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(LACK OF) DC-3/C47 Dakota Reference Books


viscount806x

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Thinking today about the new Airfix Dak which has been discussed recently regarding various configurations, can any members out there suggest some good reference books? I did have a little look myself but they seem a bit thin on the ground. I'm thinking along the lines of exhausts, engines, oil cooler intakes etc.

I have a few kits in hand but the more I look, the worse the confusion seems to get. Is there anything definitive about out there?

Nige B

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Sadly there is very little out there aimed at modellers, could do with a Warpaint style publication! Air-Britain have published a couple of hefty tomes but they are rather pricey, I got the second one at a bargain price but although there are lots of photos its not aimed at the modeller

cheers, paul

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Is there not a Squadron Signal "in Action"? Possibly long out of print. There was a Profile - even longer gone. I suspect you may have to choose a set of markings that are available, and go with whatever suits that from the advice on the transfer sheet. Just what period/role are you thinking of? RAF? USAAF? Civil? WW2? Vietnam?

The key recognition difference I recall is that C-47Bs have the longer air intake on top of the cowling. At least it's a start.

Edited by Graham Boak
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Cheers guys, it is as I thought then, not a lot about.

Graham, I know of the Profile - I have a few Profiles and although tempted by one recently, albeit at an inflation busting (upwards) price, I left it. They were good for their time but seemed to concentrate on colour schemes rather than the stuff I'm looking for. As I see it the C47B had different engines thus the different intake variations.

Back to old fashioned research then on this one. We perhaps get used, these days, to googling instant answers and lose the old skills!

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Just scanning my hard drive I see I have collected a few..... I wouldn't think there is a 'definitive' publiction. It's likely there is better info on the net.

DC-3 pre-1942 Profile Number 96

Dakota Mk I-IV Profile Number 220

R4D variants Profile Number 249

De Geschiedenis van de Douglas Dakota

Douglas DC-3/Lisunov Li-2 (Illustrierte Reihe fur den Typensammler â„–21

Aviation Classics 22: Douglas DC-3/C-47 Dakota

The Douglas DC-3 (Aeroplane Classic Airliner)

Squadron-Signal 149

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on the website boxartden.com all the old profiles are available to download for free including the dakota, click on modelling references icon.

Thanks for that Paul, that is an excellent website which I hadn't previously encountered.

Nige B

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Didn't IPMS UK do a run down on variants about 20+ years ago? My copy is long lost unfortunately but I *think* it was a reprint from IPMS USA. As far as I recall it didn't cover Lisunov or Showa licence built versions though.

Trevor

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Arthur Pearcy is (was?) The Man when it came to the DC-3/Dakota: he wrote the Ian Allen At War title and sundry other works on the subject. I haven't checked but I shouldn't be surprised if he also wrote the Air Britain book: without him it just wouldn't have been as good as it could have been. Apart from any A-B offering, his magnum opus wasThe Dakota, published by Ian Allen in 1972. 320 pages of which the last 80 are B/W photos. No doubt expensive on the second hand market but worth looking out for.

IPMS mag did do a very good article with drawings on Dakota variations but I can't remember when that was either. Short of that, Squadron Signal 149 C-47 Skytrain In Action has the usual drawings showing variations between variants of the C-47 family, from DC-1 to C-117 not forgetting the Li-2 and L2D Tabby. If anyone is interested, I have an absolutely mint copy for sale (duplicated purchase): yours for £6 plus £2 p&p.

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I

Didn't IPMS UK do a run down on variants about 20+ years ago? My copy is long lost unfortunately but I *think* it was a reprint from IPMS USA. As far as I recall it didn't cover Lisunov or Showa licence built versions though.

Trevor

I would be very interested in this article, mainly if it has details on the undercarriage of the pre-war DC-3. Details of the issue in which it was printed would help too.

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I would be very interested in this article, mainly if it has details on the undercarriage of the pre-war DC-3.

If I recall correctly, it didn't: it wasn't that detailed! More side views of the different fuselage configurations.

