First seeing commercial service in 1936, the DC-3 was a descendant of Douglas Aircraft Company’s DC-1 and DC-2 designs, and was met with great acceptance by the commercial aviation industry. As war clouds brewed in Europe, American and British air services began their search for a capable, reliable, versatile, and durable aircraft to transport airborne troops and equipment, evacuate wounded warriors to rear areas, and to tow gliders. From that fundamental requirement emerged the C-47 Dakota, also known as the DC-3 Dakota by the Brits. Most famous for its crucial role during the D-Day Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the Dakota saw service in all theaters of operation during the war, with many examples remaining in commercial and commemorative service to this day.

In Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owners’ Workshop Manual, Paul and Louise Blackah capture the history and the essence of one of the greatest and most enduring transport aircraft of all time. The 160 pages are a modeler’s delight, featuring 250 color and 50 black and white images detailing every aspect of the type. For the aviation historian, the volume centers around RAF Serial Number ZA947, currently serving the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and provides insight into the history, operation, and upkeep of the DC-3 Dakota.

Contents headlines include an Introduction, The Dakota Story, Anatomy of the Dakota, The Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90D Engine, The Owner’s View, The Crew’s View, The Engineer’s View, and 4 Appendices. A quick and fascinating read, thanks to a lot of great and well-captioned pictures, the Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owners’ Workshop Manual is an essential resource for modelers wanting an affordable, thorough, and color resource to make the most of their C-47 or RAF DC-3 projects.

I highly recommend Douglas DC-3 Dakota Owners’ Workshop Manual to modelers, aviation buffs, and DC-3 aficionados alike – a superb work chronicling the legendary Dakota.

Thanks to Zenith Press and IPMS/USA for the sample copy.