SSI01
October 6th, 2012, 05:25
At first blush the reported planned provision of a DC-3/C-47 aircraft as an escape mechanism for personnel of the American consulate in Benghazi may seem strange, but upon further reflection it may not have been such a poor choice after all. The aircraft is robust, can operate from an unimproved airstrip (such as a hard-packed piece of desert surface - plenty of that in N. Africa!), doesn't require much, if any, ground support equipment in a pinch, and runs on avgas, plenty of which is available in that part of the world. Systems aren't sophisticated, either. In other words, infrastructure and support demands for an airplane of this type are a fraction of what those of a jet aircraft would be. This bird could be quietly flown in and parked in an out-of-the-way spot in or near the desert and kept there until needed. Wonder if what was posited had round engines, or would they supply a Basler?