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The C47 had something no aircraft from Germany could dream of it was a simple and not overly engineered aircraft. In the RCAF/CAF they designed a replacement for it it was called a DHC 4 Caribou a good aircraft in its own right with a fair combat record in Viet Nam . The Dak out lived the Caribou in the RCAF/CAF . That says a great deal .
No problemWell FLYBOYJ I guess we have to agree to disagree on this.
Wanna bet?The DC-3 didn't evolve any more than most other a/c, and I doubt it was anymore easily adapted than most other a/c either.
And you actually spelled out why this aircraft is not only the greatest aircraft to emerge from WW2, but probably the greatest aircraft of all time.The thing that made the DC-3 a success was mainly that it was reliable cheap, something which often seems to win out over superior performance technology.
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Was the DC-3 for example capable of acting as a bomber ? No. By comparison the Ju-290 for example could act both as a long range heavy bomber, transport, passenger reconnaissance a/c. I'm not saying the Ju-290 is a´better a/c, but it could fulfill more roles. The downside is the far higher complexity of the Ju-290.
Do you mean C-130 probably the 2nd greatest aircraft ever built?The pictures don't prove anything though, many a/c were reengined numerous times with no problem. And as for rockets, well the nr. of a/c whihc used this with success is impossible to count, the Germans often used it on their transport a/c when hauling extreme loads off of short airfields.
Also what is greater about the DC-3 compared to the C-113 Hercules for example ? I don't see anything.
The B-18 actually competed against the B-17 and although eventually found inferior, it was widely used as a trainer, same with the B-23. Both aircraft were used in ASW operations and I think the B-18 was one of the first aircraft to carry MAD equipment in the ASW role.Did you guys miss Juha's post on the use of the Russian Li-2 as a bomber? (in that context it was a considerably more capable bomber than the Ju 52 had been used as)
Also there was the B-18 (from DC-2) and B-23 developed from The DC-3. THe B-23 was a decent medium bomber for the time, though inferior to the B-25 and B-26.
I do not think you can say that the Ju 290 was able to be used in more roles. Please list all the roles that the Ju 290 could perform and all the roles that the C-47 could perform. Lets put this one to the test. Do not take me wrong, I am sure the 290 could perform more roles. It was a bigger aircraft and capable of performing more roles. I just don't think you give the C-47 eneogh credit.
Well nearly every twin engined a/c of the war could be used as a bomber (The Mosquito for example), but not nearly to the extent of a/c like the Ju-290
The aircraft was also modified when it entered Russian Air Force service to act as a bomber and night attack aircraft, so bomb bays were incorporated along with external bomb racks and an upper fuselage turret for defense. This turret was also incorporated into the cargo/passenger versions as the PS-84/Li-2 had to operate in a hostile environment, often without fighter cover.
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Also included are numerous war-time exploits of these planes as they often had to carry out bombing raids or cargo missions without fighter escort. PS-84/Li-2s were the main equipment of several bomber regiments as there was little in the way of a pure cargo requirement until much later in the war.
The B-18 actually competed against the B-17 and although eventually found inferior, it was widely used as a trainer, same with the B-23. Both aircraft were used in ASW operations and I think the B-18 was one of the first aircraft to carry MAD equipment in the ASW role.
That depends where you live , I'm sure aviation meant alot in Europe but it was nowhere near as important as it was in North America or Australia . The Junkers aircraft were well respected in the aviation communitiesNow if being the best is all about being simple cheap, then I think the Ju-52 deserves a mention. This a/c was also used well after the war for a variety of roles. But I wouldn't consider it the best a/c of the war or ever to fly at all.
Simplicity. The DC-4 brought in a new era when airliners weren't operated on dirt and grass strips anymore. In the post war years the DC-3 was looked upon like the 737 or the A319/320 is today. It was perfect for short/medium routes and in the end was more cost effective to operate.Btw, what makes the DC-3 a much better a/c than the DC-4 for example ?
And that's what made it "the best.". It was cheap, simple very dependable and could carry out a number of roles well, that's it.