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For collectors and model airplane buff's, or those seeking an incredibly impressive gift, here is a model so unique you don't want to miss out. This replica is of one of the most famous aircraft of all times. The Douglas DC 3 marked its 70 th anniversary last year, and at least 1000 of them are still flying. The plane was first conceived as a sleeper version of the DC-2 which was introduced shortly before and had good sales success. Called the DST for Douglas Sleeper Transport, it was the product of close collaboration between Douglas designers and American Airlines. It was a bigger airplane than the DC-2. At 95 feet, the wing span was 10 feet greater. The fuselage was 30 inches longer. The cabin was 26 inches wider to accommodate the desired sleeping berths. It had a non-stop range more than 50 percent greater than the DC-2. The wider fuselage and the longer range made a world of difference in aviation. Douglas saw the advantage and immediately put a day coach version into production, calling it the DC-3. No one guessed it would become history's most celebrated aircraft.

It achieves a level of excellence unparalleled in production model making. No one, even custom professional model makers, can do as well as this level of accuracy at anywhere near this price and a new desktop stand is now included.

Our DC-3 painted in Pan American Airlines livery  is designed and built in the same fashion as the real planes using frame and rib construction. The attention to detail is outstanding with working control surfaces, i.e. ailerons, rudder and elevator. The frames and ribs are wood, and are covered in silk which is then painted. The engine's  propellers spin. The nacelles are of made of spun aluminum, and the doors and hatches use aluminum sheet, The cockpit and all windows are accurately replicated. Everything is authentic to the period, and includes historically correct markings and colors.

DIMENSIONS are 38 1/4" wingspan, 26 1/2" long, 6 3/4" high.

 

Looks just like the real plane        Detail of engine nacelle and cooling flaps                 Authentic landing gear                 Exact replica of the real plane

   

HISTORY: The DC-3 first flew on December 17, 1935 (the 32nd. anniversary of the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk). The plane was the result of a collaboration between American Airlines, CEO C.R. Smith who wanted improvements in the design of the DC-2 and American. The amenities of the DC-3 (including sleeping berths on early models and an in-flight kitchen) popularized air travel in the U.S. With just one refueling stop, transcontinental flights across America became possible.

 

Early U.S. airlines ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry, quickly replacing trains as the favored means of long-distance travel across the United States.

During World War II, many civilian DC-3s were drafted for the war effort and thousands of military versions of the DC-3 were built under the designations C-47, C-53, and the Navy's R4D. The armed forces of many countries used the DC-3 and its military variants for the transport of troops, cargo and wounded. Over 10,000 aircraft were produced.

After the war, thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civil service, and became the standard equipment of almost all the world's airlines, remaining in front-line service for many years. The ready availability of ex-military examples of this cheap, easily maintained aircraft (it was both large and fast by the standards of the day) jump-started the worldwide post-war air transport industry. Douglas had developed an improved version with a greater cargo capacity and a different wing which it attempted to sell during this time frame, but with all these surplus aircraft, the Super DC-3 did not sell.

Numerous attempts were made to design a "DC-3 replacement" over the next three decades, but no single type could match the versatility, rugged reliability, and economy of the DC-3, and it remained a significant part of air transport systems well into the 1970s. Even today, 70 years after the DC-3 first flew, there are still small operators with DC-3s in revenue service and as cargo planes. The common saying among aviation buffs and pilots is that "The only replacement for a DC-3 is another DC-3." The ability to start and land on grass or dirt runways also makes it popular in developing countries where the runways may not always be tarmac.

Production

10,655 DC-3s were built in both civil and military versions. 2000 or so were built in Russia under license as the Lisunov Li-2 . 485 built in Japan as the L2D Type 0 transport. More than 400 remained in commercial service in 1998.

SPECIFICATIONS appear stand's plaque:

General characteristics

• Capacity: 2 crew, 21 to 32 passengers
• Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.65 m)
• Wingspan: 95 ft (28.96 m)
• Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m)
• Empty weight: 18,300 lb (8,300 kg)
• Loaded weight: 25,200 lb (11,400 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 28,000 lb (12,700 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW)
• Propeller: 7149-A, three Hamilton Standard propeller blades

 

Performance

• Maximum speed: 237 mph (381 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 170 mph (274 km/h)
• Range: 1,025 miles (1,650 km)
• Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,315 m)

Edited from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia