This is a list of variants of the Douglas DC-3 family of airliner and transport aircraft.

Production totals

''Data from:Francillon 1979, pp. 217–251.Gradidge 2006, p. 20. *Civil DC-3 variants - 607 *Military C-47 derivatives - 10,047 *Licence production in the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

- 4,937 *Licence production in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

- 487

Civil production

;

DST Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...

:Douglas Sleeper Transport, the initial variant with two

Wright R-1820 Cyclone The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...

engines and standard sleeper accommodation for up to 16 with small upper windows, convertible to carry up to 24 day passengers. ;DST-A :DST with

Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp The Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp is an American air-cooled radial aircraft engine. It displaces and its bore and stroke are both . The design traces its history to 1929 experiments at Pratt & Whitney on twin-row designs. Production began ...

engines ;

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...

:Main prewar production variant fitted with 21 passenger seats, two Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines ;DC-3A :Improved DC-3 with two Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial piston engines. ;DC-3B :Improved DC-3 with two Wright R-1820-G101 Cyclone or two Wright R-1820-G202A Cyclone engines. ; :Designation for ex-military C-47, C-53, and R4D aircraft rebuilt by Douglas Aircraft in 1946 and sold on the civil market. ;DC-3D :Designation for 28 additional new aircraft built by Douglas in 1946 for civil airline operation using components from uncompleted USAAF C-117s. ;DC-3S :Super DC-3, improved DC-3 with a new wing and tail, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2000-D7 or Wright R-1820-C9HE Cyclone engines. The five examples were converted by Douglas between 1949 and 1950 from existing DC-3 and R4D airframes. ; PS-84 : Production of a 14-28 seat passenger airliner version in the

Shvetsov M-62 The Shvetsov ASh-62 (Russian: АШ-62, designated M-62 before 1941) is a nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine produced in the Soviet Union. A version of this engine is produced in Poland as the ASz-62 and the People's Republic of Ch ...

Shvetsov ASh-62 The Shvetsov ASh-62 (Russian: АШ-62, designated M-62 before 1941) is a nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine produced in the Soviet Union. A version of this engine is produced in Poland as the ASz-62 and the People's Republic of Ch ...

engines. With a somewhat smaller span and higher empty weight, it was also equipped with lower-powered engines compared to the DC-3 and the cargo door was transposed to the right side of the fuselage.

Military designations for impressed civil aircraft

;C-41A :A single DC-3A (40-070) modified as a VIP transport, powered by two 1,200 hp (895 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 radial piston engines, used to fly the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

. ;C-48 :One former

United Air Lines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

DC-3A impressed. ;C-48A :Three impressed DC-3As with 18-seat interiors. ;C-48B :Sixteen impressed former

United Air Lines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

DST-As with 16-berth interior used as air ambulances. ;C-48C :Sixteen impressed DC-3As with 21-seat interiors. ;C-49 :Various DC-3 and DST models, 138 impressed into service as C-49, C-49A, C-49B, C-49C, C-49D, C-49E, C-49F, C-49G, C-49H, C-49J, and C-49K. ;C-50 :Various DC-3 models, 14 impressed as C-50, C-50A, C-50B, C-50C, and C-50D. ;C-51 :One aircraft ordered by Canadian Colonial Airlines impressed into service, had starboard-side door. ;C-52 :DC-3A aircraft with R-1830 engines, five impressed as C-52, C-52A, C-52B, C-52C, and C-52D. ;C-68 :Two DC-3As impressed with 21-seat interiors. ;C-84 :1 impressed DC-3B aircraft. ;R4D-2 :Two Eastern Air Lines DC-3s impressed into USN service as VIP transports, later designated R4D-2F and later R4D-2Z. ;R4D-4 :Ten impressed DC-3s ;R4D-4R :Seven impressed DC-3s as staff transports. ;R4D-4Q :Radar countermeasures version of R4D-4. ;Dakota II :RAF designation for impressed DC-3s

Military production

;

C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service br ...

