@@ScotterzModelz PRINT SHARE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is home to a unique, legendary aircraft of Marine Corps transport operations. Retired after a long career of proud service in the skies over Korea, Japan and the Republic of the Philippines, the last Douglas R4D-8/C-117D "Skytrain" to fly a mission for the Marine Corps - serial number 50835 - now rests atop a small hill overlooking Mills Park at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. "The aircraft is essentially a reworked DC-3 that included a strengthened fuselage, new horizontal and vertical tail surfaces with square tips, squared wings tips, smoother engine nacelles with doors that completely enclosed the landing gear and two 1,495 horsepower Wright R-1820-80 Cyclone radial piston engines," according to Tom O'Hara, curator, Flying Leatherneck Aviation Foundation and Museum, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, who manages available information on the various retired aircraft at Miramar. "This aircraft was initially delivered as an R4D-6 on Dec. 28, 1944. It was sent to Santa Monica, Calif., and upgraded to the R4D-8 configuration and redelivered in 1952. It has served with (Fleet Logistic Support Squadron) 1, VR-3, VR-4, VR-13, (Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 17), Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1 and MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. It was retired in 1982 with a total of 23,316 hours." Taking off on a Sunday morning from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, June 27, 1982, "835" flew what was the final C-117D mission following a flight to Cubi Point in the Republic of the Philippines, an event later recounted in the July 2, 1982 issue of MCAS Iwakuni's "Torii Teller." For the flight, then Col. S.F. Shea and Capt. L.L. Larson piloted the aircraft, with Aviation Storekeeper First Class Ron Mellon as the crew chief. When they landed, it marked the end of an era in Marine Corps aviation history. O'Hara explained how the C-117D, also known as the R4D-8/C, achieved its designation. "Prior to the adoption of the tri-service system in 1962, the Department of the Navy used its own aircraft designations that were completely different from the U.S. Army Air Corps and later U.S. Air Force that designated the aircraft the C-47 Dakota," said O'Hara. "The Navy system consisted of five parts: one or two letters to indicate the function of the aircraft, a sequence number to distinguish between aircraft of the same function built by the same manufacturer, a letter to indicate the manufacturer, an additional number after a dash to indicate a subtype and a final letter to indicate a minor variation on a subtype, thus R4D-8/C in the case of '835' here at Miramar." Pilots and aircrew of the R4D have considered the aircraft to be one of the most reliable and enjoyable to fly, according to Maj. Lee A. Cracknell, C-12 operations officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, MCAS Iwakuni, who has been collecting data on the various C-117 crews stationed at Iwakuni. Copied and pasted this from: www.miramar-ems.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/556605/legendary-marine-transport-aircraft-calls-miramar-home/
Got to fly on one of these r4d's out of mcas iwakuni Japan to osan Korea for team spirit exercises in the early 80's
That is so cool! I hope I did it justice. I had to wing it with interior colors. I did a tour in a VR squadron, but we had the C-9B Skytrain II.
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is home to a unique, legendary aircraft of Marine Corps transport operations.
Retired after a long career of proud service in the skies over Korea, Japan and the Republic of the Philippines, the last Douglas R4D-8/C-117D "Skytrain" to fly a mission for the Marine Corps - serial number 50835 - now rests atop a small hill overlooking Mills Park at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
"The aircraft is essentially a reworked DC-3 that included a strengthened fuselage, new horizontal and vertical tail surfaces with square tips, squared wings tips, smoother engine nacelles with doors that completely enclosed the landing gear and two 1,495 horsepower Wright R-1820-80 Cyclone radial piston engines," according to Tom O'Hara, curator, Flying Leatherneck Aviation Foundation and Museum, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, who manages available information on the various retired aircraft at Miramar. "This aircraft was initially delivered as an R4D-6 on Dec. 28, 1944. It was sent to Santa Monica, Calif., and upgraded to the R4D-8 configuration and redelivered in 1952. It has served with (Fleet Logistic Support Squadron) 1, VR-3, VR-4, VR-13, (Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 17), Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1 and MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. It was retired in 1982 with a total of 23,316 hours."
Taking off on a Sunday morning from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, June 27, 1982, "835" flew what was the final C-117D mission following a flight to Cubi Point in the Republic of the Philippines, an event later recounted in the July 2, 1982 issue of MCAS Iwakuni's "Torii Teller."
For the flight, then Col. S.F. Shea and Capt. L.L. Larson piloted the aircraft, with Aviation Storekeeper First Class Ron Mellon as the crew chief.
When they landed, it marked the end of an era in Marine Corps aviation history.
O'Hara explained how the C-117D, also known as the R4D-8/C, achieved its designation.
"Prior to the adoption of the tri-service system in 1962, the Department of the Navy used its own aircraft designations that were completely different from the U.S. Army Air Corps and later U.S. Air Force that designated the aircraft the C-47 Dakota," said O'Hara. "The Navy system consisted of five parts: one or two letters to indicate the function of the aircraft, a sequence number to distinguish between aircraft of the same function built by the same manufacturer, a letter to indicate the manufacturer, an additional number after a dash to indicate a subtype and a final letter to indicate a minor variation on a subtype, thus R4D-8/C in the case of '835' here at Miramar."
Pilots and aircrew of the R4D have considered the aircraft to be one of the most reliable and enjoyable to fly, according to Maj. Lee A. Cracknell, C-12 operations officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, MCAS Iwakuni, who has been collecting data on the various C-117 crews stationed at Iwakuni.
Copied and pasted this from:
www.miramar-ems.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/556605/legendary-marine-transport-aircraft-calls-miramar-home/
Other than the ailerons, nice build!
Thanks!
Nice model I like ww2 planes
Thank You! Me too!😁