{"product_id":"douglas-r4d-8-c-117d-super-gooney-bird-original-airframe-engineering-drawings-archive","title":"Douglas R4D-8 \/ C-117D Super Gooney Bird — Original Airframe Engineering Drawings Archive","description":"\u003ch3\u003eDouglas R4D-8 \/ C-117D “Super Gooney Bird” — Original Airframe Engineering Drawings Archive\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDouglas Aircraft Company · R4D-8 \/ C-117D Series · 11 Microfilm Reels · JPG Format\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy This Archive Matters\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith \u003cstrong\u003ezero airworthy R4D-8 \/ C-117D examples flying anywhere in the world\u003c\/strong\u003e, and flight-ready examples valued at $400,000 to $1,000,000 when they do come to market, original factory engineering drawings represent the only practical route to the full dimensional and structural data of this aircraft. Only 100 Super Gooney Birds were ever remanufactured by Douglas — all are now retired. For any serious restoration project, original factory blueprints are irreplaceable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWarbird restoration and re-engineering depends entirely on access to original factory blueprints, loft drawings, and technical construction drawings. Because exact-fit components for the R4D-8 are no longer manufactured, restorers combine original engineering drawings with reverse engineering to accurately replicate historically airworthy parts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Aircraft\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Douglas R4D-8 — later redesignated the C-117D and nicknamed the \u003cem\u003eSuper Gooney Bird\u003c\/em\u003e — was the ultimate evolutionary step of the legendary DC-3 \/ C-47 series. Developed from the commercial Douglas Super DC-3 (DC-3S), this heavily modernised variant addressed stricter Civil Aeronautics Administration regulations and single-engine safety standards that the original C-47 could no longer meet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than designing a new airframe, Douglas remanufactured 98 existing Navy R4D airframes to the new Super standard — a remarkable engineering achievement that transformed a 1930s design into a competitive 1950s transport. The result was an aircraft whose performance metrics rivalled early four-engine transports of the era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAerodynamic \u0026amp; Structural Redesign\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDouglas fundamentally altered the original C-47 airframe to push top speeds and comply with modern performance baselines:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWing Geometry:\u003c\/strong\u003e Outer wing panels heavily redesigned with flush riveting and a 15.5° forward sweep along the trailing edge, optimising the centre of lift relative to the extended fuselage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEmpennage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Classic rounded tail abandoned in favour of a significantly larger squared-off vertical stabiliser and higher-aspect-ratio horizontal tailplane to maximise control authority against the increased engine torque\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFuselage Extension:\u003c\/strong\u003e A 3 ft 3 in structural extension spliced in forward of the main wing spar, adjusting forward weight limits and increasing interior volume\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrag Reduction:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fully enclosed main landing gear doors and flush nacelle fairings eliminated the parasitic drag inherent to the partially exposed wheel wells of standard DC-3s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEngine Technical Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePowerplant:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 × Wright R-1820-80 Cyclone 9-cylinder single-row air-cooled radial\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePower Rating:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1,475 bhp per engine at takeoff — a major leap from the 1,200 hp of the legacy C-47\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePropellers:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4-blade constant-speed fully feathering Hamilton Standard assemblies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupercharging:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2-speed internal mechanical supercharger, optimised for critical altitudes of 10,000–12,000 ft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHandling \u0026amp; Stability\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Navy conducted comprehensive handling evaluations, later archived in C-117D NATOPS Flight Manuals:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLongitudinal Stability:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fuselage extension shifted the CG envelope forward, guaranteeing natural pitch restoration\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSingle-Engine Control (Vmc):\u003c\/strong\u003e Expanded rudder and vertical stabiliser directly compensated for asymmetric thrust — single-engine handling significantly better than standard C-47\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDynamic Modes:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-aspect-ratio squared tail surfaces suppressed Dutch Roll tendencies during turbulent low-level military operations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePerformance Data\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaximum Cruise Speed:\u003c\/strong\u003e 250 mph (220 knots)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaximum Top Speed:\u003c\/strong\u003e 270 mph at 5,900 ft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaximum Takeoff Weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 31,000 lbs (up from 26,000 lbs on standard DC-3)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRate of Climb:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~1,300 fpm at sea level\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eService Ceiling:\u003c\/strong\u003e 22,500 ft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaximum Ferry Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3,042 miles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEngineering Bulletins \u0026amp; Special Variants\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWing Reinforcement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Heavy structural reinforcement of main wing attach-angle zones to bear higher gross takeoff weights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLC-117D Antarctic Conversion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oil coolers deleted to prevent fluid freezing · wheel-ski landing systems · nose-mounted weather radar · JATO solid rocket pod hardpoints\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCockpit Overhaul:\u003c\/strong\u003e Modernised high-pressure hydraulic instruments · integrated airstair passenger door\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSurviving Examples\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll R4D-8 \/ C-117D aircraft are retired. \u003cstrong\u003eZero examples are currently airworthy.\u003c\/strong\u003e Known preserved static displays include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePima Air \u0026amp; Space Museum\u003c\/strong\u003e, Tucson, Arizona — BuNo 50826, restored and on display\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlying Leatherneck Aviation Museum\u003c\/strong\u003e, San Diego, California\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen flight-ready examples do appear on the market, they command \u003cstrong\u003e$400,000 to $700,000\u003c\/strong\u003e, with meticulously restored examples reaching \u003cstrong\u003e$1,000,000\u003c\/strong\u003e. Original remanufacture cost by Douglas was $250,000–$300,000. Operating costs run 200–250 gallons of aviation fuel per hour. The extreme rarity and cost of surviving airframes makes original factory engineering drawings an irreplaceable resource for any restoration or licensed reproduction project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Archive — What This Collection Contains\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a primary-source engineering archive drawn directly from Douglas Aircraft Company’s original manufacturing drawings, converted first to microfilm and now to high-resolution electronic format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e16,000+ engineering drawing sheets\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e11 microfilm reels\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e JPG (high-resolution)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e This set of drawings is not exhaustive of all documents ever produced for the R4D-8 series. Additional drawings will be added to this Living Collection over time.\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⚠️ \u003cstrong\u003eRegulatory Notice:\u003c\/strong\u003e Under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13 and EASA Part-M, any mechanic performing maintenance on an active aircraft must use current, manufacturer-approved revision-controlled data. This archival document does not satisfy that requirement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an archival, static-copy edition fixed at its original publication date. Intended for historical reference, restoration support, re-engineering, and educational use. Not approved for active airworthiness maintenance under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13, EASA Part-M, or equivalent international regulations. Operators of active aircraft must use current, revision-controlled publications from the Type Certificate holder or an authorised distributor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiving Collections with Free Lifetime Updates — Please review our Disclaimer and Export Notice before purchasing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Online Aviation Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53576162378075,"sku":null,"price":198.85,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4788\/3867\/files\/r4d-8-promotional-usn-772-period-photo-banner.png?v=1783780198","url":"https:\/\/onlineaviationlibrary.com\/products\/douglas-r4d-8-c-117d-super-gooney-bird-original-airframe-engineering-drawings-archive","provider":"Online Aviation Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}