1946 – 1951
The competitive edge…
During 1946 and 1947, Flying Tigers relied heavily on the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the military/cargo version of the famed DC-3 used extensively by the Allies during WWII. A replacement for the Budd Conestoga, the C-47 could fly 7500 pounds of cargo over a range of 600 miles at 150 mph. It was during these trying years that competitors seeking Utopian rewards entered the air transportation field – first by the score, then by the hundreds. By 1947, with some 300 competitors to contend with, Flying Tigers had flown Roy Rogers’ wonder horse, Trigger, homeward-bound sailors, Elsie the Borden Cow, silverware, junketing Texans, flowers, furniture, and anything else that would get through the airport gate.