Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 History
1990s - Present

December 17, 2005 was the 70th Anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC-3 at the Santa Monica Airport. Here's a collection of photos of DC-2 and DC-3 variants taken since 1990.

DC-3, N596AR Chas. S. Jones at the Santa Monica Airport on May 19, 1990. Its Douglas construction number is 4877. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-53, 41-20107. It has been registered N242SM and will go on display at the Santa Monica Airport.

Douglas Historical Foundation DC-2-118B NC1934D at George Air Force Base on November 11, 1990.

Marine Corps C-117D, BuNo 50826 on display at the Pima County Air Museum on November 27, 1991.

C-47B 43-49281 on display at the Hill Air Force Base Museum on June 28, 1992. Its Douglas construction number is 26542.

C-47A-90 43-15977 Seventh Heaven at the Castle Air Force Base Museum on September 17, 1992. Its Douglas construction number is 20443. After retirement from the Air Force, it entered the civil registry as NC812. Over the years it carried civil registrations NC812, NC112, NC24, N14, N21, N24010, and N230GB.

C-47A 43-15977 Seventh Heaven at the Castle Air Force Base Museum on September 17, 1992.

DC-3 N57123 at Falcon Field near Tempe, Arizona on November 29, 1992. Its Douglas construction number is 33170. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as TC-47B-30 44-76837. It was transferred to the Navy as R4D-7 BuNo 99831. It was previously seen wearing the possibly fictitious registrations N4443Y and N6059Y. It was subsequently modified with turboprop engines.

C-47A-30 42-23668 at the Edward F. Beale Museum at Beale Air Force Base on January 22, 1993. Its Douglas construction number is 9530. It is registered as N60480.

C-47A-30 42-23668 at the Edward F. Beale Museum at Beale Air Force Base on January 22, 1993.

C-53D 42-68835 at the McClellan Air Force Base Museum on January 23, 1993. Its Douglas construction number is 11762. It was leased by American Airlines after World War II. The U.S. Geological Survey operated it as N19924 in the 1960s. The Drug Enforcement Agency seized it in Florida in 1982.

DC-3A N45366 at the Tracy, California Municipal Airport on June 25, 1993. Its Douglas construction number is 11757. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-53D 42-68830. It is in the collection of the Inland Empire Wing of the Commemorative Air Force at the Riverside, California Airport.

DC-3A N45366 at the Lodi, California Municipal Airport on June 25, 1993.

DC-3A N45366 at the Tracy, California Municipal Airport on June 25, 1993.

DC-3C N4991E at the Tracy, California Municipal Airport on June 25, 1993. Its Douglas construction number is 12106. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-47A-1 42-92319. It was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force as FZ571. It was operated by TCA as CF-TDU beginning in 1946. Frontier Airlines gave it its current registration.

DC-3C N4991E at the Tracy, California Municipal Airport on June 25, 1993. It is believed to remain at Tracy.

Lisunov Li-2T Yellow 03 at the Zhukovsky Aerodrome near Moscow, Russia on September 5, 1993. The Li-2T was a variant of the C-47 built by Lisunov under license in Russia. Its Lisunov construction number is 23441605.

Lisunov Li-2 03 at the Zhukovsky Aerodrome near Moscow, Russia on September 5, 1993.

Lisunov Li-2 03 flying in formation with a pair of Sukhoi Su-27P Flankers at the Zhukovsky Aerodrome near Moscow, Russia on September 5, 1993.

Lisunov Li-2 03 at the Zhukovsky Aerodrome near Moscow, Russia on September 5, 1993.

Lisunov Li-2 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Stereo pair of Lisunov Li-2 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993. (cross your eyes until the two images line up)

Lisunov Li-2 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Stereo pair of Lisunov Li-2 CCCP-93914 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Lisunov Li-2 CCCP-93914 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Stereo pair of Lisunov Li-2 CCCP-93914 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Lisunov Li-2 CCCP-93914 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Stereo pair of Lisunov Li-2 CCCP-93914 at the Monino Air Museum near Moscow, Russia on September 7, 1993.

