A twin engine transport, which was retired from the IAF in 2001, after 52 years of active service. The plane is one of the wonders of the aviation world: more than 60 years have passed since the prototype's maiden flight, and hundreds of Dakotas are still in use. Although there are more modern, efficient and comfortable planes than the Dakota, it remains in service because of its almost unlimited lifespan, low initial cost, low cost of use and very high reliability.
The Dakota is credited with setting quite a few aviation milestones: in the field of civilian aviation, the Dakota offered its passengers a level of comfort that had not been known previously (in the late 1930's) - and the aviation companies began raking in a handsome profit. In the military sphere, the Dakota played an important role in the Allied victory in WW2. General Eisenhower included it among the four weapons which he believed won the war (the others were the bazooka, the jeep and the atomic bomb), saying that "the Dakota is the machine that taught man to fly".
There are many anecdotes associated with the Dakota. One Dakota is known to have carried a record 93 refugees from a flood-stricken area in South America; another landed safely despite losing 3.7 meters of its wingspan after shaving a cliff face; and another Dakota lost most of its rudder in a crash with a fighter during WW2, yet managed a safe landing. More than 14,000 Dakotas have been produced worldwide. At present, about 400 are in civilian service, and thousands more serve in air forces the world over.
The War of Independence
Heyl Ha'avir employed Dakotas throughout the War of Independence, for transport missions within Israel and from abroad, as well as on bombing assignments. In February of 1948, one of the IAF's most experienced pilots, Boris Senior, was sent to South Africa to try and procure planes. Among the planes he managed to purchase were two Dakotas, which made it to Israel later in that year.
However, the Dakota's greatest moments in the War of Independence were the times it was used as a bomber. Using the Dakota as a bomber was not an Israeli invention: the Egyptian Air Force had used Dakotas to bomb targets within Israel. The technique used was primitive: the bombs were placed on the floor, in the fore part of the cabin, and a crew of bombardiers dragged them carefully toward the opening (the doors had been removed before takeoff), passing them on from one person to the next. The last bombardier in the line removed the safety pins and threw the bombs out. The bombs weighed over 50 kg. each, and since there were no sights employed, the bombardiers had to rely on their 'touch'. In the end, an engineer named Ze'ev Segal designed a crib-shaped device that made it possible to safely drop bombs weighing up to100 kilos.
In the course of the war the Dakota attacked on all fronts, from Damascus and Kuneitra, southward to Gaza, Be'er Sheva and Faluja. Together with the Commandos and Skymasters, the Dakotas served in Operation 'Avak' ('Dust') - for supplying the Negev, and Operation 'Uvda' - the conquest of Eilat.
The Sinai Campaign
In the early 50's the Dakota squadron numbered a few planes, and served for paratrooper training and for flights abroad. Around the time of Operation 'Kadesh', the squadron was reinforced by additional planes, on loan from the French Armee de l'Air.
In the afternoon hours of October 29th 1956, the Dakotas took off from 'Ekron Airbase (now Tel Nof), each carrying 25 paratroopers. In order to avoid detection by Egyptian radar, the planes flew at 150 meters above ground level, climbing to 450 meters just before they reached the drop area. The mission was carried out successfully, and the airborne battalion commanded by Maj. Refael ('Raful') Eitan was dropped at the Mitle. This was the largest paratroop drop ever carried out by the IDF (it was also the last wartime paratroop drop to be carried out anywhere).
In the course of the campaign, the Dakotas carried out numerous sorties in the Sinai, performing airdrops of vital supply and equipment, medevac and reconnaissance missions. The Dakotas also had another mission, more in the field of psychological warfare: they flew at low altitude over Abu-‘Ageila, with extra powerful loudspeakers blaring messages calling on the Egyptians to surrender.
On March 10th, three Dakotas participated in evacuating the IDF from Sharm a-Sheikh, as the IDF withdrew from the Sinai.
From the 1960's onwards and to this day, the IAF continues to use the Dakotas as second-line transports on many of its missions.
Several times during its long tenure in the IAF, the Dakota was officially phased out, in favor of a more modern replacement transport aircraft. However, each time the retirement did not last very long and this reliable workhorse was recalled to duty. In fact, inside every IAF Dakota there is a sign that proudly proclaims: "THE ONLY REPLACEMENT FOR A DAKOTA IS... ANOTHER DAKOTA!"
In the early 1930's, TWA decided to replace all of its outdated Fokker and Ford passenger planes. It issued a tender for a very advanced plane (by those days' standards) that was to be made of metal, with single wings and three engines, and capable of carrying 12 passengers to a distance of 1750 km. at a speed of 240 kph. Additionally, there was a specific demand that the plane be able to take off from any of the company's airfields, even if one of its engines was disabled.
Just 10 days later, McDonnell Douglas put forth its bid for the development of the new passenger plane, and the prototype took off in July 1933. In the early 1940's the US Army began showing interest in the plane, and plans were readied for converting it to military service.
When the US entered the war, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issued a decree conscripting the 93 existing Dakotas into military service, along with 137 which were had been ordered by civilian airliners and were still in various stages of production. Processing of the military order - which had already been placed - was now sped up, and in the end the US Army received 567 Dakotas.
The transports played a key role in the war: they transported troops and supplies, carried out paratroop airdrops, medevac and other missions, on all fronts.