Grissom C-47 Service records

[mustangdriver]

Once again I know alot of you guys are great at looking up the records by serial numbers, and I am hoping you can help me with this one. Our C-47 is serial number 43-349270. Just wondering if anyone knows of it's service life? Thanks in advance.

[moose135]

You have too many digits in the serial number, mustangdriver. On Joe Baugher's site, he shows your aircraft as 43-49270, with no further information. I see on the Grissom museum site, it lists the serial as 43-49507. I take it that is a typo. According to Baugher, that was the final C-47 used by the USAF, and was sent to the USAF Museum at Wright-Patt (with a different serial painted on it...)

BTW - very nice museum you have. I visited in 2007. Hadn't been there since I flew KC-135s out of KGUS in the 1980s - we had a handful of aircraft on display (inside the gate) but not nearly as many, or as well presented, as the museum now has. Good job by all your folks!

[mustangdriver]

Thanks. Joe's sight is correct. I'd love to know more about our airframe. Thanks for the kind comments! I just start volunteering here around 2009, but it is a cool museum!

[kalamazookid]

You have too many digits in the serial number, mustangdriver. On Joe Baugher's site, he shows your aircraft as 43-49270, with no further information. I see on the Grissom museum site, it lists the serial as 43-49507. I take it that is a typo. According to Baugher, that was the final C-47 used by the USAF, and was sent to the USAF Museum at Wright-Patt (with a different serial painted on it...)

BTW - very nice museum you have. I visited in 2007. Hadn't been there since I flew KC-135s out of KGUS in the 1980s - we had a handful of aircraft on display (inside the gate) but not nearly as many, or as well presented, as the museum now has. Good job by all your folks!

Moose, my Uncle Gerry Earhart was a navigator on KC-135s out of Grissom in the 80s. Not sure when during that timeframe as he's no longer with us. Maybe you knew him?

I would tend to believe Baugher's site with regards to the C-47 ID. I've used his site for research a few times and never gotten bad information. Good luck finding out about the history of the Gooney. My Dad stopped at the museum earlier this fall and said it looked real nice with the new paint job.

[The Inspector]

According to the ABCD list, it was given c/n 26531 originally allocated c/n15086, C-47B-15-DK and apparently never was mustered out and sold, went from in service to on display

[Tom_W]

Mustangdriver, the following is quoted from the Air Britain DC-3 book:

15086/26531 43-49270 TC S Plains 2527 BU D03NOV 44 - Midland 2528 BU 12 Jan 45 - Chanute 3502 BU 06 Apr 45 - Lincoln 3541 BU 30 Jul 45 - Sheppard 3706 BU 31Oct45 - C-47D 19Feb46 - Scott 3500 BU 03Oct46 - 3505 BU 15Oct46 - 3310 TTW 28Aug48 - Sheppard 3750 TTW 01Dec50 - Scott 3310 TTW 26Feb51 - Keesler 3380 TTW 27Jul56 - Scott 3310 TTW 12Oct56 - MTC Scott 1405 ABW 01Oct57 - McCoy 1360 MATS 27Jun61 - SAC McCoy 321 CSG 01Jul61 - 4047 CSG 15Sep61 - 4047 SRW 01Oct61 - 306BW 01Apr63 - Grissom 305 BW 07Apr69 - 305 ARW 31 Dec69 - USAF Museum on loan to Grissom AFB, IN 30Jun71 [305 ARW]

Hope that will help a bit

[mustangdriver]

Thanks to all of you!! That is exactly what I was looking for.