:Initial military version of the DC-3A with seats for 27 troops, 965 built including 12 to the United States Navy as R4D-1. ;;C-47A :C-47 with a 24-volt electrical system, 5,254 built including USN aircraft designated R4D-5. ;;RC-47A : equipped for photographic reconnaissance and ELINT missions. ;;SC-47A :C-47A equipped for Search Air Rescue; re-designated HC-47A in 1962. ;;VC-47A :C-47A equipped for VIP transport role. ;;C-47B :Powered by R-1830-90 engines with high-altitude two-speed superchargers and extra fuel capacity to cover the China-

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

routes, 3,364 built. ;;VC-47B :C-47B equipped for VIP transport role. ;;XC-47C :C-47 tested with Edo Model 78 floats for possible use as a seaplane. ;;C-47D :C-47B with high-altitude two-speed superchargers replaced by one-speed superchargers after the war. ;; AC-47D :Gunship aircraft with three side-firing .30 in (7.62 mm)

Minigun The M134 Minigun is an American 7.62×51mm NATO six-barrel rotary machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute). It features a Gatling-style rotating barrel assembly with an external power source, normally an electric ...

machine guns. ;;EC-47D :C-47D with equipment for the Airborne Early Warning role; prior to 1962 was designated AC-47D. ;;NC-47D :C-47D modified for test roles. ;;RC-47D :C-47D equipped for photographic reconnaissance and ELINT missions. ;;SC-47D :C-47D equipped for Search Air Rescue; re-designated HC-47D in 1962. ;;VC-47D :C-47D equipped for VIP transport role. ;;C-47E :Modified cargo variant with space for 27–28 passengers or 18–24 litters. ;;C-47F :YC-129 re-designated, Super DC-3 prototype for evaluation by USAF later passed to USN as XR4D-8. ;;C-47L/M :C-47H/Js equipped for the support of American Legation United States Naval Attache (ALUSNA) and Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) missions. ;;EC-47N/P/Q :C-47A and D aircraft modified for ELINT/ARDF mission. N and P differ in radio bands covered, while Q replaces analog equipment found on the N and P with a digital suite, redesigned antenna equipment, and uprated engines. ;;C-47R :One C-47M modified for high altitude work, specifically for missions in Ecuador. ; C-53 Skytrooper :Troop transport version of the C-47. ;;XC-53A Skytrooper :One aircraft with full-span slotted flaps and hot-air leading edge de-icing. ;;C-53B Skytrooper :Winterised version of C-53 with extra fuel capacity and separate navigator's station, eight built. ;;C-53C Skytrooper :C-53 with larger port-side door, 17 built. ;;C-53D Skytrooper :C-53C with 24V DC electrical system, 159 built. ;

C-117 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

A Skytrooper :C-47B with 24-seat airline-type interior for staff transport use, 16 built. ;;VC-117A :Three re-designated C-117s used in the VIP role. ;;SC-117A :One C-117C converted for air-sea rescue. ;;C-117B/VC-117B :High-altitude two-speed superchargers replaced by one-speed superchargers, one built and conversions from C-117As all later VC-117B. ;; C-117D :USN/USMC R4D-8 re-designated. ;;LC-117D :USN/USMC R4D-8L re-designated. ;;TC-117D :USN/USMC R4D-8T re-designated. ;;VC-117D :USN R4D-8Z re-designated. ; YC-129 :Super DC-3 prototype for evaluation by USAF re-designated C-47F and later passed to USN as XR4D-8. ; CC-129 :Canadian Forces designation for the C-47 (post-1970). ; XCG-17 :One C-47 tested as a 40-seat troop glider with engines removed and faired over. ;

R4D The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

:Production aircraft, impressed civil aircraft, and aircraft transferred from the

USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

;;R4D-1 Skytrain :USN/USMC version of the C-47. ;;R4D-3 :Twenty C-53Cs transferred to USN. ;;R4D-5 :C-47A variant 24-volt electrical system replacing the 12-volt of the C-47; re-designated C-47H in 1962, 238 transferred from USAF. ;;R4D-5L :R4D-5 for use in Antarctica. re-designated LC-47H in 1962. ;;R4D-5Q :R4D-5 for use as special ECM trainer. re-designated EC-47H in 1962. ;;R4D-5R :R4D-5 for use as a personnel transport for 21 passengers and as a trainer aircraft; re-designated TC-47H in 1962. ;;R4D-5S :R4D-5 for use as a special ASW trainer; re-designated SC-47H in 1962. ;;R4D-5Z :R4D-5 for use as a VIP transport; re-designated VC-47H in 1962. ;;R4D-6 :157 C-47Bs transferred to USN; re-designated C-47J in 1962. ;;R4D-6L, Q, R, S, and Z :Variants as the R4D-5 series; re-designated LC-47J, EC-47J, TC-47J, SC-47J, and VC-47J respectively in 1962. ;;R4D-7 :44 TC-47Bs transferred from USAF for use as a navigational trainer; re-designated TC-47K in 1962. ;; R4D-8 :R4D-5 and R4D-6 aircraft fitted with modified wings and re-designed tail surfaces; re-designated C-117D in 1962. ;;R4D-8L :R4D-8 converted for Antarctic use, re-designated LC-117D in 1962. ;;R4D-8T :R4D-8 converted as crew trainers, re-designated TC-117D in 1962. ;;R4D-8Z :R4D-8 converted as a staff transport, re-designated VC-117D in 1962. ;Dakota I :RAF designation for the C-47 and R4D-1 ;Dakota III :RAF designation for the C-47A. ;Dakota IV :RAF designation for the C-47B. ;

Li-2 The Lisunov Li-2 (NATO reporting name: Cab), originally designated PS-84, was a license-built Soviet-version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by Factory #84 in Moscow-Khimki and, after evacuation in 1941, at TAPO in Tashkent. The proje ...

:4,937 DC-3 derived military transport aircraft with defensive armament license-built in the

(designation started from 17 September 1942). ;:Li-2D : Paratroop transport version (1942), with reinforced floor and tie-downs, plus cargo doors (slightly smaller than the C-47 doors) on the left. ;;Li-2P : Basic civil passenger model. ;;Li-2PG : Civil "combi" passenger-cargo version. ;;Li-2R : "Reconnaissance" version, with bulged windows fitted behind the cockpit. ;;Li-2VV : Bomber version (1942). ;;Li-2V : High-altitude weather surveillance version of the Li-2, equipped with turbocharged engines. ;;Li-3 : Yugoslavian version equipped with American

Pratt & Whitney R-1830 The Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp is an American air-cooled radial aircraft engine. It displaces and its bore and stroke are both . The design traces its history to 1929 experiments at Pratt & Whitney on twin-row designs. Production began ...

engines (similar to the DC-3). ;;Li-2T : Polish bomber training aircraft. ; L2D :487 License built DC-3s for the IJNAS. ;;LXD1 :A single DC-3 supplied for evaluation by the

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...

. ;;L2D2 :Personnel transports with Mitsubishi Kinsei 43 radials. ;;L2D2-1 :Cargo version with enlarged cargo door. ;;L2D3 and L2D3-1 :Versions with two Mitsubishi Kinsei 51 engines, each at 1,325 hp (975 kW). ;;L2D3a and L2D3-1a :Production series with two Mitsubishi Kinsei 53 engines, each at 1,325 hp (975 kW). ;;L2D4 and L2D4-1 :Armed versions with a 13 mm machine gun in a dorsal turret and two 7.7 mm machine guns in the left and right fuselage hatches. ;;L2D5 :Wooden version, replacement of steel components with wood; used two Mitsubishi Kinsei 62 engines, each 1,590 hp (1,170 kW).

Conversions

From the early 1950s, some DC-3s were modified to use

Rolls-Royce Dart The Rolls-Royce RB.53 Dart is a turboprop engine designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce Limited. First run in 1946, it powered the Vickers Viscount on its maiden flight in 1948. A flight on July 29 of that year, which carried 14 paying passe ...

engines, as in the Conroy Turbo Three. Other conversions featured

Armstrong Siddeley Mamba The Armstrong Siddeley Mamba was a British turboprop engine produced by Armstrong Siddeley in the late 1940s and 1950s, producing around 1,500 effective horsepower (1,100 kW). Armstrong Siddeley gas turbine engines were named after snak ...

