DOUGLAS DAKOTA 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 43Type: Three-crew military transport aircraft
First fl ight: December 18, 1935 (DC-3), entered service March 1943
Powerplant: Two 1,200hp (895kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radials
Dimensions: Span 95ft 0in (28.96m), length 64ft 6in (19.66m)
Weights: Empty 16,865lb (7,650kg), all-up 31,000lb (14,062kg)
Max speed: 230mph (370km/h) at 8,500ft (2,591m)
Range: 2,125 miles (3,420km)
Capacity: 28 troops and up to 6,000lb (2,722kg) of freight.
Replaced: Bristol Bombay
Taken on charge: Circa 1,900
Replaced by: Vickers ValettaDOUGLAS DAKOTA I
gradually replaced by the Vickers
Valetta, from 1950 enough examples
remained in service to take part in
leaflet dropping and ‘sky-shouting’
operations over Malaya, as part of the
anti-terrorist operations of 1956.
As late as the summer of 1966, a
pair of Dakotas remained based in
Aden and others continued to act as
VIP transports for Allied Air Forces
Northern Europe at both Northolt
near London and Oslo, Norway.
The RAF retired its final Dakota
(KN645) in April 1970, although
another example (ZA947) joined the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in
1993 to fly as a tribute to the crews
who served on the type throughout
its long history with the air arm.Above
The Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight’s
Dakota (ZA947) is
currently painted to
represent FZ692 of
233 Squadron, around
the D-Day period.
This aircraft, named
‘Kwicherbichen’ by
her crews, was
involved in para-
dropping operations
on the eve of D-Day,
and subsequently
in re-supply and
casualty evacuation
missions into and out
of forward airfi elds
in the combat areas.
ANDY HAY/WWW.
FLYINGART.CO.UKAbove left
Douglas Dakota
III FD857 of 267
Squadron RAF, based
at Bari in Italy, fl ying
over the Balkan coast
in December 1944.
The aircraft began
life as 42-23463 and
was exported to the
Indian Air Force in
1 9 4 7.Below left
The RAF Museum’s
Dakota, KN645, was
accepted for service
in May 18, 1945 and
was converted to
VIP confi guration
to be used by Gen
Montgomery. In 1970
it became the last
Dakota to be retired
by the RAF, and in
1972 it was delivered
to RAF Cosford for
display. For many
years it was painted
to represent the
Dakota in which Flt Lt
David Lord was fl ying
when he was awarded
the VC, but in 2005 it
was repainted in its
post-war scheme and
two years later was
moved into Cosford’s
National Cold War
Exhibition. STEVE
BRIDGEWATER“The Dakota fl eet was subjected to combat operations from
almost its fi rst day of usage...”