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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Douglas DC-1 / DC-2/R2D / DC-3 Dakota / C-47/R4D Skytrain / C-53 Skytrooper
    Latest Model:TC-47J
    Last Military Serial:99856 USN
    Construction Number:16611
    Last Civil Registration:N34
    Latest Owner or Location:Texas Air and Space Museum, Amarillo International Airport, Amarillo, Texas

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    Dates

    Event

    May 1945

    Constructed as a TC-47B-35-DK by Douglas at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.

    New construction number, 33359, assigned to the airframe.

    26 May 1945

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-77027.
    Immediately reassigned to the Navy.

    June 1945

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 99856 as a R4D-7.

    June 1945

    Transferred to NAS Clinton, OK.

    December 1945

    Transferred to NAS Norfolk, VA.

    January 1946

    Transferred to VRS-1.
    Your Assistance is Needed: Do you know what type squadron VRS stands for and where VRS-1 was stationed?
    Share Your Information with Everyone by Editting the Documented History

    June 1946

    Transferred to NAS Quonset Point, RI.

    February 1947

    Transferred to Navy Transport Utility Squadron 4 (VRU-4), Royal Air Force Station Hendon, London, England.

    February 1948

    Transferred to Navy Transport Squadron 24 (VR-24), Royal Air Force Station Hendon, London, England.
    Unit redesignated.

    Damaged.
    Nosed over in mud while being taxied in London, and both engines had to be changed.

    From Circa 1948 to Circa 1949

    May have flown in the Berlin Airlift.

    14 September 1950

    Transferred to USNR Transport Reserve, NAS Glenview, IL.

    29 September 1953

    Transferred to 5th Naval Depot, NAS Norfolk, VA.

    1954

    Converted to a R4D-6R.

    29 February 1956

    Assigned to NAS Litchfield Park, AZ for storage.

    To U. S. Navy Department, Washington, DC with c/r N7091C.

    September 1956

    To U. S. Navy Department, Washington, DC with c/r N34.

    September 1956

    Loaned to Civil Aeronautics Administration, Washington DC.
    Loaned to CAA for flight inspection.

    1958

    Loaned to Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC.
    CAA renamed.

    1962

    Redesignated as TC-47J.

    21 July 1966

    Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Navy.

    29 August 1966

    To Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, OK.
    Used for flight inspection.

    From 1966 to 1979

    Spent most of its time operating out of California.

    29 March 1968

    Certificate of airworthiness for N34 (DC3C 1830-94, 33359) issued.

    From 1980 to 1981

    Used for flight inspection training at Oklahoma City.

    June 1983

    Civil registration, N34, cancelled.
    Withdrawn from use.

    4 August 1985

    To Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC with c/r N34.
    Returned to service. Used by FAA for education and to promote aviation and the FAAs heritage.

    25 July 1986


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    Notes: At Dayton, OH

    15 March 1987


    Photographer: Larry Johnson
    Notes: At Lakeland, Florida

    2 August 1988


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    Notes: At Oshkosh, WI

    Circa 1993


    Photographer: Ken Videan
    Notes: At EAA Oshkosh.

    1995

    On behalf of the owner stored with/at Basler Turbo Conversions, Whittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI.
    View the Location Dossier

    1997

    Placed on National Register of Historic Places, as one of only two items which move, the other being cable cars of San Francisco.

    2002

    Restored.
    Reconditioned to participate in the US National Centennial of Flight in 2003.

    2007

    Participated in the celebration of the Oklahoma State Centennial.

    2008

    Helped to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the FAA.

    July 2010


    Photographer: Hugh Dodson
    Notes: At Oshkosh in 2010

    15 February 2014

    Last flight of N34, a DC-3 Flight Inspection aircraft. It is leaving its home at the FAA Aeronautical Center at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City on its way to a museum in Amarillo. Its being flown by Mike Ahern and Dean Alexander.

    16 February 2014

    Ferry flight. Delivered to Texas Air and Space Museum, Amarillo International Airport, Amarillo, TX.
    The airframe remains owned by the FAA.
    View the Location Dossier


    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.

    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Internet Sources
    Airbus, Boeing, Convair and Douglas Production List
    Aviation in Malta
    DC-3 Dakota History
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    YouTube

    Individual Contributors
    Glenn Chatfield
    Terry Fletcher
    Thomas Solinski

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