Vintage WW2-era US Navy plane flies from US to UK for series of VE Day events   

The world’s last airworthy Douglas R4D, the US Navy version of the Douglas DC-3 commercial airliner or its C-47 military equivalent, has successfully made the long trip from Texas in the United States to Europe for a series of VE Day celebrations, marking the 80th anniversary of the official end of World War Two.

Operated by the Dallas-Fort Worth Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) and based in Lancaster in the US state of Texas, the aircraft arrived at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) airfield at Duxford near Cambridge, UK, on Monday, April 28 April 2025, after its approximately 4,800-mile (7,680km) ferry flight from Texas. Duxford Airfield was itself a front-line WW2 air base, hosting various squadrons of Royal Air Force Spitfires and Hurricanes, as well as other types.

The ferry flight to the UK made multiple stopovers in New Orleans (Louisiana), Pensacola (Florida), Charleston (South Carolina), Norfolk (Virginia), Washington, DC, New York, Presque Isle (Maine), Goose Bay (Canada), Narsarsuaq (Greenland), Reykjavik (Iceland), and finally Duxford (England). A planned refuelling stop in Wick (Scotland) was not required due to favorable winds.

The vintage plane will be based in the UK for several weeks, using IWM Duxford as a base from where it will travel to various air shows and commemorative events across the UK and Europe before returning to the US.

The C-47/R4D differed from the civilian DC-3 in numerous ways, including being fitted with a cargo door, hoist attachment, and reinforced floor, along with a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles, and an astrodome in the cabin roof. During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47, modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica (California), and Oklahoma City (Oklahoma). Between March 1943 and August 1945, the Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s alone.

Alan Wilson / Wikimedia CommonsCarrying the aircraft name, ‘Ready 4 Duty’ (after its US Navy designation R4D), the aircraft will not only be attending these events to commemorate all the US servicemen and women who lost their lives during WW2, but will also be welcoming visitors onto the aircraft during various attendances to showcase how such aircraft were used for various roles during the War in staggering numbers.

Ready 4 Duty originally entered service with the US Navy in 1944 and is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney radial piston engines, each producing 1,200 hp of thrust. The aircraft has a cruise speed of 150mph (240 kph) and a range of 1,200 miles (1,920km).

During its tour of Europe, lasting from April 15, 2025, until it returns to Texas on July 4, 2025, in time for the Independence Day celebrations in the US, the aircraft is scheduled to visit seven countries and make 30 appearances at various air shows, which started with a visits to Eindhoven and Gilze en Rijen in the Netherlands over the weekend of May 4 and 5, 2025. The aircraft is expected to appear in front of over 250,000 members of the public during its time in the UK and Europe. The tour has been given the name ‘Navy to Victory Tour’ of 2025.

Ian Abbott / Flickr“With the youngest WW2 veteran now 97 years old, the window to honor these men and women is closing quickly. Navy to Victory is our way to help them take flight one more time,” said Christopher Volpe, DFW Wing Leader of CAF.

“The Navy to Victory Tour is a heartfelt tribute to the countless allied sailors and airmen who served with courage and conviction during the Second World War. This commemorative mission embodies the transatlantic bonds forged in the fight for freedom and remains a cornerstone in our shared history, “ added David Oliver, the President and CEO of CAF.

Inside ‘Ready 4 Duty’

While on the Navy to Victory Tour, Ready 4 Duty will also give passenger flights, while the crew will offer ground tours of the aircraft. On display inside the aircraft will be a variety of unique artifacts from a dozen surviving WW2-era navy warships, including aircraft carriers, battleships, and cruisers, which have been curated together as a single collection for the first time since the end of WW2.  

The airplane cabin display also contains replica depth charges of the same type that the R4D used on anti-submarine patrols in WW2. It also contains a first aid station equipped with stretchers, a radio room, a navigator’s station, and unparalleled views of the vintage flight deck.  

Back in Texas, the aircraft is regularly used by CAF for heritage and paratrooper flights as well as attending commemorative events. It even operates regular experience flights for the public during the summer months each year.

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