picture 184986

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was the main aircraft available at the start of the airlift, operated by the USAF as the C-47 and by the RAF as the Dakota. The C-47 was the military version of the civilian DC-3 airliner, designed back in 1934 and had been the mainstay of Allied troop transport during the Second World War, including famously towing gliders and dropping airborne forces on D-Day. It was gradually replaced in USAF service by the bigger and faster four-engined Douglas C-54 Skymaster. The aircraft shown is Douglas C-47 Skytrain 315672 ‘Yellow 52’ USAF. This aircraft can be seen at the bottom of the image on the front cover, unloading at Tempelhof in West Berlin. (Artwork by Goran Sudar)