Community & Business
11 February, 2025
Celebrating 80 years of Dakota’s rich life
FROM war-time workhorse to Hollywood movie star, the Douglas C-47 Dakota will be turning 80 this month and the FNQ Aviation Museum is having a special celebration for its beloved aircraft this Saturday.
“Eighty years is quite an innings,” museum president Brendan Kent said.
“We’re hoping the get together will bring those who have been involved with the DC – history buffs, aviation enthusiasts and friends – to share their knowledge.”
The Dakota has a rich history in the region, beginning with its role in the last stages of World War II, transporting paratroopers for training, returning soldiers, and equipment to and from Mareeba.
“It could carry anything up to the size of a small bulldozer,” Brendan said.
“And it has capacity for about 24 paratroopers or about 30 passengers.
“It arrived in the tail end of the war in February 1945, so we’d love to hear from anyone who knew about its operation, as we only have the last two years of flight logs.”
What the museum does know is the aircraft was constructed under a USAAF contract and delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in February 1945.
It was assigned to 3 Air Depot, a maintenance depot west of Ipswich, on 27 February, then on 3 March 1945 it was transferred to 37 Squadron and later became part of 86 Wing transport.
After the war, it had its first movie gig in 1946 in the Australian film, The Overlanders, before returning to 86 Wing on 5 September 1947.
Between 1948 and the early 1960s, the Dakota was frequently reassigned between units, including Central Flying School (CFS), 90 Wing, 25 Squadron, and various air depots.
It also suffered several incidents, including an accident at East Sale Airfield in 1950 and hailstorm damage in 1952. Despite these setbacks, it remained in service, undergoing repairs and modifications as needed.
In the 1960s, it continued to serve in various capacities, including assignments with Base Squadron at RAAF Darwin and 2 Squadron at RAAF Butterworth.
In 1967, it was modified at Bankstown Airfield for TACAN calibration installation before being assigned to 10 MR Squadron in 1969.
On 5 September 1971, the Dakota was damaged beyond repair while landing at RAAF Townsville. It was officially stricken from RAAF service on 10 October 1973 and subsequently disposed of to the public.
The aircraft was acquired by Sid Beck and placed on outdoor display at The Beck Museum. In the late 1990s, it was repainted in the markings of C-47-DL Dakota “13866”, with olive drab upper surfaces and grey lower surfaces for its role in the Hollywood film, The Thin Red Line (1998).
By mid-2007, it had been repainted in silver.
The museum acquired the aircraft in 2019 and began its restoration.
“It is still ongoing,” Brendan said.
“The team has been making great progress to ensure it stays as a museum piece well into the future.”
The birthday celebration on Saturday “will be great to acknowledge the Dakota’s legacy, and anyone who has a connection is welcome”.
The event is on Saturday 15 February and includes a sausage sizzle, a museum and Dakota tour including stories from its past, and a close-up look at the aircraft, and a chance to connect with fellow aviation lovers.
The event runs from 10.30am-1pm at the FNQ Aviation Museum, Mareeba.
