The legends about "getting out" are likely true, but there are many "what ifs" to be answered.
In wartime, C-47s were often loaded far above their certified MTOW - but they had NO OEI capability. Blow a jug, and you were going to land quickly, probably not where you prefer. To do this in peacetime, in a civilized country, is criminal behavior. Ditto operating from a strip shorter than the ship's accelerate-stop requirement.
Don't confuse apples and pineapples.