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Description
| Manufacturer: | Douglas | |
| Base model: | R4D | |
| Designation: | R4D | |
| Version: | -8 | |
| Nickname: | Skytrain | |
| Equivalent to: | DC-3S | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Navy / Marines | |
| Designation Period: | 1931-1962 | |
| Basic role: | Transport | |
| Crew: | Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator | |
Specifications
| Not Yet Available |
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
| Pima Air & Space Museum | Tucson | Arizona |
C-117D on display
Pima Air & Space Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Jerry Bragg Brunswick, GA | I remember Joe Conroy. I think the other enlisted pilot became a CWO...Lowry was his name I think. I worked in the engine shop, and was a Crew Chief...I worked with Archie "Fernie" Hall, Black, Mike Altonberg, Billy D Sides. I love the C117D...where is all that oil coming from?...Texas! I would like to locate Snake Baker. These are just a few names that come to mind. God bless America, and the USMC. rgtsman@yahoo.com I was in Cherry Point from 72-76...also for a brief while in 69. 10/27/2008 @ 18:29 [ref: 22937] |
| Michael S. Kader , MD | I was a naval aviator (LTJG) stationed at Sigonella,
Sicily, Italy 1970 - 1972. I had the privilege and pleasure of flying a C-117D all over Italy and Greece plus one mission up to northern West Germany. It was an outstanding aircraft --- very responsive and handled well. We also had an S-2 (I think it must have been a US-2B) that I flew. The S-2 was my favorite but I enjoyed flying the C-117. I have great memories of my experiences. I'm glad I found this website. It's GREAT! Thanks! 10/09/2008 @ 14:47 [ref: 22816] |
| William Byrd , MS | To enlighten Nance and Winslow posts, I flew with MGySgt Jim Todd in DaNang on R4D "DreamHour" 273 on a number of flare missions. We were known as "the friendly lamplighters." Before VietNam I flew at Cherry Point with MGySgts Bob Lurie and Jim Todd. Also MSgt Don Taft and CWOs "Tex" Cavett and Henry Wildfang. We flew R4Ds and R5Ds and I was on MajGen. Marion E. Carl's flight crew. My tours were from 1965-1969. 11/14/2007 @ 15:34 [ref: 18536] |
| Mac \"Thing\" McDougall , NJ | Was in HAMS-27 Avionics '73 to '75. We had various quantities of Hummers and at one time a Sacred Cow (C-54) and a C-118. After I left in August '75, the squadron went though several changes and eventually lost the C-117's. Good aircraft. (I think the favorite duty was re-doping the control surfaces). Worked under Sgt. Paul Ulmer and Gunny Kuloch in IMA Elec Shop. Repaired other aircraft stock parts (occasional P-2 systems). Worked on the S-5 bench for MWSG-27's KC-130 as well as syncrophaser test bench. Lost contact with all personnel from that era. Any updates would be most riky-tik welcome. 10/12/2007 @ 19:07 [ref: 18171] |
| George Caufman Arlington, TX | I was with SOES from Jan 1973 to Nov 1975 and was a crew chief/flight enginner. The filght engineer title was given to provide stabilization amoung the flight crews as most of our pilots were proficiency pliots and not assigned to the squadron. We had tail numbers 050786 and and a one other we got from Cherry Point that had and airline type interior that was one of a kind. I think the last three digits of the tail number was 017122. Shortly after getting 122 we had the gear colasp on landing at Pensacola FL. I believe our XO at the time was MAJ Ringold. A couple of the the flight crew I remember was Scotty Van Groul Crew Chief, (Smitty) Smith first name can't be remembered 1st mech., and others who's faces I can see but names escape me. Our records admin was Dave Purdy. Dave also helped in sheet metal shop during off hours. George De Legroetta worked on the flight line or the engine shop. SSgt Meeker was our training NCO Ops officer Iim Egan Jr., Arnold, CA Jackson, Maintenance officer may have been Doggett and Humphries. Col. Campos was the station CO. I left SOES for SOMS Kaneohe in November 75 and remember that shortly after tail 122 was on a holiday run when the cargo door opened in flight was torn off and hit the horizontal stabilizer. If the flight crew saved the day with good flying skills. I also heard that 786 crashed in iceland in 76/77. 09/13/2007 @ 19:32 [ref: 17918] |
