Originally Posted by
Heathrow Harry
Wikipedia gives 1500 miles (2400km) for the DC-3A; other sources give 1847 nm/2125miles/ 3420km but there is a very wide range of numbers from just over 1000 miles to 2400 miles
2100 miles may be max.fuel
Melbourne Auckland is around 1630 miles (2625 kms) so I expect there was a technical stop or it was a max fuel trip
various mods could change things - I can remember a DC-3 on airborne survey work with two large internal tanks and an endurance of 12+ hours - approx. 2160 nm ....... and a very nasty experience TBH
Yes, fuel tankage must have varied enormously. The 2125 (statute) miles is quoted for three different models of DC-3 in Janes for 1946/7 (including Cyclones and Twin Wasps), whereas the same volume quotes 1500 statute miles for the C-47, which represented the vast majority of post-war passenger ops. FWIW, our C-47s (including G-AMSV) had - IIRC - four wing tanks of about 80 imp. gallons each. The rule-of-thumb fuel-flow for flight planning was 80 gallons/hr (possibly pessimistic), and the nominal cruising TAS 140 kt (162 mph). That suggests a still-air range of only about 650 statute miles without reserves... Enough in our case for Gatwick/Hannover with 3 tonnes of newspapers and mail for the BAOR, using Hamburg as an alternate. OTOH, Prchal, Korky and Rechka flew a CSA Dakota direct from Prague to Manston in 1951...