Following on the heels of the DC-1 and DC-2, the DC-3 prototype made its maiden flight on 17 December 1935, 32 years to the day after the Wright Brothers made their first flight. Incidentally, this wasn’t a DC-3 proper but a DST, or Douglas Sleeper Transport, with 14 sleeping berths for night-time flying. It is distinguishable from the “day-time” DC-3 by a row of four oblong windows above the normal passenger windows.

The first civilian DC-3s had a single, side-hinging door, which later was changed to a drop-down version that opened vertically. These are not that common to come across. The more common ones are the C-47s, with wide, side-hinging double cargo-doors.

With the advent of the Second World War, the DC-3 was chosen as a transport for the US military, being given the designation C-47 Skytrain, by the USAAF and R4D by the US Navy. Civilian DC-3s impressed in military service were given a variety of designations, but C-47 and R4D were the main ones.

It is important to bear in mind that the name “Dakota” (Douglas Aircraft Kompany Transport Aircraft) was actually given to the aircraft by the British, but it is by this name that the aircraft has since become universally known, or simply DC-3, irrespective of its wartime designation.

After the war, surplus C-47s/R4Ds were sold off, forming the backbone of numerous fledging airlines around the world. 70 years since the type’s first flight, it is still flying, admittedly in steadily decreasing numbers, despite various attempts at building DC-3 “replacements” like the F.27, HS.748 and HP Herald to mention just three.

It is indeed ironic to point out that at one point, the FAA was considering withdrawing the DC-3s type certificate as no longer able to satisfy the then latest ICAO single engine performance requirement. This never happened, but Douglas tried building a more powerful and improved DC-3S or Super DC-3 in 1950. Only Capitol purchased three, which weren’t used for very long. After evaluation, the US Navy ordered the conversion of 100 R4Ds as C-117Ds. No further orders were forthcoming, and with newer aircraft like the Convair 240 entering service, not to mention the availability of large numbers of the original Dakota still available, the DC-3S was doomed to failure.

DC-3s in Malta

Again, Malta’s position in the central Mediterranean came to our rescue. Although post war, DC-3s were flying to Malta, their numbers would have been far less, especially after the advent of the jet engine, had it not been for the setting up of the M.I.A.CO. company.

MIACO

This table lists DC-3s that are known to have visited Malta for overhauling or servicing by MIACO and taken from a list which originally was first published in the Luqa Aviation Yearbook 1983/84. The list is quite comprehensive, with 46 aircraft and 53 different identities, but without access to Miaco files, no claim can ever be made that it is complete. Hal-Far, where the company was initially based, is some distance from Luqa Airport and not easily accessible without a car (especially in those days – even the nearest bus service left you with a good twenty minute walk). It is also quite possible that Miaco personnel may have gone to Luqa Airport to work on the aircraft there.

Operators & Leases

Again, it is impossible to state with any degree of accuracy when leases with a particular operator commenced or were terminated. For this reason, only the dates when the aircraft was observed at Miaco are given, together with the titles (if any) that the aircraft may have been wearing at the time.

Aircraft Histories

For histories of all the DC-3s mentioned on this page, I have mainly relied on the volume, The Douglas DC-3 and its predecessors by J.M.G. Gradidge (an Air-Britain publication), together with Updates 1 & 2, also issued by the same author. But when information in these volumes conflicted with information held in my, or Malta Aviation Society records, I have relied on the latter. As two decades have passed since the above volume was first published in 1984, the histories of certain aircraft only go as far at 1982/83. At the time of writing (July 2006), an updated book is close to being printed in two volumes, which will enable the histories to be properly updated.

Additional information was supplied by a number of foreign enthusiasts, members of various aviation forums on Yahoo. In any table, a reg in bold text indicates a new entry, whilst blue, underlined registrations, or text, indicates a link to a photo.

The following is a list of abbreviations used.

Arr - Arrived	A/l or A/ls - Airlines	A/c - Aircraft	A/w or A/ws – Airways
Conv - Converted	Corp. -Corporation	Co. - Company	c/n - construction number
c/s - colour scheme	DD - delivery date	Dep – Departed	Inc. - Incorporated
mfg. - Manufactured (completed)	mkgs. - Markings	ntu - not taken up	ob - observed, (by spotters, usually in Malta.)
o/h - overhauled	op - operated	p.i. or pi - previous identity	reg - registered
rr - re-registered	Sq - Squadron	TT - Total Time	Wfu - withdrawn from use
W/o - Without	w.o. - written off