn; 333 km/h) and has a top speed of 230 mph (200 kn; 370 km/h).

Many aviation historians consider the Douglas DC-3 the most important aircraft ever produced due to its influence on both commercial and military flight. The combination of its consistent performance, long range, and forgiving handling in a wide range of conditions has endeared it as an aviator's favorite. 		”
~ Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) on its hangar description

Simulator availability

Overview

This asset is available in the following simulators.

Sim Icon-Ware-Included.svg  Icon-Ware-Payware.svg  Icon-Ware-Freeware.svg  Anvil icon.svg
XP12 2 2
FGFS2020.3LTS 2
FS2020 2 2
XP11 4 2 2
DCS
P3D 4
XP10 2
FSX 2 6 4
FS2004 2 4

Package listing

The following packages are either included in the base sim or available for purchase/download. Note that the inclusion of packages below is not an endorsement of quality or fitness. Potential buyers are highly encouraged to research payware packages through reviews, videos, or other means before purchasing.

Simulator availability

Overview

This asset is available in the following simulators.

Sim Icon-Ware-Included.svg  Icon-Ware-Payware.svg  Icon-Ware-Freeware.svg  Anvil icon.svg
XP12 2 2
FGFS2020.3LTS 2
FS2020 2 2
XP11 4 2 2
DCS
P3D 4
XP10 2
FSX 2 6 4
FS2004 2 4

Package listing

The following packages are either included in the base sim or available for purchase/download. Note that the inclusion of packages below is not an endorsement of quality or fitness. Potential buyers are highly encouraged to research payware packages through reviews, videos, or other means before purchasing.

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

Included Liveries

The following liveries accompany the included Aeroplane Heaven model at no additional cost.

  • White Paint - Classic

    White Paint - Classic

  • Pure Metal - Classic

    Pure Metal - Classic

  • Blue Stripe - Classic

    Blue Stripe - Classic

  • DC Direct Cargo - Classic

    DC Direct Cargo - Classic

  • Emerald Harbor - Retrofit

    Emerald Harbor - Retrofit

  • Ole Dusty - Classic

    Ole Dusty - Classic

  • Metal - Classic

    Metal - Classic

  • Red Yellow Cargo - Retrofit

    Red Yellow Cargo - Retrofit

  • World Travel - Retrofit

    World Travel - Retrofit

History

Sim Update XI (SU11) (2022-11-11):
  • Added the Douglas DC-3 to the base sim
Sim Airplanes by simulator availability Airplanes by source
XP12: All • Included • Payware • Freeware • In development Included • Third-party
FGFS2020.3LTS: All • Included • Freeware • In development Included • Third-party • Launcher
FS2020: All • Included • Payware • Freeware • In development Included • Third-party • Marketplace
XP11: All • Included • Payware • Freeware • In development Included • Third-party
DCS: All • Included • Payware • Freeware • In development Included • Third-party • Marketplace
P3D: All • Included • Payware • Freeware • In development Included • Third-party
XP10: All • Included • Payware • Freeware Included • Third-party
FSX: All • Included • Payware • Freeware Included • Third-party
FS2004: All • Included • Payware • Freeware Included • Third-party
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