Douglas C 47 Gooney Bird - 979 Words

Research Paper: Douglas C-47 â€Å"Gooney Bird† The C-47 was the lead plane of the 37th troop carrier squadron, dropping elements of the 82nd airborne division near St. Mere Eglise, France in the early hours of June 6th, 1944. June 6th is formally known as D Day. The C-47 was very important to aviation or even the most important because over 13,000 planes were sold, it was one of the most successful cargo planes, every branch of the U.S military and all the major allied powers flew it during World War two. The Douglas C-47 was manufactured in December 7th, 1935. It was manufactured by Douglas. The C-47 was the military model of the DC-3. It could travel 1,600 miles, it could carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo, and it could also carry 28 soldiers in full combat fear. As a medical airlift plane, it could accommodate 14 stretcher patients and three nurses. Seven basic versions were built. Every branch of the military flew it and all the allied powers flew it. The Navy version of the C-47 was the R4D. The aircraft operated in every continent in the world and participating in every major battle. The outside of the Douglas C-47 was a fundamental shape of smooth rolling contours, low mono-plane wing set, tubular cabin and a single vertical tail. Two engines where mounted on each wing providing 1,200 horsepower. The co-pilot and the pilot sat at the extreme front of the fuselage with the observation blister directly behind the cockpit. The doors were situated at the forward and aft