Royal Air Force Dakota at the Farnborough Airshow on September 11, 1994.

Air Atlantique DC-3 G-AMPO at the Farnborough Airshow on September 11, 1994. It served the Department of Transport to control pollution. Its Douglas construction number is 33185. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-47B-30 44-76853. It was transferred to the Royal Air Force as KN566. It is now on display at Royal Air Force Lyneham.

Air Atlantique DC-3 G-AMPO at the Farnborough Airshow on September 11, 1994.

C-47A-85 43-15509 on display at the Imperial Air Museum at Duxford, England on September 13, 1994. Its Douglas construction number is 19975. It flew for Scandanavian Airlines System as SE-BBH. It was registered in the United States as N9985F and N51V. It flew for the Spanish Air Force as TV-29. In Great Britain it flew for Aces High as G-BHUB.

C-47A-85 43-15509 on display at the Imperial Air Museum at Duxford, England on September 13, 1994.

C-47B-35 44-77003 on display as Royal Air Force Dakota KG374 at the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford, England on September 13, 1994. Its Douglas construction number is 33335. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-47B-35 44-77003. It was transferred to the Royal Air Force as KN645.

C-47 41-7723 on display at the Pima County Air Museum on November 23, 1994.

Douglas C-53 Skytrain, 41-20093 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 22, 1994. It may actually be 41-20094. The two C-53s carried Douglas construction numbers 4863 and 4864. They were transferred to the Navy as BuNo 05073 and 05074 on January 9, 1942 and February 4, 1942, respectively. The former 41-20093 entered the civil registry as NC30084. It was sold to the Venezualen airline Avensa and registered YV-C-AVO on March 14, 1947. It was withdrawn from use in 1972. The former 41-20094 entered the civil registry as N1301 and served several operators until 1982. This C-53 appeared on static display at the 1994 Edwards Air Force Base Open House.

DC-3-253 NC41HQ at Nellis Air Force Base on April 25, 1997. It has been registered to Next Century Aviation Incorporated of Sausalito, California since April 27, 1999. Its Douglas construction number is 2053. It served the Army Air Corps as C-41 38-0502, the personal transport of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. It flew for Southern Airways as NC15473. The Civil Aeronautics Authority operated it as N12. The Federal Aviation Administration operated it as N43. The FAA registration N43 was cancelled on August 16, 1977. Southeast Missouri State University registered it as N54595 on May 19, 1978. William A. Williams converted it from an FAA flight check ship to a 26-seat passenger aircraft. It was hangered, flown and maintained by Southern Illinoic University at Carbondale. It was registered to Trans Ocean Airways in June 1985. Otis Spunkmeyer Air gave it its current registration.

DC-3-253 NC41HQ at Nellis Air Force Base on April 25, 1997.

C-47D 43-49507 displayed as C-47A 43-15174 at the United States Air Force Museum at Dayton, Ohio on August 17, 1998. Its Douglas construction number is 26768. It was the last C-47 in Air Force service. It was retired on June 30, 1975 with 20,821 hours of flight time.

Dream Flight's DC-3A, N101KC Rose at the Chino Airshow on April 24, 1999. Its Douglas construction number is 11639. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-53D, 42-68712. It is a veteran of the D-Day invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944.

Douglas C-47A, N88874 at Falcon Field, Arizona on September 30, 1999. Its Douglas construction number is 12693 and it was delivered to the Army Air Force as 42-92847 in March 1944. After serving in the European theater, it was acquired by Reconstruction Finance Corporation in October 1945. At that time it received its current registration. Subsequent owners include United Gas Corp., Union Producing Co., Jim Hankins Air Services, Southeastern Land Corp., Church of God Union Assembly Inc. of Dalton Georgia, Air New England, Cryderman Air Services, National Jet Service, Air Indiana (lease), and McCollom Aviation Inc.

