Douglas XC-47C ...

[Mark Allen M]

The Douglas XC-47C was a floatplane producing by fitting Edo Model 78 floats to a standard C-47. The prototype, with a 1942 serial number and powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp engines, handled well in the air, although could carry less cargo than the standard C-47. The single-step metal floats contained retractable wheels, located at the step, allowing the XC-47C to operate on land, but the tires were prone to fail.

The biggest problem with the XC-47C was that it could only operate on smooth water, greatly limiting its usefulness. Despite this 150 sets of floats were ordered from Edo, and the C-47C saw limited service in New Guinea and Alaska (where smooth water must have been in very short supply).

Accident Report: http://aviation-safety.net/database/rec ... 19431113-0

Decent photos are hard to come by. Here's some newly found photos of this big thing ...
ebay sale here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEVENTEEN-1930s ... SwXeJXcqUg



























Douglas C-53D Skytrooper (N130Q)

[warbirdfinder]

At Western Airlines in 1970 I flew with one of the test pilots of the float C-47. The only thing I can remember him saying was that EDO must have made a bundle of money as there were 50 floats in crates next to one of the hangers.

[Mark Allen M]

Add some motion to that big thing ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_8ccwo ... ture=share

Filmed circa 1942 in beautiful Kodachrome color at the EDO plant in College Point, NY and at Laguardia Airport. EDO manufactured attachable floats that converted conventional aircraft into seaplanes.

[JohnB]

Re: why d Sony floats were built....

The USAAF probably thought they'd be useful in Alaska and Canada...where they could operate from smooth lakes and where there was a lot of construction work going on at that stage of the war.

If you put them on a turbine DC-3/C-47 today, you'd probably find a market for it flying cargo in Alaska...now, whether the FAA would allow it....