The Douglas DC-3 was arguably the most important airliner ever built. In 1938, the type was responsible for 95 % of all commercial traffic in the U.S. and its military version, the C-47 Dakota, was so important that Eisenhower said it was "one of the four machines that won World War II, along with the bulldozer, 6x6 truck, and the landing craft. “
The DC-3 was reliable and solid, and is still used today.
In 1966, North Central Airlines retired one of the most used DC-3s ever : N21278. It had logged 83,033 flying hours in 9 years and used up 136 engines, but 90% of all its components were still the original, factory-built, ones.
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