Douglas DC-3 N193DP at Van Nuys Airport on June 23, 2000. Its Douglas construction number is 4433. It is owned by the Santa Monica Museum of Flying. It was built as R4D-1, BuNo 01977 for the U. S. Navy in 1942.

Visit the Santa Monica Museum of Flying web site.

Classic Express Airways C-47B, N103NA at the Chino Airport on October 8, 2000.

Former Beale Air Force Base display C-47A-30 42-23668, N60480 at the Yanks Air Museum at Chino on October 8, 2000.

Classic Express Airways C-47B, N103NA at the Chino Airport on April 29, 2001.

Dream Flight's DC-3, N101KC Rose at Van Nuys, June 22, 2001.

Clay Lacy Corporation's Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Camarillo Airport on August 25, 2001. Its Douglas construction number is 34370. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as a C-47 in October 1945 and declared surplus the following month. Standard Steel Spring Company converted it to an executive transport and registered it as NC5414. Rockwell Spring and Axle Company registered it as N5414 in 1963. North American Corporation registered it as N541Q by December 1967. The Georgia Department of Air Transportation registered it as N541G in July 1969 and used it to fly governors of Georgia, including future President Jimmy Carter. Clay Lacy restored it in 1948 vintage United Airlines livery. Its restoration was completed in June 2000.

Douglas C-47A, N88874 at Falcon Field, Arizona on March 2, 2002.

Douglas AC-47A, N88874 Puff at the Camarillo Airport on August 11, 2002. It is operated by the Aero Heritage Museum out of Falcon Field near Mesa, Arizona. It was recently restored (see the photo of N88874 taken on March 2, 2002 above) in Viet Nam war era SEA camouflage: tan FS 30219, light green FS 34102, and dark green 34079 topsides and white undersides.

Douglas AC-47A, N88874 Puff at the Camarillo Airport on August 11, 2002.

C-47A-30 42-23668, N60480 at the Yanks Air Museum at Chino on August 23, 2002.

FAA Douglas DC-3C, N34 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on October 18, 2003. It is now on display at the National Air & Space Museum.

Douglas DC-3C, N34 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on October 18, 2003.

Douglas DC-3C, N34 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 24, 2003.

Douglas C-53 Skytrain, 41-20093 at Edwards Air Force Base on October 25, 2003. It is in the collection of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum.

DC-3, N760 Spirit of Seventy Six at Western Museum of Flight at the Hawthorne Airport on July 9, 2004.

Douglas DC-3, N101KC Rose of Dream Flight carried passengers on aerial tours from Hawthorne Airport on Friday, July 9, 2004. It was built as a DC-3 in 1943 and served the Army Air Force as a C-53D. It is a veteran of the D-Day invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944.

Douglas DC-3, N101KC Rose of Dream Flight carried passengers on aerial tours from the Inyokern Airport during the Kern County Airshow on Wednesday, October 6, 2004. The flights provided spectacular views of the China Lake Valley and the Sierra Nevada.

Douglas DC-3, N101KC Rose at Vandenberg Air Force Base on October 31, 2004.

Douglas VC-47A, 43-15579 undergoing restoration at the March Field Museum on March 23, 2005.

Clay Lacy Corporation's Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Santa Paula Airport on August 6, 2005.

Paralift Incorporated's DC-3, N20TW at Edwards Air Force Base on August 19, 2005. It carries Douglas construction number 2236. It is 65 years old. It was delivered to Eastern Airlines as DC-3-201C, NC25648 in June 1940. It flew for North Central Airlines from May 1957 until April 1968. It has been registered to Paralift Incorporated since February 1988.

DC-3, N20TW was providing students of the Air Force Test Pilot School with proficiency training in unfamiliar airplane types.

DC-3, N20TW made a touch-and-go landing on Runway 22 eight minutes after the departure of Discovery.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Camarillo Airport on August 28, 2005. Its Douglas construction number is 34370 and it was built in 1945. It is based at the Van Nuys Airport.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Camarillo Airport on August 28, 2005.

