1937-1969

 



 

The Douglas DC3 is, quite simply, one of the most important transport aircraft ever built. First flying on December 17, 1935, the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) as it was originally known, was to set the standards in air transport across the World and was to prove invaluable as a troop transport in the Second World War.
Indeed, the overwhelming majority of the 10,655 DC3s built for Allied use in that conflict and their wide availability when peace came was to be a major reason for the type's worldwide popularity. Afurther 2,500 were built under licence in the former Soviet Union as the PS84, later Lisunov Li2, and Nakajima and Showa built the type in Japan as the L2D.
With so many former military aircraft available it is no wonder that still today, after more than 55 years after the type's first flight, several hundred remain airworthy, both with small airlines and historic operators.
The original DST was born as a result of American Airlines' need for a transport that had the range of the earlier DC2, but with room for sleeping berths. The resulting design had longer wings than the DC2, wider fuselage, more powerful engines and a modified tail. Two versions were planned - the DST with 14 berths and the DC3, with 21 seats.
The first DST lifted off from Santa Monica in California with 1,000hp Wright Cyclone SGR-1820-G2 piston engines and the type entered service with American on June 25, 1936 between New York and Chicago.
Forty DSTs were built but the DC3 quickly became the standard version. About 400 had been built before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour brought the Americans into the war, and created the immediate need for a reliable troop transport.
Swissair ordered it's Original 5 DC-3's before WWII, and introduced a nonstop Zurich-London route, one of the longest routes at the time. During the war Swissair adopted a special color scheme, symbolising neutrality, as seen above. After the Second WW many former military DC-3's and C-47 became available, and the DC-3 quickly became the most important airplane in the post-war fleets of most airlines, including Swissair. The last DC-3/C-47 stayed in service at Swissair as long as the 1960's.
And Swissair DC-3's are still flying today! You can still fly in a DC-3 from Zurich to London in Ju-Air's DC-3 service, complete in Swissair 1940's colors.

 

Manufacturer
Douglas Aircraft Inc., Santa Monica, CA (USA)
Span
28.96 m
Length 
19.66 m
Height 
5.85 m
Power (HP)  
2 x 1100
Cruising Speed
280 km/h
Passengers
21
Range
870 km
Area of Operation
Europe

 

HB-IRA

Douglas-Fokker DC-3-216

# 1945

10.06.1937

30.03.1955

 Delivered new as HB-IRA in 1937, bought for 527'000 CHF.
Sold in 1955. Flew as N2815D, then N141D at Ozark Airlines

HB-IRE

Douglas-Fokker DC-3-276

# 2121

10.05.1939

18.02.1955

 Delivered as HB-IRE in 1939. After being sold to Ozark Airlines in 1955 it flew in the US as N2818D and was re-registered to N144D. IN 1967 sold toSouthern Airways as N61SA. Last Registration was N817N.

HB-IRI

Douglas-Fokker DC-3-216

# 1946

22.06.1937

28.03.1955

 Delivered to Swissair in 1937 as HB-IRI. Sold in 1955. Flew as N2816D, then N142D at Ozark Airlines until 1966

HB-IRO

Douglas-Fokker DC-3-227A

# 2054

31.10.1938

08.03.1955

 delivered as HB-IRO, sold in 1955, flew as N2817D and N143D at Ozark Airlines, then sold to Academy Airlines in 1967. Now Flying in Herpa Colors of the german miniature Model producer.

HB-IRU

Douglas-Fokker DC-3-268

# 2132

08.08.1939

20.05.1940

 Delivered as HB-IRU, sold to swedish Airline ABA in 1940 as SE-BAG.
Shot down by a Ju88, German military aircraft, on October 22nd, 1943 killing 13 of 15 persons onboard.
 

DC-3D
 

HB-IRB

Douglas DC-3D

# 42969

20.03.1946

19.06.1962

First delivered as N34973, then sold to Swissair in 1946 as HB-IRB. Was sold to Norway in 1962 as LN-LMK, then South Africa with Comair as ZS-DXW, and last in Ethiopia as ET-AIB.

HB-IRC

Douglas DC-3D

# 42978

18.04.1946

09.05.1969

 First flew as NC34982. Was sold to Swissair in 1946 and reg'd HB-IRC. Since April 1st 1964 used by Swissair Aviation School. Sold to South Africa in 1969 as ZS-FRJ. Flew with Swazi-Air as 3D-ABI, and was withdrawn from use in 1976.

 C47-B
 

HB-IRD

Douglas C-47B-5-DK

# 14609 / 26054

15.02.1946

26.04.1950

Military Version flew as 43-48793. Bought by Swissair for CHF 600'000 in 1946 and reg'd HB-IRD. Sold to Israel in 1950, where it flew as 4X-FAH, 4X-ACW, 4X-FNI, and for military as Reg# 008. Was later sold to the US, with new registration N269LM (seen on picture, still in Israeli AF Colors). This plane was used as a freighter by Swissair

HB-IRF

Douglas C-47B-10-DK

# 15020 / 26465

29.05.1946

18.11.1960

 Military Version as 43-49204. Bought by Swissair for CHF 355'000 in 1946 and reg'd HB-IRF. Sold to Spantax in 1960 as EC-AQF, then, according to different sources, either to the US as N99873 or Ethiopia as ET-AGK.

