Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
to Sell its 1939 DC-3 

Story and photos by Gord McNulty
January 2026
A Douglas DC-3 that has been a distinctive aircraft in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM) since 1981 is now on the market. The DC-3, registered C-GDAK, has a long and colourful history. However, its future became uncertain after the CWHM acquired a Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota Mk. III in 2014, registered C-GRSB. 
The DC-3 with the “Canucks Unlimited” marking on the port side at the CWHM Flyfest in July 2008. 
The DC-3 has been out of service for six years. It was moved to Brantford while the C-47 Dakota has remained on display at the CWHM. The C-47 shows the markings worn at the end of the Second World War with Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) No. 437 Squadron. It has far fewer hours than the DC-3, which has nearly 83,000 flight hours and requires significant maintenance.  

In a news release, the CWHM also noted its C-47 has a strong wartime heritage. It is in airworthy state and more practical to operate. President and CEO Dave Rohrer told the members’ reception in December that the DC-3 will be listed for sale at $499,000 (US).

The museum’s DC-3, built in 1939 for Eastern Airlines, was manufactured with Wright Cyclone engines rather than Pratt and Whitney engines which equipped most DC-3s. It initially flew for Eastern Airlines, later with North Central Airlines and continued in commercial use in the US until it was donated to the museum.

The aircraft was painted in the markings of RCAF 435 and 436 “Canucks Unlimited” Squadrons Dakotas which served in Burma in 1944-45. It was familiar at many air shows, serving as the drop ship for parachutists and flown to special aviation events over the years. C-GDAK received the People’s Choice award in the warbird category at the 1982 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

In contrast to the civil aviation legacy of the DC-3, the museum’s Dakota was built as a C-47 Skytrain for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and immediately transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in February 1944. It was transferred to the Royal Air Force under Lend-Lease, serving with No. 233 Squadron where it dropped parachutists into Normandy on D-Day.  

Then it was transferred to the RCAF in September 1944 and flew 208 operational trips with No. 437 Squadron. Between its service with the RAF and RCAF, the Dakota participated in two major airborne operations: Normandy and the Rhine. It carried 298 casualties to medical aid, repatriated 456 prisoners of war, and carried more than 51,000 passengers to destinations around Europe.

After its return to Canada, the Dakota first served with Tactical Air Command, then in search and rescue, ultimately with No. 424 Squadron at Trenton. Retired in 1973, it continued in government service with Environment Canada based in Ottawa. 
Registered C-GRSB, it was used for mineral and environmental surveys and remote sensing. The nose cone was modified to house a radar antenna. It was donated to the museum in 2014 and restored to RCAF colours as outlined in a previous issue of the CAHS e-Newsletter (CWHM C-47 Dakota restored to Second World War RCAF colours).

On June 3, 2019, the Dakota returned to the skies in its exact RCAF No. 437 markings of the Second World War. The completion of the Dakota’s restoration was marked with a dedication as part of Air Force Day on July 6, 2019.
The Wright Cyclone engines of the DC-3 fire up at the CWHM Flyfest in June 2007.