Last verified 2026-08-09 against the gazetteer Compendium. Airframes move — confirm on museum pages before travel.
Where to see the Douglas C-47 Dakota in the UK
The gazetteer records 3 Douglas C-47 Dakota airframes (including cockpit sections and replicas where noted) across 4 UK collections, in 3 regions: East of England, Midlands & Lincolnshire, Northern England.
| Museum | City | Region | Airframes recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight Visitors Centre | Lincoln | Midlands & Lincolnshire | Douglas C-47 Dakota ZA947 |
| IWM Duxford | Cambridge | East of England | — |
| Royal Air Force Museum Midlands | Shifnal | Midlands & Lincolnshire | Douglas Dakota C.4 KN645 |
| Yorkshire Air Museum | York | Northern England | Douglas Dakota IV KN353 |
The short story
Eisenhower listed four tools that won the war: the bulldozer, the jeep, the 2½-ton truck, and the C-47. It dropped every Allied airborne army from Sicily to Arnhem, towed gliders, hauled freight, and then flew the Berlin Airlift as if the war had been a warm-up. Roughly 16,000 built; the RAF called it Dakota and never looked back. Four gazetteer museums hold one — Cosford’s last RAF Dak still “flies” indoors; Yorkshire’s still runs.
The Douglas C-47 Dakota in brief
| Type | Douglas C-47 Dakota |
|---|---|
| First flight | 1935 |
| Era | Second World War |
| Number built | ~16,000 |
| Top speed | 224 mph |
| UK museums holding one | 4 |
| Airframes recorded in this survey | 3 |
Serials are the gazetteer's survey snapshot of what each collection records on charge — restorations move between workshops and reserve hangars, so check the museum page for opening times and current display status before travelling. Every type across all 118 museums is indexed in the Compendium.