HB-IRG

Douglas C-47B-1-DK

# 14196 / 25641

04.02.1946

08.10.1960

 Military Version flew as 43-48380. Bought by Swissair in 1946 for CHF 293'000 and reg'd HB-IRG. Sold to Spantax in 1960 as EC-AQE, and written off after a crash in Madrid in Sep. 1972. Now used as a billboard...

HB-IRL

Douglas C-47B-10-DK

# 14814 / 26259

30.01.1947

05.02.1961

Military Version flew as 43-48998, then KJ966 for RAF (GB). Sold to Swissair as HB-IRL for CHF 287'000. In 1961 the aircraft went to Katanga, Africa, as KA-DFN, where it was broken up for spares.

HB-IRM

Douglas C-47B-30-DK

# 16191 / 32939

10.04.1947

23.02.1961

 Built in 1945 in military version as 44-76607 (US) and later KN465 (GB). Bought by Swissair in 1947 for CHF 283'000 and reg'd HB-IRM. Then sold to Morocco as CN-ALB in 1961 and lateron to the US as N54605. It was written off after beeing damaged by a storm in Reykjavik in december of 1980

HB-IRN

Douglas C-47B-35-DK

# 16645 / 33393

08.03.1947

13.05.1969

 USAF as 44-77061, then RAF as KN683. Sold to Swissair in 1947 for CHF 283'000 as HB-IRN. Flew with Swissair until 1964, then went to Swissair Aviation School until 1969. It was then given to the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne, Switzerland, after beeing restored by the Swissair Fokker Team, where it can still be seen today. Is not the one standing in Munich! (see below)

HB-IRX

Douglas C-47B-5-DK

# 14717 / 26162

11.07.1947

06.06.1969

At USAF as 43-48901, then sold to Switzerland, where it was first registered HB-ATI with ALPAR, but then went to Swissair and was re-registered HB-IRX. Since 1964 it was flown by the SLS (Swissair Aviation School) for pilot training. The Aircraft was used as a freighter by Swissair.
Later sold to Ethipia as ET-ADC.

 C-47A & C47B-DL
 

HB-IRH

Douglas C-47A-25-DK

# 13483

24.08.1951

26.09.1952

Military as 42-93558 (US), and KG666 (GB). Went to Ethiopian Airlines as ET-T-15, then leased by Swissair from 1951 to 1952 and reg'd HB-IRH. Returned to Ethipia as ET-T-15, later re-registered as ET-AAT, and written off after an accident due to cross-connected aileron cables after maintenance!!

HB-IRK

Douglas C-47B-1-DL

# 20737

10.09.1947

18.06.1957

 US Military 43-16281. Sold to Swissair in 1947 as HB-IRK for CHF 216'000. In 1957 the aircraft went into a spin and crashed into the water of Lake Constance between Romanshorn and Arborn leaving no survivors.

 non-swissair
 

HB-IRN #2

Douglas C47-DL

# 4828

 

Ex 41-20058 (USAF), re-registered as NC34989 after the war. Then sold to DDL, Danish Airlines as OY-DCA, then SAS as OY-KLE, Kar-Air as OH-VKA and NorFly as LN-KLV. Ended up on display on the visitors Deck in Frankfurt wearing fictional reg's: "N65371" and then "LN-KLV" still in NorFly Colors. The colors were then removed, and "N569R" applied.
The Aircraft was then moved to Munich in 1993 and is now on display as Swissair's "HB-IRN". The 'real' HB-IRN is also in display, in Lucerne Switzerland

HB-ISB

Douglas C47-DL

# 4666

 

This aircraft was built by Douglas in 1941 and was USAF 41-18541. Later acquired by C.H. Babb Inc, California, USA.
On June 8th, 1946 the aircraft was acquired by Canadian Pacific Airlines. and re-registered as CF-CPW. On august 28th, 1957 the aircraft was acquired by Transair, Canada & re-registered as CF-TAS, later to C-FTAS.
The aircraft was then bought by swiss airline Classic Air and re-registered as HB-ISB. During a short period of time it also flied in Swissair colors.

HB-ISC

Douglas C47A-45-DL

# 9995

 

Ex USAF 42-24133, then NC65266, NC6K, N88Y, N88YA and G-BMCR. The Aircraft was bought by Classic Air and flew with them until Ju-Air took over the Aircraft.
HB-ISC is now flying in Swissair colors, and flights can be booked via www.swissair-dc3.ch.

 
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last update January 2013