Book Review of
Douglas DC-3
Author: Robert Jackson
Pen & Sword Books
Flight Craft Series
ISBN: 9781526759986
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $28.95
Flight Craft Series
ISBN: 9781526759986
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $28.95
HISTORY:
No airliner in the history of commercial aviation has had a more profound effect than the Douglas DC-3. It was reliable, easy to maintain and carried passengers in grater comfort than ever before.
In the 1930’s, it pioneered many air travel routes. It could cross the continental United States and made worldwide flights possible. Yet the DC-3 was only the culmination of a development program that began with the revolutionary predecessor the DC-2, which achieved fame in establishing fast mail routes between Europe and the Far East in service with KLM, the Royal Dutch Airline, breaking records in the process.
The story of the DC-2 is also told here, as is the chronicle of the achievements and tribulations of both types of airliner as they became caught up in conflicts before and during WWII . After the war thousands of C-47’s found service in the world’s airlines jump-starting the world-wide post-war air transport industry.
How would the world’s aircraft designers, decades after the war, come up with a suitable replacement for the DC-3? Simple answer: they wouldn’t.
No airliner in the history of commercial aviation has had a more profound effect than the Douglas DC-3. It was reliable, easy to maintain and carried passengers in grater comfort than ever before.
In the 1930’s, it pioneered many air travel routes. It could cross the continental United States and made worldwide flights possible. Yet the DC-3 was only the culmination of a development program that began with the revolutionary predecessor the DC-2, which achieved fame in establishing fast mail routes between Europe and the Far East in service with KLM, the Royal Dutch Airline, breaking records in the process.
The story of the DC-2 is also told here, as is the chronicle of the achievements and tribulations of both types of airliner as they became caught up in conflicts before and during WWII . After the war thousands of C-47’s found service in the world’s airlines jump-starting the world-wide post-war air transport industry.
How would the world’s aircraft designers, decades after the war, come up with a suitable replacement for the DC-3? Simple answer: they wouldn’t.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 84 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It contains 54 black and white photos of the DC-3 and 22 color ones.
There are 2 black and white photos of the DC-3’s interior and one color photo of it.
Black and white photos of a Ford Trimotor aircraft, 3 photos of DH-66 Comets, a photo of a Junkers 52/3M, the DC-3’s engine, photos of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
One color photo shows a DC-3 as a float-plane version, another color photo of one as a fire-fighter dropping anti-fire chemicals, photo of Intra Airway’s brass badges and log books.
There are 24 color side-view illustrations containing:
A camouflaged Spanish Civil war DC-3
Two profiles of an American Airlines one.
An Ozark Airlines one.
A TWA Airlines one.
A Soviet one called a Li-2.
A Eastern Airlines one with “Great Silver Fleet” on its sides.
A Continental Airlines one.
Two profiles of KLM Airlines ones. One is overall bright red with “HOLLAND” on its sides.
A Luftwaffe one that was seized from KLM. It has fuselage code D-ARPF, is overall dark green, with yellow fuselage band and wing bottoms.
A Delta Airlines one.
A United Airlines one.
A Pan American Airlines one.
A British European Airlines one.
A BKS Aircharter one.
Two profiles of RAF ones.
A British United Airways one.
A Santa Fe Skyways one.
A Swiss Airlines one.
A Capital Airlines one.
A Trans-Canada Airlines one.
A Czechoslovakian Airlines one.
In the plastic model building section there is:
Two color box arts of Airfix brand 1/72nd scale DC-3’s and 7 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of ESCI’S 1/72ND scale DC-3, a color photo of the parts trees and 14 color photos of it built up in a diorama.
Two color box arts of Italeri’s 1/72nd scale DC-3 with 7 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of Minicraft’s 1/144th scale DC-3 with 8 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of Roden’s 1/144th scale DC-3 with 5 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of Trumpeter’s 1/48th scale DC-3, 22 color photos of it built up and 37 step by step color photos of each assembly step.
There is a full page listing of after-market items that are available from various companies.
This is a neat book on the DC-3. It will be of great interest to modelers planning to build one and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web site at:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 84 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It contains 54 black and white photos of the DC-3 and 22 color ones.
There are 2 black and white photos of the DC-3’s interior and one color photo of it.
Black and white photos of a Ford Trimotor aircraft, 3 photos of DH-66 Comets, a photo of a Junkers 52/3M, the DC-3’s engine, photos of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
One color photo shows a DC-3 as a float-plane version, another color photo of one as a fire-fighter dropping anti-fire chemicals, photo of Intra Airway’s brass badges and log books.
There are 24 color side-view illustrations containing:
A camouflaged Spanish Civil war DC-3
Two profiles of an American Airlines one.
An Ozark Airlines one.
A TWA Airlines one.
A Soviet one called a Li-2.
A Eastern Airlines one with “Great Silver Fleet” on its sides.
A Continental Airlines one.
Two profiles of KLM Airlines ones. One is overall bright red with “HOLLAND” on its sides.
A Luftwaffe one that was seized from KLM. It has fuselage code D-ARPF, is overall dark green, with yellow fuselage band and wing bottoms.
A Delta Airlines one.
A United Airlines one.
A Pan American Airlines one.
A British European Airlines one.
A BKS Aircharter one.
Two profiles of RAF ones.
A British United Airways one.
A Santa Fe Skyways one.
A Swiss Airlines one.
A Capital Airlines one.
A Trans-Canada Airlines one.
A Czechoslovakian Airlines one.
In the plastic model building section there is:
Two color box arts of Airfix brand 1/72nd scale DC-3’s and 7 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of ESCI’S 1/72ND scale DC-3, a color photo of the parts trees and 14 color photos of it built up in a diorama.
Two color box arts of Italeri’s 1/72nd scale DC-3 with 7 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of Minicraft’s 1/144th scale DC-3 with 8 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of Roden’s 1/144th scale DC-3 with 5 color photos of it built up.
A color box art of Trumpeter’s 1/48th scale DC-3, 22 color photos of it built up and 37 step by step color photos of each assembly step.
There is a full page listing of after-market items that are available from various companies.
This is a neat book on the DC-3. It will be of great interest to modelers planning to build one and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web site at:
Highly recommended.