DC-3 OH-LCH
Year built
1942
Aircraft
C-53C Skytrooper
Base
Helsinki-Malmi Airport
The aircraft was built in the Douglas Aircraft Company factory in Santa Monica, California and was completed on Christmas Eve 1942. It had been ordered by Pan American Airways, and it had been intended for their routes in Latin America. However, because of the war, the aircraft was handed over to the United States Armed Forces on 27 December 1942, and from the spring of 1943 to the fall of that year, it served in the Northern Atlantic branch of the Transport Wing, probably at Presque Isle, Maine. Late in the fall of 1944, the aircraft was transferred to the Eighth Air Force in Europe, and after the war, it was moved to the Oberpfaffenhofen centre in Germany.
In 1948 the State of Finland purchased the aircraft for use by Aero. Its first scheduled passenger flight took place on 21 July 1948, on the Malmi–Vaasa–Tampere–Malmi route. During the following winter, the aircraft was furnished for passenger use. It flew until December 1960, when it had flown 22 137 hours. It was then used for spare parts but was reassembled and fitted with a freight door since Aero needed freight aircraft. It retained its previous registration and was put back to service after Midsummer 1963. Aero operated the aircraft until 1 April 1967, when it flew Aero’s last DC-3 scheduled passenger flight.
In 1970 the aircraft, along with the other DC-3s owned by Finnair, was sold to the Finnish Air Force and was given the registration DO-11. In 1985, the Air Force retired its DC-3s. and OH-LCH, along with OH-LCD, were sold to Airveteran Oy. The latter aircraft is now at the Finnish Aviation Museum.
OH-LCH is based at Malmi Airport, from where it operates passenger flights. One has to be a member of the Finnish DC Association to be able to fly on the aircraft. The winter months are spent in a hangar at Vaasa Airport.
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Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 was a revolutionary propeller-driven airliner that significantly impacted the airline industry during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as during World War II. It was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company as an improved version of the Douglas DC-2, with a larger and more comfortable 14-bed sleeper, which helped to set a new standard in air travel.
The aircraft is a low-wing metal monoplane with conventional landing gear, powered by two radial piston engines that produce 1,000-1,200 hp (750-890 kW). Although most DC-3s that are still flying today use Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines, many of the planes originally built for civil service were equipped with the Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine. This engine was less powerful than the Twin Wasp, but it was more economical and reliable.
The DC-3 was a notable improvement in many ways compared to previous aircraft. It was faster, more reliable, and had a longer range, providing passengers with greater comfort. Prior to the war, it pioneered many air travel routes and was capable of crossing the continental US from New York to Los Angeles in just 18 hours with only three stops. Additionally, it was one of the first airliners to efficiently carry only passengers without relying on mail subsidies.
During the war, the DC-3 played a vital role as a military transport aircraft. It was used extensively by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) for a wide range of missions, including paratroop drops, aerial resupply, and medical evacuation. Military versions of the DC-3, including the C-47 Skytrain (known as the Dakota in British RAF service), as well as Soviet- and Japanese-built versions, brought total production to over 16,000.
Following the war, the market was flooded with surplus transport aircraft, and the DC-3 was no longer competitive due to its size and speed. It was replaced on main routes by more advanced types, such as the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation, but the design proved to be adaptable and useful on less glamorous routes. Many DC-3s were converted into cargo planes, and some were modified for use as executive transports and aerial survey platforms.
Civil DC-3 production was discontinued in 1942, with a total of 607 aircraft produced. However, the DC-3 continued to serve in a variety of roles in many countries around the world. Even today, many DC-3s continue to fly in a variety of niche roles, with an estimated 2,000 still in operation in 2013 and over 300 still in service as of 2017. The aircraft's durability, versatility, and reliability make it a popular choice for operators who require a dependable workhorse that can operate from short runways in remote locations.
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