Douglas C-47A Skytrain

Officially called Dakotas in England and Skytrains in the United States, soldiers usually referred to C-47s as “Gooney Birds” or “Goonies.” The C-47 is a toughened up version of the successful Douglas DC-3 passenger plane with improved engines, cargo doors big enough to admit a jeep, a strengthened rear fuselage and a beefed up floor to hold loads of equipment. After the war during the Berlin Airlift in 1946, “Goonies” helped supply a city from the air, with everything from candy to coal. The Museum’s C-47 took part in the D-Day Allied Invasion, dropping paratroopers from the 101st Airborne over Normandy, France, and eventually returned to the United States after the war. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry donated this aircraft to the Museum.

Specifications
Type: Military Cargo and Civilian Passenger
First Flight: December 1935
Wingspan: 95 feet 6 inches
Length: 63 feet 9 inches
Height: 17 feet
Weight: 17,865 pounds
Capacity: Five