WW2 C37 Airplane Whisky 7 Blue Sky Background Editorial Image

The C-47 Dakota was the cargo aircraft which was the workhorse of the Army Air Corps during World War II. It was also affectionately known as the “Gooney Bird.” It served in all theaters of the war and served in civilian capacity to help establish the U.S. airlines. The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota RAF, RAAF and RNZAF designation is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war, the aircraft exterior were often unpainted to speed up the manufacturing process. In some cases, airplanes were painted for camouflage to match their intended use; aircraft flying over the ocean often had blue bellies, while those flying over vegetation often had green bellies.