Aircraft KP208 Data

Airframe Info

Manufacturer:	Douglas
Model:	C-47B Dakota 4 (DC-3)    Search all Douglas C-47B Dakota 4 (DC-3)
Year built:	0000
Construction Number (C/N):	33419
Aircraft Type:	Fixed wing multi engine
Number of Seats:	32
Number of Engines:	2
Engine Type:	Reciprocating
Engine Manufacturer and Model:	Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C Twin Wasp

Aircraft

Registration Number:

KP208

Owner

Owner:	Royal Air Force
Address:	Aldershot , Hampshire United States

User Comments

Ray Deacon, 2009-12-23 05:00:00
	KP208 was often based at Oslo during the mid-sixties, am not sure what for, and returned to 5 MU at Kemble between missions. I took a couple of photographs of it at Kemble if they would be of interest.
Andrew Scott, 2011-11-08 19:52:28
	I don't know about the Oslo spell, but in 1965 KP208 was resident in India, at the disposal of the British High Commission. In April 1965, as a 12-year old, I flew in her from Delhi to Calcutta (about an 8-hour trip, if I remember correctly) and then up to Baghdogra, at the feet of the Himalayas, with my parents. My father was the Deputy British High Commissioner, and he was representing the Queen at the coronation of the Chogyal (King) of Sikkim. I was taken along as well, which was an utterly amazing experience. KP208 was based at Safdar Jang, a partly military airfield near Delhi (where two years later I was arrested for plane-spotting, much to my father's amusement). I loved KP208 dearly, despite the fact that you could see ground and sky through several gaps when in the loo. I was thrilled to find her on display at Aldershot.
yellowjack, 2014-05-01 07:35:32
	After the departure of the Parachute Regiment from Aldershot in 2003, the Browning Barracks site was scheduled for redevelopment. The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum eventually closed in Aldershot around 2007/2008, and the contents are now at the IWM site at Duxford, the first phase of the 'new' museum opening on 8 December 2008. There was insufficient storage space at Duxford for KP208 though, and it would have been a 'duplicate exhibit' so, as it still officially belongs to the RAF, it was decided to move the aircraft to the Para's new home in Colchester. Having been dismantled, and moved by road from Browning Barracks in Aldershot in 2009, KP208 was taken to North Weald for some restoration work and a fresh coat of paint. From there, it was taken to Colchester Garrison, in Essex, the new home of the Parachute Regiment. There, it was reassembled, and it now stands proudly at the main entrance, as an enduring monument to the service given by members of the Airborne Forces during WWII. It can be seen from outside, but visiting the aircraft is not possible without security clearance to access the Garrison. I last saw the aircraft there in 2012, when it looked, externally at least, to be in pretty good shape. The paint finish certainly looked better than it ever did when it sat at Aldershot for all those years.