Capital
Airlines Douglas DC-3S "Super DC-3" N16019
(c/n 43193)
In the late 1940s Douglas decided to update
the DC-3 as a sort of Convairliner competitor. Only
three machines were ever converted for civil use, although the US Navy
did convert about 100
R4D-5s and D-6s to R4D8
"Super" status. Capital was the only airline to use them and did
so for
just a couple of years. N16109
was built as a DC-3-178 for American Airlines in 1936 (c/n 1557).
Capital had it converted by
Douglas. The cost was about half that of a new Convair 340 - but
then,
it was about half the
aircraft when done!