Transports

[R Pope]

Gooney Bird rules! One C47 was equipped with a monster set of Edo floats and amphibious gear. It was way too high to load and unload easily, so no more were built.

 

[plan_D]

The Ju-52 did have more to its looks but it wasn't better. Plus when the Russians got hold of the C-47 (Russian designation Li-2) they turned a few into gunships, and the Americans copied the idea and called them Spookies, I don't believe any were used in World War 2 but they paved way for the A-130 Spectre gunship.

 

[Lightning Guy]

The AC-47 didn't come along until Vietnam. It carried 3 7.62mm "miniguns" which would each put out 6,000rpm. These bad boys were turned loose on the Ho Chi Min Trail and were murderously effective.

The Japanese also copied the C-47. There version was called the L2D "Tabby" and about 500 were eventually built.

 

[plan_D]

Yes, well the AC-47 was a copied idea off the Russians. And as I said led to the AC-130 which gave those down in Fallujah a rude wake up.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i prefer the C-47 to the 52....................

 

[cheddar cheese]

i dont, but admittedly the c-47 was more effective 8)

 

[plan_D]

The Ju-52 was very effective early war, Poland, France, Crete, North Africa. The C-47 was better though.

 

[Lightning Guy]

North Africa was also the beginning of the end for the Ju-52. P-38s patroling the supply lines made a turkey shoot out of them and B-25 pilots even managed to shoot some down.

 

[plan_D]

The P-38 in 1943 yes, but the British were there from 1941. The N. African campaign was the last for the Ju-52 on a huge scale though.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it was very efective at dropping paratroopers as well.............

 

[Lightning Guy]

But again, it only had the chance to do that early in the war when Germany was still on the offensive.

 

[MP-Willow]

WEll the Ju-52 a great trimoter was just a great thing. The 52 still served well to the end of the war. Were did you read about the B-25 kills of Ju-52s?

The Russians armed transports, Li-2 were even a little better then the C-47s. They looked a little more rugged. The japs coppied downed Goonie Birds. It was also the first AirForce One. Or was that the C-54? I should check my notes. Any pictures of the C-47 on floats? Now we are talking

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

I have one, but unfourtunately, I don't have a scanner. All i can say is that it looks ultra-class!

 

[MP-Willow]

Thanks. I was just woundering!

 

[Lightning Guy]

Impressive pic. According to the book Airwar, by Edward Jablonksi, on April 11, 1943 a group of B-25s escorted by P-38s was flying a shipping sweep over the Med. when they came across of group of Ju-52s. Both the Mitchells and Lightnings joined in the fun and shot down 21 of the Junkers. There is a pretty cool pic in the book, if I had a scanner I'd post it.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i've got pics of it too...................

 

[cheddar cheese]

impressive pic, its only a model

 

[Crazy]

After some google sleuthing, I give you, the XC-47C!

 

[Lightning Guy]

Those couldn't have done much for performance or handling.

 

[plan_D]

The Li-2 was a copy of the C-47, but the Russians turned them into Gunships, as well as transports. Which the Americans then copied which became the AC-47 Spooky.

The Ju-52 wasn't impressive by late war, the paratroop operations of the Germans was minimal. And the transport was mainly done on the ground.
Apart from in the few encircling incidents that the Germans got themselves into. I say few because the Germans were very good at organisation and would be able to retreat before being encircled.