C-47

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota, slang: Gooney bird, is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allied Forces during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.

C-47 in "Cayos in the Stream"

Ernest Hemingway was flown on a C-47 from Cuba to Miami, en route to Washington, DC for his commendation for sinking a German submarine. Although the C-47 was not known for its luxury, his hosts served him rum on the plane.

C-47 in The Man With the Iron Heart

A German Freedom Front Werewolf named Ernst Neulen hijacked a C-47 in 1947, and crashed it into a courthouse in Berlin, killing hundreds and preventing (for a third time) the trials of several Nazi leaders.

C-47 in The War That Came Early

Sgt. Pete McGill trained as a paratrooper on Oahu and made several practice jumps from a C-47. Since it was practice, the aircraft flew at a higher altitude than it would during the real thing allowing McGill to float down to earth for several minutes. For McGill's first mission, the US Navy built a landing strip on Tern Island, halfway between Hawaii and Midway. When it was finished, the Navy brought in hundreds of C-47s, loaded a brigade of Marines (including McGill) and flew them for a parachute drop onto Midway.

The attack came mid-morning and when Sgt. Hideki Fujita first saw the C-47s, he thought they were Japanese Showa L2D3-1a's since the model was license built from the DC-3 which also served as the model for the military C-47.

C-47 in Worldwar

After the Race invaded the US in mid 1942, the C-47 was mainly used as a VIP transport as the Race controlled the skies. Race prisoners who were transported in the plane complained that it was a death trap.