Marine Corps C-117D, BuNo 50826 on display at the Pima County Air Museum on September 26, 2005.

Douglas DC-3C, N2805J at Edwards Air Force Base on October 21, 2005. It served the Army Air Corps as 43-16369. Its Douglas construction number is 20835. Warbirds of America Squadron 14, Inc. has restored it as AC-47, 43-48770 Spooky.

Link the American Flight Museum Squadron 14 web page.

Paralift Incorporated's DC-3-G202A, N20TW carries Douglas construction number 2236. It is 65 years old. It was delivered to Eastern Airlines as DC-3-201C, NC25648 in June 1940. It flew for North Central Airlines from May 1967 until April 1978. It has been registerd to Paralift Incorporated since February 1988. It provides students of the Air Force Test Pilot School with proficiency training in unfamiliar airplane types.

Douglas DC-3, N101KC Rose at Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005, the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the DC-3.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005. Its Douglas construction number is 34370 and it was built in 1945. It is based at the Van Nuys Airport.

Douglas DC-3C-S1C3G, N1XP Duggy at Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005. Its Douglas construction number is 4733 and it was built in 1942.

Saturday, December 17 was the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC-3 at the Santa Monica Airport. To commemorate the event, the Santa Monica Museum of Flying broke ground for a new DC-3 memorial and staged a formation flyover of DC-3s at the Santa Monica Airport. Several vintage airplanes were displayed to the public, including Bob Odegaard's Goodyear F2G-1 Super Corsair.

C-47A-90 43-15977 Seventh Heaven at the Castle Museum on January 21, 2006.

C-53D, N45366 at Chino on May 21, 2006. It carries Douglas construction number is 11757. It was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-53D, 42-68830. It is in the collection of the Inland Empire Wing of the Commemorative Air Force at the Riverside, California Airport.

Douglas C-53D, N45366 fires up its port engine at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Douglas C-53D, N45366 at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Mitsubishi A6M5 "Zero" NX46770 lands as Douglas C-53D, N45366 waits to take off at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat, NX12260 and General Motors FM-2 Wildcat, N29FG land as Douglas C-53D, N45366 waits to take off at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Douglas C-53D, N45366 at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at Camarillo on June 12, 2006.

C-53D, N45366 at Camarillo on August 19, 2006.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at Camarillo on August 19, 2006.

Douglas DC-2-118B, NC1934D at the Santa Maria Airport on August 25, 2006. It was recently painted by Art Craft. It is now in the collection of the Seattle Museum of Flight.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D at the Santa Maria Airport on August 25, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D sits in the sunlight for the first time after being painted on August 25, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D at the Santa Maria Airport on August 25, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D on static display at the Santa Maria Airport Thunder Over the Valley show on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D on static display with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D on static display with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006. The DC-2 is powered by a pair of Wright Cyclone, 1,820 cubic inch, one bank, nine cylinder engines. The DC-3 is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp, 1,830 cubic inch, two bank, fourteen cylinder engines.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D on static display with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor at the Santa Maria Airport on August 26, 2006.

DC-2-118B, NC1934D on static display with DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor.

Baja Air DC-3-65TP, N145RD at the Santa Maria Airport on October 2, 2006.

The Baja Air logo has been removed from the tail of DC-3-65TP, N145RD.

DC-3-65TP, N145RD has been modified with turbo-prop engines and five-bladed propellers.

DC-3-65TP, N145RD

DC-3-65TP, N145RD in front of the Art Craft paint hangar at Santa Maria.

DC-3-65TP, N145RD

Douglas DC-3C, N2805J at the Naval Air Station Point Mugu airshow on March 31, 2007. It served the Army Air Corps as 43-16369. Its Douglas construction number is 20835. Warbirds of America Squadron 14, Inc. has restored it as AC-47, 43-48770 Spooky.

