Eternal
by Alex Esguerra
Title
Eternal
Artist
Alex Esguerra
Medium
Photograph - Black & White
Description
In the world of pre-WW2 aircraft, the Douglas DC-3 is somewhat unique - it is perhaps the ONLY aircraft of the era that continues to see daily use in the 21st Century! No, you did not read that wrong. Nearly eighty years after it rolled out for it's first flight, examples of the ubiquitous aircraft continue to ply the skies for both commercial and private use. In 2012, it was noted that the tenth DC-3 to roll of the assembly lines was STILL flying revenue service (in Columbia).
Perhaps it has much to do with the fact that over 15,000 airframes were produced (between civil, military, and foreign under-license examples). But also having a lot to do with the DC-3's longevity is it's outstanding quality. Rugged, reliable, and able to operate from unimproved airstrips, the old Douglas airliner that paved the way for airline service as we know it today still has a niche is the aviation market, doing things that many of its modern counterparts would struggle to do. The old joke, "The only replacement for a DC-3 is ANOTHER DC-3," may have it's roots more in truth than in humor.
The 80 year old N877MG is an amazing example of the DC-3. The Douglas started life as a C-47B that flew "Hump" missions in WW2. Eight decades later, she continues to see time in the air, albeit more as a flying museum, reminding all of the roots of commercial aviation.
Uploaded
September 29th, 2014
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