A damaged Japanese Showa/Nakajima L2D Transport photographed on Saipan - June/July 1944
The Showa/Nakajima L2D was a license-built version of the Douglas DC-3 and was the most important Japanese transport in WW2, the L2D was given the Allied code name “Tabby”.
Nakajima Hikoki acquired the license rights to bulld the DC-3 from the Douglas Aircraft Company for $90,000 in February 1938.
Originally powered by imported Pratt & Whitney radial engines, the first L2D prototype flew in October 1939 and entered production in 1940 with Mitsubishi radial engines, many different variants of the L2D were built during WW2, none survive today.
I had never heard of the DC3 built under license by the Japanese. I had heard of the Russian version.
LIFE Magazine Archives - Peter Stackpole Photographer