Airfix 05031 Douglas DC-3 Dakota

The Douglas DC-3 was an American passenger and transport aircraft from the interwar period and World War II. The plane was built in the low wing configuration, it had a metal structure and a landing gear retracted in flight in the classic configuration. The flight of the prototype took place in 1935, and serial production was carried out in 1936-1942 and in 1950. Approximately 600 examples of these planes were built in its course - not including those in the C-47 Skytrain version. The drive was provided in serial copies by two Pratt and Whitney R-1830 engines 1,200 hp each . The machine did not have a permanent on-board armament.

The Douglas DC-3 was created at the request of American Airlines, as a development of the previous model of Douglas - the DC-2 aircraft. The new plane turned out to be one of the most successful designs in the history of civil aviation! The machine was highly reliable, had low operating costs, was very simple and easy to use on the ground, it was easy to pilot and very liked by the pilots. What's more - it offered good performance and a good flight range. Many experts say that the DC-3 contributed significantly to the popularization of civil aviation in the US in the 1930s and 1940s. During World War II, a military version was also created, designated C-47 or Dakota, which was one of the main transport aircraft of the Western Allies during the conflict. After 1945, a large number of these machines were withdrawn from service and found their way to many airlines around the world (e.g. LOT Polish Airlines). The quality of the machine is evidenced by the fact that at the beginning of the 21st century, several hundred DC-3s were still in service - mainly as transport planes!