Dakota Norway
Dakota Norway in 2011
Other name(s) "Little Egypt"
Type Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company
Construction number 1189
Manufactured 1942/1943
Registration LN-WND (current)
Serial 42-68823 (U.S. Air Force)
Owners and operators Stiftelsen Dakota Norway
In service 1943-48 (U.S. Air Force)
1948-1969 (Finnair)
1960-1984 (Finnish Air Force)
Total hours 3,215 (as of 1983)
Preserved at Sandefjord Airport Torp

Dakota Norway is a Norwegian nonprofit foundation, which operates and owns Norway's only Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, a military version of the Douglas DC-3 based at Sandefjord Airport in Vestfold County.[1][2][3][4] It is Norway's only flying veteran passenger aircraft.[5][6]

The plane was taken out of operation on 12 January 1983 after a total flight time of 3,215 hours. It is housed at Sandefjord Airport Torp where it is stored with a Republic F-84 Thunderjet and a North American F-86D Sabre.[7] It has construction number 1189 and was given two RCAF serial numbers: 12889 and later 104889. The tail number is 889.[8]

Tours on board the plane for flights around Vestfold are available during the summer.[9][10][11][12]

History

The aircraft was first in service for the U.S. Air Force in 1943 but was purchased by Finland in 1948 and utilized by Finnair until 1969. Thore Virik and Arne Karlsen of Sandefjord purchased the aircraft from the Finnish Air Force in 1985. It has flown regular flights in Vestfold County since August 1986.[13]

The DC 3 Dakota was Finnish President Urho Kekkonen's private presidential plane during his time in office. Constructed in 1942, the vintage veteran airplane can be rented for domestic or international flights during summer.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Dakotaflyet på Torp har ny motor". 8 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Dakota får 1945-look". 11 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "bak uniformen | Perspektiv - Widerøes nettmagasin © 2017". perspektiv.wideroe.no. Archived from the original on 2018-06-18.
  4. ↑ "En minnerik dag for kreftsyke barn". August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Gammel dame summer videre".
  6. ↑ "Sommertur med DC-3 Dakota".
  7. ↑ Glenne, Roar (2012). Oppdrag utført: Norges luftmilitære kulturarv. Forsvarsmuseet. Page 311. ISBN 9788291218557.
  8. ↑ Glenne, Roar (2012). Oppdrag utført: Norges luftmilitære kulturarv. Forsvarsmuseet. Page 311. ISBN 9788291218557.
  9. ↑ Hoogendoorn, Hans (2005). ANWB Goud – Noorwegen. ANWB Media – Boeken & Gidsen. p. 83. ISBN 9789018019402.
  10. ↑ Larsen, Erlend (2016). Tre kommuner blir til én: Suksesskriteriene bak nye Sandefjord. E-forl. p. 162. ISBN 9788293057277.
  11. ↑ "Dakotaflyet på Torp har ny motor". 8 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Historical flights with Dakota Norway".
  13. ↑ "Om stiftelsen".
  14. ↑ "Historical flights with Dakota Norway".


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