Mystery Dakota

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Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,508

I photographed this C-47 parked up near the museum at Paris-Le Bourget yesterday but cannot identify it? I presume it had flown in for the D-Day celebrations and had stayed on. There is an identically-painted C-47 flying in the States, but don't think it is the same one and don't think the tail number is the original. No sign of any small US civil serial number anywhere, so I am stumped to identify it. Can anyone help please?

Thanks

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 118

This one is not a flyer, it is one of the two C-47s that the Musée de l'Air has in outdoor storage, and that was repainted for a recent display. I have a picture of this plane taken last year, and the S/N on the tail is probably the correct one:

http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v235/inglewood51/mae_sa_dak4.jpg

http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v235/inglewood51/mae_sa_dak9.jpg

I think I was told several years ago that this plane served in Indochina with the Armée de l'Air.

The other C-47 in storage served withe the Aéronautique Navale, and there is no plan to restore it for the moment.

A few more pics:

http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v235/inglewood51/mae_sa_dak5.jpg

http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v235/inglewood51/mae_sa_dak2.jpg

http://img77.photobucket.com/albums/v235/inglewood51/mae_sa_dak1.jpg

Laurent

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 8,195

Wow, they cleaned and fixed that up quick! It was a mess when I saw it last September at the open day!

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,508

Thanks very much Laurent! Well they could have fooled me as it looks for all the world as if it could start up and taxi away!