Douglas R4D-8
The Douglas R4D-8 was the US Navy designation for the Super DC-3, a heavily revised post-war development of the original DC-3. It had a longer fuselage, redesigned wings, stronger landing gear, and more powerful engines, but the conversion proved too expensive to replace the huge existing DC-3 fleet. The Navy used a small number for transport and training. Its designation can be confusing because it looks like a DC-3, yet represents an ambitious attempt to modernise that classic airliner.
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Did you know?
Spot a Super DC-3 by its squared-off wingtips and taller tail fin, which mark the deep rebuild hidden under a familiar DC-3 silhouette.
Specifications
| Length | 21 m (69 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Height | 5.2 m (17 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 38 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 15 t |
| Range | 2,000 NM (3,704 km) |
| Maximum speed | 250 kt (463 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 24,000 ft (7,315 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 18,000 ft (5,486 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,330 ft/min (6.8 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 6,000 l |
| Engines | 2x Wright R-1820-80 |
| Units built | 100 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Douglas R4D-8 starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Douglas, the R4D-8 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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