Photo credit: Airwolfhound - commons file / ru.wikipedia.org (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Former US aircraft mechanic Timothy Schwolby arrived in Krasnoyarsk to see the American Douglas C-47 aircraft, which was transferred by Washington to the Soviet Union in 1943 under the Lend-Lease program. The plane, which made an emergency landing in the tundra, stood in the swamp for almost 60 years. It was taken to Krasnoyarsk by members of the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS).
For many years, Timothy Schwolby worked at the plant that manufactures Douglas aircraft. He learnt that the RGS expedition rescued the American plane from the tundra in 2016-2017 and decided to visit Russia.
According to the American, the Douglas S-47 embodies the pages of the common history of Russia and the United States. The guest highly appreciated how Russia preserves its historical heritage. In Krasnoyarsk, Timothy Shvolby was met by representatives of the local branch of the RGS, who participated in the expedition. The guest was interested in the details of the plane's rescue.
The S-47 entered the USSR in 1943 and made civilian flights for several years. During one of the flights in 1947, the pilots were forced to land in the tundra. The remains of the plane were discovered only six years later by a local reindeer herder. The resque of the aircraft and its restoration will allow many people to see the aircraft, which symbolizes the cooperation between Moscow and Washington during the war.
Russkiy Mir
