Pipe Creek Township in Grissom Air Force Base in Miami County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Douglas Aircraft C-47D and C-47B

43-49270

— Grissom Air Museum —

Douglas Aircraft C-47D and C-47B Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026

1. Douglas Aircraft C-47D and C-47B Marker

Inscription. Specifications:
Manufacture: Douglas Aircraft
Designation: C-47D. (C-47B with second speed (high blower) engine supercharger disabled or removed after the war.)
Serial Number: 43-49270
Official name: Skytrain
Nicknames: Gooney Bird, Super DC-3 (R4D-8) Skytrooper, Biscuit Bomber, Tabby, Cab, Dumbo (SC-47 Search-and Rescue variant), Sister Gabby/Bullshit Bomber (EC-47 dispensing propaganda-leaflets in Vietnam), Spooky/Puff the Magic Dragon (AC-47 Gunship), Dowager Duchess, Old Methuselah, The Placid Plodder, Dizzy Three, Old Bucket Seats, Duck; Dak, or the Vomit Comet (Nickname used by US Army paratroops during the Normandy invasion.)
Function: Military transport aircraft.
Crew: 4, pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator.
Wingspan: 95, 6"
Length: 63, 9"
Height: 17'
Power plant: 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines, 1,200hp each.
Empty weight: 18,135lb
Max T/O weight: 31,000lb
Service ceiling: 26,400ft
Ferry Range: 3,600mi
Armament: None
Number Built: A military variant of Douglas DC-3 airliner, 10,174 C-47s were built for the US Army Air Corps or reconfigured from airliners

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during World War II. Production ended after the War and many airplanes were sold to small airlines. Approximately 300 of these aircraft remain in flyable condition.
Year built: Our C-47D, 1943

Mission:
The C-47 was vital to the success of many Allied campaigns during World War II, particularly in the Pacific Theater making it possible for Allied troops to counter the mobility of the light-travelling Japanese Army. In the European Theater more than 50,000 paratroops were dropped by C-47s during the first few days of the invasion of Normandy, France, in June 1944 and airlifted supplies to the surrounded American Forces during the Battle of the Bulge that winter. At the beginning of the Cold War C-47s were used to bring fuel and food to a starving Berlin after Soviets barricaded the City. During the Vietnam War these airplanes, designated AC-47 "Spooky" and nicknamed "Puff the Magic Dragon" were fitted with three 7.62 miniguns, each of which could fire up to 100 rounds Per Second to attack enemy troop concentrations on the ground.

Our C-47D:
This airplane served with the US Army Air Corps until the Air Force became a separate operating

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026

2. Douglas Aircraft C-47D and C-47B Marker

department in 1947. Assigned originally to the Military Air Transport Service she flew with the 1603rd Air Transport Wing at Wheelus AB, Libya before joining the 305th Bomb Wing at MacDill AFB, Florida in 1953. She arrived at Bunker Hill with the 305th when the bomb wing moved here in 1959. Used primarily to support the bomb wing logistically in their worldwide mission, this airplane was placed on static display inside the Main Gate of this base in 1967.

This exhibit is the property of the US Air Force and maintained through your participation in the Grissom Air Museum donor program.

Erected by Grissom Air Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1944.

Location. 40° 40.184′ N, 86° 7.777′ W. Marker is in Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, in Miami County. It is in Pipe Creek Township. It is at the intersection of West Hoosier Boulevard and U.S. 31, on the right when traveling west on West Hoosier Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 W Hoosier Boulevard, Peru IN 46970,

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United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: North American Aviation B-25J (a few steps from this marker); Fairchild C-119G (a few steps from this marker); Lockheed D-21 (within shouting distance of this marker); Boeing KC-97L (within shouting distance of this marker); Fairchild Republic A-10A (within shouting distance of this marker); Republic Aircraft F-84F (within shouting distance of this marker); Convair TF-102A (within shouting distance of this marker); Cessna U-3A (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grissom Air Force Base.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 16, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.