Link the American Flight Museum Squadron 14 web page.

Douglas DC-3C, N2805J at the Naval Air Station Point Mugu airshow on March 31, 2007.

Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N45366 D-Day Doll at Gillespie Field, el Cajon, California on June 15, 2007.

Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N45366 D-Day Doll at Gillespie Field, el Cajon, California on June 16, 2007.

Nose art on Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, N45366 D-Day Doll.

Commemorative Air Force Douglas C-47A Skytrain N147AZ at Luke Air Force Base on March 18, 2018. It was delivered to the Army Air Force as 42-23518 on April 19, 1943. Its construction number is 9380. It served with the US Army in North Africa in World War II. It entered the civil register as Amnerican Air Express NC53426 on June 10, 1947 and has had many operators over the years. ADA Industrial Building Corporation redistered it as N53ST on May 4, 1980. The American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum accquired it on May 28, 1915 and registered it as N147AZ on February 5, 2016.

Historic Flight Foundation Douglas Douglas DC-3C N877MG in Pan American Airways livery at Deer Valley , Arizona on March 18, 2018. It was originally delivered to the Army Air Force as C-47B 43-16340 on July 31, 1944. Its construction number is 20806. It was transferred to China National Aviation Corporation on August 16, 1944. C.L. Chennault and W. Willaur registered it as N8350C in December 1949. Grand Central Aircraft registered it as N37800 on May 27, 1953. Johnson & Johnson acquired it on October 22, 1953 and registered it as N800J. S.A. Tampos and G. Nash registered it as N8009 on June 22, 1959. Tiburzi Tours Incorporated acquired it in April 1971. Club Passport Incorporated acquired it in May 1971. Air Nashua Corporation acquired it in 1975. International Shoe Machine Corporation acquired it on July 6, 1978. Victoria Forest & Scout LLC registered it as N877MG on January 23, 1996. Historic Flight Foundation acquired it on October 31, 2012.

Historic Flight Foundation Douglas DC-3C N877MG at Deer Valley , Arizona on March 18, 2018.

More Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 History
1970s - 1980s

December 17, 2005 was the 70th Anniversary of the first flight of the Douglas DC-3 at the Santa Monica Airport. Here's a collection of photos of DC-2 and DC-3 variants spanning the years 1972 to 1989.

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Douglas DC-3 Variants

2009 Calendar

You can buy a 2009 calendar featuring my photographs of Douglas DC-3 Variants.

A dozen photos of variants of Douglas DC-3s, taken over a span of thirty years. DC-3s pictured include:

PCA DC-3 N50CE, San Francisco International Airport, August 6, 1974
DC-3 N25CE Puff, Santa Barbara Airport, October 1985
DC-3C N403JB Pegasus, Santa Barbara Airport, October 16, 1985
Salair DC-3C, N3FY, Santa Barbara Airport, May 10, 1988
Douglas Historical Foundation DC-2-118B NC1934D in TWA livery Marine Corp Air Station el Toro, April 29, 1989
Lisunov Li-2T Yellow 03, Zhukovsky, Russia, September 5, 1993
Royal Air Force Dakota, Farnborough Airshow, September 11, 1994
Air Atlantique DC-3 G-AMPO, Farnborough Airshow, September 11, 1994
DC-3-253 NC41HQ (C-41 38-0502), Nellis Air Force Base, April 25, 1997
DC-3 N101KC Rose, Hawthorne Airport, Friday, July 9, 2004
DC-3 N20TW, Edwards Air Force Base, August 19, 2005
DC-3C N814CL Mainliner O'Connor, Camarillo, June 12, 2006

Put a copy of the Douglas DC-3 Variants: 2009 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart.

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Send a message to Brian.

Go to home page of the Goleta Air and Space Museum.

Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 History 1990s - Present

More Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 History 1970s - 1980s

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Douglas DC-3 Variants

2009 Calendar

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Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 History
1990s - Present

More Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 History
1970s - 1980s