Douglas DC3 Dakota
Highlights
Overview
Visitors to the West Wyalong Lions Park can get an up-close look at a recently refurbished Douglas DC3 Dakota C47A. A commemorative plaque details the history of this plane, which is parked in the New South Wales town along the Newell Highway.
The Douglas DC3 Dakota, located at the junction of the Newell and Mid Western Highways in Lions Park, was built in 1943 in Oklahoma City and donated to the West Wyalong Lions Club.
The 'DC' in DC-3 stands for 'Douglas Commercial'. Production of civil DC-3s ended in 1942, but military versions continued until the end of World War II in 1945. The DC3 is the world's most successful commercial aircraft, with 10,928 units built.
The Bland Shire Council received state funding to restore the DC3/C47 to its former glory. Originally designed in America in 1935 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for American Airlines, the DC-3 first flew in December 1935. It could carry around 20 passengers at approximately 300 km/h for about 1600 km (or 1000 miles). The military version of the DC-3 is known as the C-47 Skytrain (US Army Air Force) or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF), and was also nicknamed the Gooney Bird.
The RAAF used 124 Dakotas. In commercial service, ANA/ANSETT-ANA operated 70, East-West Airlines operated 7, QANTAS operated 20 (owning 8), and TAA operated 23 DC-3s.