Douglas C47 R7053 taking off from runway 06 at Salisbury Airport, March 1972. Photo taken from civil terminal balcony. Soon after this the roundels and registrations started being removed from all RhodAF aircraft leaving them to be white top sides and natural metal lower fuselage and wings. (photo, Robin D.W.Norton)

Douglas C-47 Dakota * Retired *
One C-47 gifted from the SAAF in November 1947 (SR25). Followed by 7 more ex-RAF Dakotas delivered between 1954 and 1955. Two more Dakotas from South African Airways in 1973 and two from Central African Airways. During June 1977 three more Dakotas were obtained via South Africa. A total of 15 C-47s were acquired. Four aircraft were transferred to the Zambia Air Force on 31 Dec 1963 (RRAF 703, 705, 707 & 708) and replaced by four aircraft obtained from South Africa using the same serial numbers. followed by 8 more in April 1955, giving a total of 26 aircraft. Used for the transport and paratrooping roles by 3 Sqn. One aircraft (R7134) used as Airborne Command Post, while another (R3702) was equipped with extensive electronic surveillance equipment. Withdrawn from service in late 1992. In 2001 nine of the stored aircraft were sold to a company in South Africa for conversion to C-47TP turboprops.

Serial	c/no.	Prev. Identity	Delivered	Fate/Notes
RRAF703	15950/32698		Oct 1954	C-47B. ex 44-76366/KN352/SR152. to Zambia AF Jan 1964
RRAF705	16799/33547		1 June 1955	C-47B. ex 44-77215/KP245/SR154. to Zambia AF Jan 1964
RRAF707	16324/33072		3 June 1955	C-47B. ex 44-76740/KN525/SR156. to Zambia AF Jan 1964
RRAF708	16486/33184		20 June 1955	C-47B. ex 44-76852/KN564/SR157. to Zambia AF Jan 1964
R3700	13164	ZS-KAT	13 Jan 1977	C-47A. ex 42-93271/KG572/G-AKJH/ET-ARR/G-AKJH/ZS-FKK/3D-AAH/A2-ZHR/ZS-KAT.
R7301	33083/16335		4 Apr 1977	C-47B. ex 44-76751/KN531/G-AMZR/ST-AAJ/VQ-ZEB/A2-ZEB/ZS-IPP/RRAF701. (also R3701)
R3702	25310/13865		12 Nov 1947	C-47A. 43-48049/KG766/SAAF6842/SR25 /RRAF25/RRAF702. VIP interior + ELINT equipment. c/s VP-YZA. w/o 31 May 1977
R7303	25312/13867		27 Jan 1964	C-47A. 43-48051/KG768/SAAF6841 /RRAF703. c/s VP-YZB
R7034	33410/16662		5 Dec 1954	C-47B. 44-77078/KN695/RRAF153/RRAF704. c/s VP-YZD. w/o 6 Jan 1977
R7053	32759/16011		18 Oct 1955	C-47B. 44-76427/KN385/RRAF155/RRAF705.
R7036	25939/14494		7 Feb 1964	C-47B. 43-48678/KJ908/SAAF6861 /RRAF706. c/s VP-YZE. (also R3706)
R7307	32946/16198		27 Jan 1964	C-47B. 44-76614/KN471/SAAF6863 /RRAF707. c/s VP-YZF. "Chaminuku" (also R3707), w/o 21 Feb 1975
R3708	33138/16390		20 June 1955	C-47B. 44-76806/KN538/RRAF158/RRAF708. (also R7038)
R7039	32651/15903		7 Feb 1964	C-47B. 44-76319/KN337/SAAF6874 /RRAF709. c/s VP-YZH. (also R3709) 2001 sold for C-47TP conv
R7310	42978	ZS-FRJ	13 May 1977	C-117A conv to DC-3D in 1946. HB-IRC/ZS-FRJ/3D-ABI/ZS-FRJ. 2001 sold for C-47TP conv
R3711	12049		Mar 1973	C-47A. 42-92267/FL265/SAAF6822/ZS-BXG/SAAF6887. (also R7311) w/o 18 Dec 1980
R7312	9492		Mar 1973	C-47A. 42-23630/FD574/SAAF6801/ZS-DJB/SAAF6889. w/o 10 Jul 1986
R7313	32741/15993		14 Apr 1974	C-47B. 44-76409/KN371/G-AMPS/VP-YKN/7Q-YKN/VP-WCG.
R7134	26437/14992		16 Apr 1974	C-47B. 43-49176/KJ998/G-AMYY/VP-YKP. VIP interior. Airborne Command Post. (also R7314). 2001 sold for C-47TP conv

References:

1. Rhodesian Air Force, A Brief History 1947-1980 (W A Brent, 1987)
2. Britain's Rebel Air Force (Roy Nesbit & Dudley Cowderoy, 1998)
3. African Military Aviation (W A Brent, 1994)
4. World Air Forces Directory 2002/03 (Ian Carroll, 2002)
5. Air (WLAG) November 1989