Service History of 42-23668
Delivered: May, 1943
- 1943 – 362nd ABS (TCC) AAF in Stout and Baer
- 1944 – 4148th AFB (ATSC) Orlando, FL, 902ND AFB TACTICAL Orlando, FL.,
- 812TH AFB (TCC) Pope, NC
- 4148th AFB (ATSC) Bedford deployed to 9th AF Europe. 4160th AFB (AMC) Patterson, OH
- 1946 – 4105th AFB (AMC) Davis Monthan, AZ
- 1949 – 165th TFS (ANG) Standiford AP, Lousville, KY
- 1950 – 165th TFS (CAC) Godman AFB, 18Oth BS (ANG) Rosecrans AP, St Joseph, MO
- 1951 – 179th FIS (ADC), 1952 73rd ABS (ADC), 1953-54 515th AD (ADC)
- 1955-67 343rd FG (ADC) ALL
- Deluth AFB, MN 343th deployed to Chanute AFB, IL & Maxwell AFB, AL
- 1968 – 4206th ABS (ADC) Topsham AFB, ME
- 1969-70 – 4609th ABS (ADC) Kincheloe AFB, MI deploy Selfridge AFB, IL
- 1971 – HQ AFLC Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
- August 1971 – Flew from Mission, TX as N7252N
- 1973 – ALA Warner-Robins AFB, GA ( to C-47D)
- Stricken Jan 1974
- July 27, 1975 – Flew with US Dept of Agriculture.
- January 1980 – Stored at Bisbee, AZ.
- Obtained by Yanks in August 2000.
In the mid 1930’s competition in the airline industry was fierce. American Airlines requested Douglas build a “Flying Pullman Railway Car” for its non-stop New York to Chicago route. A new aircraft was developed in two versions, the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) a fourteen-passenger luxury sleeper and the day version, the DC-3. These aircraft receive most of the credit for a near 600% increase in airline passenger traffic from 1936-1941.
Although many DC-3’s were pressed into military service, the C-47 Skytrain is the first full military version of the DC-3, the major modifications include the addition of a large cargo door, reinforced floor, accommodations for troops and cargo and the glider tow cleat was added. The other variants of the C-47
included a sea plane, ski plane, bomber, search and rescue and VIP transport.
The “Gooney Bird” was used in every combat theater of WWII and is probably the most widely known and used aircraft by the USAF. Most famous for flying “The Hump” in India, China and Burma, in just over two days the C-47 carried 60,000 troops
into Normandy.
With the large production numbers and worldwide popularity of this aircraft, many are still in use today. This C-47 was acquired by Yanks in 2000.
