Mayfly DC3/D47
Christened ‘G-DAKS’ she made her debut with Yorkshire Television as “Vera Lynn” of Ruskin Air Services in the series AIRLINE in 1979. Read HistoryContact UsMayfly Dc3 / C47 History
Constructed 1942. Long Beach California. First flew in 1943.
Served with the Unitied States Army Air Force (USAAF)
She flew with the 79th TSC out of Membury during D-day as 42-1000884
Delivered to RAF at Netheravon as TS423 in 1944 and shortly before the end of the war transferred to 436 Squadron to the RACF at Down Ampney.
Heavy Glider Unit Took part in Arnhem and the D Day landings. She was also one of the very few glider (snatchers) recovery aircraft with the RAF this was a difficult and dangerous job.
She also helped drop supplies during the Berlin airlift.
After the war she went to Short Brothers, Scottish Aviation, Marshalls and Ferranti. At Ferranti she acquired a non standard nose.. Inside this unique nose, which singled her out from her eleven thousand sisters, Ferranti fitted air pass radar for the Lightning fighter and hydraulically operated gun turret. Underneath she acquired Sonar buoy dropping equipment.
In 1969, with a surprisingly low number of hours on her airframe (around 3000 hours) TS 423 was delivered to the Ministry of Technology at RAE West Freugh, where, nine years later, named “Mayfly” she was still stored. We would love to know her original WW2 name. Any WW2 researches watching will win all the rewards for finding this out.
The decision was taken by the MOD to scrap her on the Catterick fire dump. Mike Woodley of Aces High managed to rescue her from this fate with the aid of the Imperial War Museum and Lord Onslow.
On 14th September 1979 TS423 was officially christened G-DAKS and given extensive cosmetic surgery to restore her Douglas nose at Duxford.
Film Star
G-DAKS made her debut with Yorkshire Television as “Vera Lynn” of Ruskin Air Services in the series AIRLINE in 1979.
Her film and television credits have ranged from Darkest Hour, Catch 22, Breathe, Woman in Gold, Poirot, Tenko, Quantum of Solace, The Monuments Men, Indiana Jones the Last Crusade, Allies, Dirty Dozen 2, Memphis Belle, Da Vinci Code, White Hunter Black Heart, Red 2, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Land Girls, Guernsey and Red Tails.
On the 75 anniversary of D-day Aviation Filming would have been operating her for 40 years!
Still flying over 70 years later and with just over 3,500 hours total flying time N147DC is probably the lowest houred Dakota flying in the world.
Aviation Filming still operates her almost 30 years later and she is still being used in films and as you can see today still on the airshow circuit with her original WW2 cockpit and interior. You can actually sit in the seats the parachutists sat on during D-day and Arnham. There are also genuine Nazi bullet holes still her as a reminder to her service.
