Douglas C-53D Skytrooper 268810 003 Gruesome | Musée Aéronautique de Bretagne
- STATUS: Airworthy
- LOCATION: Rennes–Saint‑Jacques Airport, France
- OWNER: Musée Aéronautique de Bretagne
- ROLE: Cargo
- BUILT: 1943
- LENGTH: 19.63m 64 ft 5 in
- WINGSPAN: 29.96m 95 ft
- ENGINE: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R‑1830 Twin Wasp radial engines (1,200 hp class)
- MAXIMUM SPEED: 230 mph 370 km/h
- RANGE: 1,600 miles
Douglas C‑53D Skytrooper 42‑68810, now flying in France as F‑HVED, is one of the most historically significant surviving Skytroopers. Built in June 1943 at Santa Monica, it served as a dedicated troop‑carrier variant of the C‑47, lacking the cargo door and reinforced floor of its more famous sibling
Restored by the Musée Aéronautique de Bretagne, it returned to the air in 2024 wearing its original wartime markings: T3‑003 “Gruesome”
Construction & Delivery
Douglas C‑53D‑DO Skytrooper 42‑68810 (construction number 11737) was built in June 1943 at Douglas’s Santa Monica plant as a dedicated troop‑transport variant, distinguished from the C‑47 by its lack of a cargo door and its single passenger door configuration.
The C‑53 was a specialised personnel carrier, used for airborne operations, medical evacuation, and rapid troop movement across the Mediterranean and European theatres.
Wartime Service
Operation Giant – Salerno (September 1943)
42‑68810’s first combat mission was during Operation Giant, delivering 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers into the Salerno beachhead in Italy.
Medical Evacuation – Normandy (August 1944)
In the aftermath of the Normandy campaign, the aircraft flew wounded servicemen from Colleville to the UK in August 1944
Post‑War Career & Restoration
After military service, 42‑68810 transitioned into civilian life as a Douglas DC‑3A, eventually receiving the French registration F‑HVED
Its modern renaissance began when the Musée Aéronautique de Bretagne undertook a multi‑year restoration, culminating in a successful return to flight in 2024, fully repainted as “Gruesome” and now one of Europe’s most historically accurate flying Skytroopers
Photo Gallery
