The C-47 Skytrain, also known as the Dakota, was developed from the DC-3 civilian airliner for military use. It had a reinforced fuselage, stronger cabin floors for hauling heavy loads, large rear fuselage doors for loading cargo and dropping paratroops, more powerful engines, and could be retrofitted to tow gliders. Affectionately known as the Gooney Bird, it became a workhorse important to the war effort in just about every capacity. General Dwight D. Eisenhower considered the C-47 one of the pieces of equipment most vital to success. More than 10,000 C-47s were produced between 1941 and 1945, and many remained in front-line service for years afterward. A number of C-47 and DC-3 aircraft are still in civil service today.