I n early 1940 America, The C-53 was really a Douglas DC-3 configured by the US Army Air Corps to transport paratroopers to the battle front, thus the Skytrooper moniker. Another DC-3 variation was the C-47, which was fitted to haul cargo, equipment and light vehicles such as jeeps, thus its appropriate name, Skytrain. The DC-3 was also know as a Gooney Bird, a US Navy R4D, and a Royal Air Force Dakota. In those days there was not yet a US Air Force, so the US Army Air Corps was in charge of the air power.

DC-3 production numbers vary, depending on which source of information is referenced. According to "McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920" (by Rene J. Francillon, Putnam, 1970, London, UK), more than 10,600 DC-3s in all variations were produced. The first unit rolled off the assembly line in 1935 and made its maiden flight on December 17, which was the thirty-second anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. The last DC-3 was produced in 1945.

Of this number, just over 400 were configured as the C-53 Skytrooper, the troop-transport version of the DC-3, while the lion's share was configured as the C-47 Skytrain, which numbered more than 9,500 units and had a large cargo door, reinforced floor and beefier landing gear. Nine or so C-53s were remanufactured airframes, but by all counts I think it's safe to say approximately 400 Skytroopers were produced.

Aside from being a troop-transport conveyance, some C-53s were fitted with a glider hook. They then became a tug for crafts such as the Horsa, which could transport two jeeps, for example, as well as a limited number of personnel.

Our Gooney Bird is a C-53 "C" model, which means it had a 24-volt electrical system, not a 12-volt system requiring thicker and heavier wire, which reduces the payload capacity of the airplane. Only 17 "C" models were produced. My guess is that the army went to 24 volts as their need for on-board electrical power increased, the same as the automobile went from six volts to twelve volts as consumers demanded more electrical gadgets such as power windows and seats, although I wouldn't argue that Detroit made the decision back then to save weight on cars already weighing in at 6,000 pounds, but instead to save on cost.

Believe it or not, there are two 28-volt, 200-ampere generators on board -- one on each engine. Remember, 50-plus years ago, they only had high-current, vacuum-tube electronic equipment -- not the low-power luxuries available today. All together, that's 400 amps, folks, enough wattage to power 112 light bulbs, each burning brightly and each having a 100-watt rating. Nonetheless, by today's standard, I can't imagine how they ever used all that power. Just exactly what did they have on board way back then? We could use all this extra power now to keep it warmer in here, if we had a hundred light bulbs on board to plug in.

I know many of these DC-3 facts because of Len Capon, a volunteer at the Champlin Fighter Museum on Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona, where I met with him several days prior to our departure. Len hails from Sheffield, England, and when the war broke out he was only 12-years old. He remembers all too well the air raids in London, which continued for six years from 1939 to 1944.

Specifications of the C-53 are fascinating. Each 14 cylinder, Pratt and Whitney 1830-92 radial engine can develop 1200 horsepower. Together, both engines burn 100 gallons of fuel per hour, and at $2.00 per gallon, or more, petrol makes up the majority of our $352 per-hour operating cost. The oil sump of each engine has a capacity for 25 gallons (vintage 1960s automobile gas-tank size), so together both engines require almost a full barrel of oil (55 gallons). We estimate 44 hours aloft to complete the mission (a work-week for most), so direct costs alone will amount to more than $15,000. Never mind that collateral expenses will more than triple this figure.

Our wing span is 95 feet, the length is 63 feet, 10 inches, and the height is 16 feet, 11 inches (almost as high as a two-story building). The tail span is 26 feet, 8 inches, which is almost as wide as the main wing on many single-engine airplanes. The empty weight is 17,865 pounds, and the gross weight is 25,200 lbs. Cruising speed of the C-53 is 170 miles per hour at 10,000 feet, and the maximum speed is 232 MPH. With four each 200-gallon fuel tanks, the range is 1513 miles and the service ceiling is 24,450 feet.

This particular aircraft was originally ordered as a DC-3 for Northwest Airlines, however, it was never delivered and instead pressed into military service by the US Army Air Corps at a cost of 160,470 dollars. Inspection of the Douglas Aircraft manufacture plate reveals that this aircraft was completed October, 13, 1942, designated a C-53C, and assigned serial number 4,978. Another plate, by the US Army Air Corps, signifies it is a C-53C, assigned serial number AF43-2022, and accepted October 13, 1942. Less than three years later, on May 10, 1945, yet another Douglas Aircraft manufacture plate depicts that this ship was modified to a DC-3A, and once again assigned serial number 4,978.

After the war, records indicate that this aircraft was transferred to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation on January 12, 1946, and continued service with various airlines in the United States. Most recently it was a pilot trainer. During its service years, while accumulating more than 55,000 hours on its airframe, it performed a myriad of duties such as crop spraying, cargo hauling, fire fighting, and training.

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