| Bob Winslow Lyme, CT | I crewed and worked on R4D's, which by my time had been redesignated C117D's at H&MS27 Cherry Point in 68-69 and SOES Cherry Point 70-71. Flew with three enlisted pilots, Joe Conroy, Jim Todd and one more whose name escapes me. Became crew chief at SOES Cherry Point. Favorite pilots, besides Conroy, were Maj. Larry Taylor and Maj. (later Lt.Col.)House. Least favorite, an Annapolis grad will go unnamed but he was Airfield Operations Officer at Cherry Point circa 1970. Guys who trained me were Gary Gates, Tex Harrod, Leo Kelly, SSgt. Emil and Gunny Robinson (Robby)-- the latter three at SOES. I think I may have been the lowest ranking qualified C117D crew chief in the Marine Corps in 1970 -- I had a little disciplinary problem in between H&MS27 and SOES and the Staff NCO's at SOES had to push through a meritorious promotion to Corporal to at least get me to NCO rank, which I think was mandatory to be a crew chief.
Would love to hear from anyone who knew those guys and who can tell me more about the enlisted pilots (one of them became a Warrant Officer, but Conroy and Todd were Master Gunnery Sergeants, and I think Jim Todd lost a son in Vietnam. Also briefly crewed on C54's at H&MS27 -- we had the 2MAW CG's plane -- it was Maj.Gen. Marion E. Carl when I was there, but he was a distant figure for me, a LCpl at the time. Semper Fi 07/16/2007 @ 07:13 [ref: 17128] |
| SgtMaj Ken Runyan, Retired Iwakuni, Yamaguchi-ken, CA | 62-63 & 66-67 SOES Quantico; 64-65, 67, 72-73, 74-76 Iwakuni: 73-74 Cherry Point. All with C-117Ds. Lots of great memories flying and maintaining the Hummers. But thoughts of fellow Marines from then make me smile always.
Retired here in Japan, about ten miles from Iwakuni. Once in a great while, I run into a few salts from those good times. Great stories. Semper Fidelis to all, Ken 06/21/2007 @ 23:11 [ref: 16908] |
| R (BARRY ) Nance Lewes, DE | Do any of you "Marines" Remember a R4D-8--- based in Danang, Called "Trans-Paddy Aiways" Era 1962-1966?
It was support a/c px/food/taxi all over SOUTH VNAM; more to come! Now it was to evac all the "important stuff' at the time! How ever do any of you remember going on "R&R" to either Hong Kong or Bangkok! I Do!!! Replies ??? 05/21/2007 @ 20:18 [ref: 16557] |
| R (BARRY ) Nance Lewes, DE | Do any of you "Marines" Remember a R4D-8--- based in Danang, Called "Trans-Paddy Aiways" Era 1962-1966?
It was support a/c px/food/taxi all over SOUTH VNAM; more to come! Now it was to evac all the "important stuff' at the time! How ever do any of you remember going on "R&R" to either Hong Kong or Bangkok! I Do!!! Replies ??? 05/21/2007 @ 20:15 [ref: 16556] |
| Doug Smith Jacksonville, FL | I checked into SOES Quantico Aug of 76. should have seen the face of the Admin chief when he told me HMX was down the street and I said no I'm checking into SOES.
So as you can tell my tenure at SOES was a short one. I was in Avionics shop with Gunny Sass i think was his name. I seem to remember the Aircraft being gone by or around 15 Oct. getting rid of test equipment and furniture. Then getting the small hangar ready for the Marine Corps ball. 2 a day formations so those that got their orders found out where they were going . I went to Andrews in Jan of 77. I knew alot of hummer guys Tex Milhone, Dave Urbanski, Scotty in Iwakuni a few others You know we had it made and were too dumb to know it 04/30/2007 @ 09:00 [ref: 16357] |
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