c-47 question
06-21-2003, 09:27 PM
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c-47 question
Quick quuestion. what is the difference between the DC-3 and the C-47 besides the fact that one is military and the other civilian. My flight instructor and I had this discussion. thanks
06-21-2003, 11:04 PM
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Fliptunes:
No difference, really. The military versions had large cargo doors, while most built for civil service did not.
A production option was a choice of engines. Why, I don't know, but again, most civil users bought Wright engines, the military most often chose Pratt and Whitney power. The Wright engines were single row and the Pratts were two bank engines, so they can be easily told apart by the distance of the cowl flaps from the front of the nacelles. The Pratts being further back, of course.
Don't know which side you had in the argument, but I bope this helps.
Bill.
No difference, really. The military versions had large cargo doors, while most built for civil service did not.
A production option was a choice of engines. Why, I don't know, but again, most civil users bought Wright engines, the military most often chose Pratt and Whitney power. The Wright engines were single row and the Pratts were two bank engines, so they can be easily told apart by the distance of the cowl flaps from the front of the nacelles. The Pratts being further back, of course.
Don't know which side you had in the argument, but I bope this helps.
Bill.
06-21-2003, 11:49 PM
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Thanks for the info. The converstation was mainly about if there was a differenece and if so what it was. so you answered our question. Thanks again.
06-22-2003, 12:33 AM
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Fliptunes:
Looking back I see I didn't really make it clear.
A C-47 could have either engine choice, and either a cargo door or just a passenger door.
A DC-3 could have either engine choice, and either a cargo door or just a passenger door.
Just depends on whether the US Army bought it, C-47, or it was a civilian sale, DC-3. No other difference in the basic plane.
And there were two other common variants.
Can't forget the US Navy and the Marine corps. If one of them bought the plane it was neither a C-47 nor a DC-3, it was an R4D.
And if the customer was the British it was just a "Dakota."
And they were all the same airplane.
Bill.
Looking back I see I didn't really make it clear.
A C-47 could have either engine choice, and either a cargo door or just a passenger door.
A DC-3 could have either engine choice, and either a cargo door or just a passenger door.
Just depends on whether the US Army bought it, C-47, or it was a civilian sale, DC-3. No other difference in the basic plane.
And there were two other common variants.
Can't forget the US Navy and the Marine corps. If one of them bought the plane it was neither a C-47 nor a DC-3, it was an R4D.
And if the customer was the British it was just a "Dakota."
And they were all the same airplane.
Bill.
06-23-2003, 07:19 PM
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The C-47 also had an observation dome on top, used for navigation, located just behind the cockpit. Also one less window on the port side, because of the larger doors.
06-23-2003, 07:27 PM
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c-47 question
Actually, all C-47s were made with the three piece cargo door, but because we could not produce them fast enough at the beginning of the war, many DC-3s were "impressed" into military use, "on loan" from the airlines. So an early C-47 might have a small door.
