Dakota RI-001

Dakota RI-001 Seulawah

Dakota RI-001 Seulawah is a transport plane which is the 2nd plane owned by the Republic of Indonesia. Dakota type aircraft with wings number RI-001 named Seulawah is purchased from the donation money of the people of Aceh. Dakota RI-001 Seulawah aircraft is the embryo of the establishment of the first commercial airline, Indonesian Airways. This aircraft is very large service in the early struggle of the formation of the state of Indonesia.

The Dakota DC-3 Seulawah has a body length of 19.66 meters and a wingspan of 28.96 meters, powered by two Pratt & Whitney engines weighing 8,030 kg and capable of flying at a maximum speed of 346 km / h.


History :

KSAU "Rear Admiral Soerjadi Soerjadarma" initiated the purchase of transport aircraft. TNI-AU Plan and Propaganda Bureau led by OU II Wiweko Supono and assisted by OMU II Nurtanio Pringgoadisuryo is believed to be the implementer of the idea.

The bureau then prepared approximately 25 models of Dakota aircraft. Then, the Head of the Air Force Propaganda Bureau, OMU I J. Salatun was assigned to follow President Soekarno to Sumatra in order to raise funds.

On June 16, 1948 at Hotel Kutaraja, President Soekarno succeeded in arousing the patriotism of the Acehnese people. Through a committee headed by Djuned Yusuf and Said Muhammad Alhabsji, the Acehnese donated a donation of 20 kilos of gold.

The funds are then used to purchase a Dakota plane and become the first transport plane owned by the Indonesian nation. Dakota aircraft donations from the people of Aceh was then given the name Dakota RI-001 Seulawah. Seulawah itself means "Golden Mountain".

The presence of Dakota RI-001 Seulawah encourages the opening of the Java-Sumatra flight route, even abroad. In November 1948, Vice President Mohammad Hatta traveled around Sumatra on the Maguwo-Jambi-Payakumbuh-Kutaraja-Payakumbuh-Maguwo route.

In Kutaraja, the plane used joy flight for the Acehnese people and the distribution of pamphlets. On December 4, 1948 the aircraft was used to transport ALRI cadets from Payakumbuh to Kutaraja, as well as for aerial photography on Mount Merapi.

In early December 1948 the Dakota RI-001 Seulawah aircraft departed from Maguwo-Kutaraja Airport and on December 6, 1948 left for Calcutta, India. The plane was manned by Captain Pilot J. Maupin, Kopkot OU III Sutardjo Sigit, Adisumarmo radio interpreter, and Caesselberry machine engineer. A trip to Calcutta is to conduct regular maintenance. When the Dutch Military Aggression II, Dakota RI-001 Seulawah can not return to the homeland. On the initiative of Wiweko Supono, with the capital of Dakota RI-001 Seulawah, it was established the first commercial airline, Indonesian Airways, with an office in Burma (now Myanmar).

Along with technological developments, especially in the field of aerospace, some types of older generation aircraft were declared expired operation. One of them is a Dakota type.

However, due to its great value for the establishment of a commercial airline in the country, the Air Force initiated the establishment of a monument to the Dakota RI-001 Seulawah airfield in Banda Aceh.

On 30 July 1984, the Commander of ABRI General L.B. Moerdani also inaugurated the monument located in Blang Padang Square, Banda Aceh. The original aircraft was stored in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

This monument became a symbol that the contribution of the people of Aceh was great for the struggle of the Republic of Indonesia in its early establishment.