How many types of C-47 have you photographed ? (with added Russian copies)

[xkekeith]

After scanning all of my slides during lockdown and uploading them all into an Apple Mac photo programme it then allows you to run searches, in an idle moment whilst crossing checking an aircrafts designation I thought ‘how many types of C-47 have I seen? For C-47 also read C-41 / C-49 / C-53 etc. So here is a fairly self indulgent post with a photo of each US military designation I have photographed……


C-41 - N341A C-41A ex 40-0070

N341A C-41A (DC-3) Golden Age Air Tours by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-47-LD - MM61893 '14-46' C-47-LD 14 Stmo 8 Gruppo Italian AF ex 41-7749

MM61893 '14-46' C-47-LD 14 Stmo 8 Gruppo Italian AF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-47A - 0-22412'6' C-47A USAF 42-24126

0-22412'6' C-47A USAF. (42-24126) by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-47B - A65-95 C-47B HARS / RAAF ex 44-76764

A65-95 C-47B HARS by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

TC-47B - N48258 TC-47B ex 44-76753 / Bu39107 R4D-7

N48258 TC-47B ex Bu39107 R4D-7 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr


C-47D - 859 C-47D South Vietnam AF ex 43-48859

859 C-47D South Vietnam AF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

AC-47D - 43-49524 AC-47D ex SVAF / USAF (my only genuine AC-47D)

VN-A132 Tu134 wfu by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

TC-47D - 76240 TC-47D USAF 44-76240

76240 TC-47D USAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-47H - N817NA C-47H NASA ‘817’ ex 42-92482 / BuNo 17136

N817NA C-47H NASA '817' by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-47J - N231GB C-47J ex 50749 USN

N231GB C-47J 'Mosquito Sprayer' by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-47K - 0-39103 C-47K US Army actually 44-76486 ex TC-47B / NC-47D / NEC-47H

0-39103 C-47K US Army by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

TC-47K - N213GB TC-47K ex 44-76900 ex TC-47B

N213GB TC-47K 'Mosquito sprayer' by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-49F - N715F C-49F ex 42-56636

N715F C-49F ex 42-56636 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-49H N25689 C-49H ex 42-38329

N25689 C-49H ex 42-38329 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-49J - N37FL C-49J impressed as 43-19888

N37FL C-49J impressed as 43-19888 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-53-DO - N74KW DC-3 Air Sunshine ex 42-47375 reportedly converted to AC-47 (pre 1962 designation - electronics aircraft )

N74KW DC-3 Air Sunshine by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-53A - N763A C-53A Ozark Air Lines ex 41-20124

N763A C-53A Ozark Air Lines ex 41-20124 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-53C - OH-LCH C-53C FInnair ex 43-2033

OH-LCH C-53C FInnair ex 43-2033 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

C-53D - N19924 C-53D ex 42-6883

N19924 C-53D by Keith Heywood, on Flickr


C-117D - 17171 C-117D NAF Keflavik USN

17171 C-117D NAF Keflavik USN by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

TC-117D - 39109 '12' TC-117D VT-29 USN

39109 '12' TC-117D VT-29 USN by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

And now with added Russian built versions:

Lisunov TS-62 - 476 PLAAF with ROCAF markings for filming..... converted C-47B with ASh-62IR engines

476 Lisunov Li-2 ROC AF markings by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

Lisunov Li-2 - 'AF711' PLAAF Lisunov Li-2 USAF markings !

'AF711' Lisunov Li-2 USAF markings ! by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

[eLaReF]

The photos below are just from one airfield in 1974
Ryan Field, nr Tucson, AZ - Your last shot from there
Aero American had bought a batch from MASDC and was slowly working through rebuilding them, although by that time, quite a few never got any further. The majority of those we saw that did escape ended up with C- registrations
As you will see, there was a variety of types, including several that were close to being unique

I was already a fan of the C-47, but this visit and the one to MASDC the previous day re-inforced that, so was good to see your variety of types.


I'll have a dig for Li-2s and any others later


41-20088 Douglas VC-53-DO c/n 4858 420 by eLaReF, on Flickr

42-24331 Douglas VC-47A c/n 10193 by eLaReF, on Flickr

42-32921 Douglas C-117C c/n 9147 'Headquarters' badge on tail by eLaReF, on Flickr

42-93177 Douglas JC-47A c/n 13060 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-15195 Douglas SC-47A c/n 19661 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-15306 Douglas C-47E c/n 19772 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-16161 Douglas SC-47D c/n 20627 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-48307 Douglas C-47D c/n 25568 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-49370 Douglas C-47J c/n 26631 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-49522 Douglas RC-47D c/n 26783 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-49880 Douglas TC-47D c/n 27141 by eLaReF, on Flickr

45-1097 Douglas JC-47D c/n 34367 by eLaReF, on Flickr

N28U ex-42-15877 Douglas C-53 c/n 7394 by eLaReF, on Flickr

N42V - Douglas DC-3D c/n 42974 by eLaReF, on Flickr

[luxto]

Great post. I remember C-117D 17171 - it used to be based at Mildenhall in the 60's and early 70's.

[xkekeith]

The photos below are just from one airfield in 1974
Ryan Field, nr Tucson, AZ - Your last shot from there
Aero American had bought a batch from MASDC and was slowly working through rebuilding them, although by that time, quite a few never got any further. The majority of those we saw that did escape ended up with C- registrations
As you will see, there was a variety of types, including several that were close to being unique

I was already a fan of the C-47, but this visit and the one to MASDC the previous day re-inforced that, so was good to see your variety of types.


I'll have a dig for Li-2s and any others later

eLaReF great photos of Ryan Field in its heyday, we arrived late as the light was going and I was saving my slide film for DM the following day !

[Ridge Runner]

The photos below are just from one airfield in 1974
Ryan Field, nr Tucson, AZ - Your last shot from there
Aero American had bought a batch from MASDC and was slowly working through rebuilding them, although by that time, quite a few never got any further. The majority of those we saw that did escape ended up with C- registrations
As you will see, there was a variety of types, including several that were close to being unique

I was already a fan of the C-47, but this visit and the one to MASDC the previous day re-inforced that, so was good to see your variety of types.


I'll have a dig for Li-2s and any others later


41-20088 Douglas VC-53-DO c/n 4858 420 by eLaReF, on Flickr

42-24331 Douglas VC-47A c/n 10193 by eLaReF, on Flickr

42-32921 Douglas C-117C c/n 9147 'Headquarters' badge on tail by eLaReF, on Flickr

42-93177 Douglas JC-47A c/n 13060 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-15195 Douglas SC-47A c/n 19661 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-15306 Douglas C-47E c/n 19772 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-16161 Douglas SC-47D c/n 20627 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-48307 Douglas C-47D c/n 25568 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-49370 Douglas C-47J c/n 26631 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-49522 Douglas RC-47D c/n 26783 by eLaReF, on Flickr

43-49880 Douglas TC-47D c/n 27141 by eLaReF, on Flickr

45-1097 Douglas JC-47D c/n 34367 by eLaReF, on Flickr

N28U ex-42-15877 Douglas C-53 c/n 7394 by eLaReF, on Flickr

N42V - Douglas DC-3D c/n 42974 by eLaReF, on Flickr

Ah yes, I remember those

[eLaReF]

eLaReF great photos of Ryan Field in its heyday, we arrived late as the light was going and I was saving my slide film for DM the following day !

One of the reasons I never used slides. I grew up using the back of the Ilford carton for my exposure guide so B&W was far more forgiving when I got it wrong.
My 135mm & 28mm lenses then were manual - You had to remember to shut down the 2nd aperture ring before taking the photo - There were many occasions when I left the lens wide open!

I also took 52 films with me!1

[eLaReF]

Xiaotangshan 2001

3 Bladed Li-2

8205 Lisunov Li-2 c/n 18439709 by eLaReF, on Flickr

4 Bladed Li-2

3018(??) Lisunov Li-2 by eLaReF, on Flickr

[Mustang531]

Thanks for sharing these with us, very interesting to see these.

[Archer]

Interesting overview! I'll add two to the list:

Lisunov Li-2T RA-1300K

Lisunov2_EHV19940430 by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr

DC-3-227A NC21798

DSC_3267_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr

I've got several C-47 variants in my collection but I never got around to figuring out the various sub-variants, so the two above must serve as the two extremes (not counting a DC-2).

[Stratocruiser]

BRILLIANT!
A superb post of a superb frame.
I love pistons so thanks for making an old enthusiast tremendously happy

[johnwickenden]

Hi Keith

I can add a couple from Texas !

First an R4D-6 belonging to the CAF wing at Lancaster
N151ZE by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr
and an R4D-8 which has been in open store at Denton Municipal for years
N44GH by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

[johnwickenden]

apologies....I also have a VC-117D. This was also in Texas - seen at the now aircraftless Pate Museum of Transport in Cresson. Most of the exhibits went to the museum at Tyler.....this didn't. Don't know where it ended up
[42-108866/N53425-VC-117C-Pate Museum of Transport-03052003-Cresson by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

[flat cap]

Lisunov Li-2 at Kiev War museum 12 years ago

Li-2 by flat cap, on Flickr

[Ridge Runner]

I like the heart spinners!

[3Greens]

Caught this one Keith while visiting Tours during family holidays on 16th August 1979. Serial on fin was pretty 'washed out' no matter which angle I tried to photograph it, but I have a serial in my log book given by a French spotter of 42-15276.
Maybe someone can confirm this. I reviewed my 'French Military Aviation' by Paul Jackson (Midlands Counties Publications) from 1979 and couldn't see it listed there among frames operated since 1970.



3Greens