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The Air Britain "book", which was three volumes and has now had a fourth added, was by Jennifer Gradridge, relying of course on the worldwide network of Air Britain and other DC-3 enthusiasts. Which probably did include Arthur Piercey, though his core speciality was USAAF aircraft operating in Europe. The work is dedicated to a near-complete history of each individual airframe (and predominantly civil, at that) rather than being a technical or operational history, and as such only tangentially interesting to most modellers.

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Gents (and Ladies), may we assume then, from this discussion, that we still need a 'modellers reference' book from the likes of Warpaint / 4+ / Valiant Wings then? Isn't it strange considering that we have several books covering marginal types (cue gasps of horror and much trolling getting going) such as the Welkin, Scimitar, (insert here one of your own choice) and the Dak has been almost ignored?

Hopefully some kind soul is following this thread and might oblige us. Thanks to all for the contributions. Sorry if I upset anyone by paragraph 1 above.

Nige

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Evening Nige,

sorry to be 'tail-end Charlie', a few more you could try to obtain:-

No.1 has already been mentioned,

Title Author(s) Publisher

1. Dakota at War, Arthur Pearcy, Ian Allan, H/B, ISBN 0 7110 1217 2

2. Fifty Glorious Years, Arthur Pearcy, Airlife, H/B, ISBN 0 9063 9349 3

3. The Dakota, Jacques Borge / Nicolas Viasnoff Warne H/B ISBN 0 7232 2963 5 (English Version)

4. DC-3 and C-47 Gooney Birds Michael O'Leary Airlife C/C ISBN 1 8531 0379 9

5. Useful ? website, http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-c-47-books.html with just a 'few' more ideas!

There is the fore runner of No.2? 40 Glorious Years and the sequel, 60 Glorious Years.

The above are principally photo essays, BUT, do contain some superb interior shots and photo's of pre war liveries.

The one exception so far is No.3, which takes you through the lineage from the DC-1 to the Super DC-3 via the C-47, Li-2 and 'Tabby'.

Also for the pedantic, the MAJORITY of DC-3's (exclusions mainly in central and south America) became C-something, as did the DC-2's,

starting with the C-33 and running to the C-117 :wicked:

HTH,

Paul

Edited by PhoenixII
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Evening Nige,

sorry to be 'tail-end Charlie', a few more you could try to obtain:-

No.1 has already been mentioned,

Title Author(s) Publisher

1. Dakota at War, Arthur Pearcy, Ian Allan, H/B, ISBN 0 7110 1217 2

2. Fifty Glorious Years, Arthur Pearcy, Airlife, H/B, ISBN 0 9063 9349 3

3. The Dakota, Jacques Borge / Nicolas Viasnoff Warne H/B ISBN 0 7232 2963 5 (English Version)

4. DC-3 and C-47 Gooney Birds Michael O'Leary Airlife C/C ISBN 1 8531 0379 9

5. Useful ? website, http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-c-47-books.html with just a 'few' more ideas!

There is the fore runner of No.2? 40 Glorious Years and the sequel, 60 Glorious Years.

The above are principally photo essays, BUT, do contain some superb interior shots and photo's of pre war liveries.

The one exception so far is No.3, which takes you through the lineage from the DC-1 to the Super DC-3 via the C-47, Li-2 and 'Tabby'.

Also for the pedantic, the MAJORITY of DC-3's (exclusions mainly in central and south America) became C-something, as did the DC-2's,

starting with the C-33 and running to the C-117 :wicked:

HTH,

Paul

Thanks for taking time to put that lot up Paul, appreciated, Nige

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  • 8 months later...

Just FYI the following title is excellent (covers all civilian and military variants in great detail) has loads of photos even of some obscure variants

and best of all can be found dirt cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/The-DC-3-Years-Legendary-Flight/dp/0830681949

Thanks for that Panoz, I have ordered one but unfortunately not quite so dirt cheap here in the UK as on the US Amazon site linked above.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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