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is a turboprop aircraft engine produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada. Its design was started in 1958, it first ran in February 1960, first flew on 30 May 1961, entered service in 1964 and has been continuously upda ...

turbines A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating e ...

. Recently a Canadian company has also offered a conversion to PZL Asz-62IT power. ;Dart Dakota :Two C-47Bs converted to use the

turboprop (1,547 ehp) for development of operating procedures by airlines before introduction of BEA's

Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount is a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs. A design requirement from the Brabazon Committee, it entered service in 1953 and was the first turboprop-powered airliner. The Vis ...

s. Acquired from Field Aircraft Services Ltd in 1950 the installations were paid for by the Ministry of Supply. They were flown as G-ALXM ''Sir Henry Royce'' and G-AMDB ''Claude Johnson'' forming the "Dart Development Unit" on adhoc and scheduled freight flights. :A single C-47, G-AMDB (cn 14987/26432) was converted and reverted to piston power after trials and route-proving, serving BEA as a standard "Pionair" until it was sold in 1962. :A single C-47B-1-DK (c/n 25613 / s/n 43-48352 / KJ829), was also converted for use by

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

in trials of the Rolls-Royce Dart, the aircraft, given the test registration G-37-2 flew with Darts. Sold to Tyne Tees Airways in April 1963 the airframe was scrapped in 1965. ;Mamba Dakota :A single C-47 (KJ839) was converted with

turboprop engines, for trials. ;DC-3/2000 :DC-3 engine conversion done by Airtech Canada, first offered in 1987. Powered by two

PZL ASz-62 The Shvetsov ASh-62 (Russian: АШ-62, designated M-62 before 1941) is a nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine produced in the Soviet Union. A version of this engine is produced in Poland as the ASz-62 and the People's Republic of Ch ...

IT radials."AirTech Company Profile."
''ic.gc.ca''. Retrieved: November 22, 2009. ;

Basler BT-67 The Basler BT-67 is a utility aircraft produced by Basler Turbo Conversions of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is a remanufactured and modified Douglas DC-3; the modifications are designed to significantly extend the DC-3's serviceable lifetime. Desig ...

:DC-3 conversion with a stretched fuselage, strengthened structure, modern avionics, and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-67R turboprops. ; Conroy Turbo Three :One DC-3 converted by Conroy Aircraft with two

Mk. 510 turboprop engines. ; Conroy Super-Turbo-Three :Same as the Turbo Three but converted from a Super DC-3. One converted. ; Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three :Two DC-3s converted by Conroy Aircraft with three Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A turboprops. The second aircraft replaced the first which had been severely damaged in a fire. ;USAC DC-3 Turbo Express :A turboprop conversion by the United States Aircraft Corporation, fitting Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R turboprop engines with an extended forward fuselage to maintain center of gravity. First flight of the prototype conversion, (N300TX), was on July 29, 1982.Taylor 1983 ;

:Designation applied to aircraft modified to a

standard, in some cases designated C-47TP. ; BSAS C-47-65ARTP Turbo Dakota :Refit with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R engines and fuselage stretch for the

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

. ; BSAS C-47-67RTP Turbo Dakota :Refit with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R engines and fuselage stretch for the

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

. ; BSAS C-47-67FTP Turbo Dakota :Refit with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67F engines and fuselage stretch for the

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

. ;Schafer/AMI -65TP Cargomaster ;Dodson International Turbo Dakota DC-3 PT6A-65AR:

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Francillon, René. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I''. London: Putnam, 1979. . * Gradidge, Jennifer M. ''The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3: The First Seventy Years Volumes One and Two''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006. . * Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1982–83''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1983. .

External links

*
DC-3/Dakota Historical Society
{{Douglas aircraft

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...

Variants Variant may refer to: In arts and entertainment * ''Variant'' (magazine), a former British cultural magazine * Variant cover, an issue of comic books with varying cover art * ''Variant'' (novel), a novel by Robison Wells * " The Variant", 2021 ...

Production totals

Civil production

Military designations for impressed civil aircraft

Military production

Conversions

See also

References

External links