Psyscape already led you to a very good option. The best of a free civilian DC-3 actually
To summarize:
I know of at least 15 models of the beloved Gooney Bird:
Paid/printed:
- The Alan Rose half model
- Fiddlers Green (several variants)
- Geli (1-33, Martinair livery)
- ModelCard (C-47 "Spooky" - I suppose is 1:33)
- Wilhelmshavener (1:50 Lufthansa)
- Maly Modelarz "Li-2" (1966, Polish livery / blue I think the scale is 1:60)
- Maly Modelarz "Li-2" (1978, Polish livery / red)
- Fly Model (C-47 Skytrain 1:33)
- A C-47 published by an Israeli house.
- A "Li-2" version published by some Russian house.
- There are two paid versions at ecardmodels.com. One by James Hairstone (bad) and the other by Lad N Dad (good)
Free:
- Bob's Card Models (free - Swiss Airlines livery)
- "Hobbi" (free - a hand-drawn Dakota)
- A digitally released version of a military Li-2 (the Russian variant of the DC-3). Comes in 1/33 and 1/48. I think the designers are called "Paper Art" ore something like that. Green with red Russian star.
Until now, I don't know of more 3's... and you can bet I've searched a lot
Of them all, I believe the most detailed model is the Fly Model (kit#101). It is a beauty.
You can But since you will build at 144 and don't need much detail I guess you can safely reduce Bob's free model without problem.
Commercial models can be repainted and resized as long as it is a personal work you do for yourself, and don't distribute it or "share" it.
Sometimes designers authorize the repaint and/or free distribution of their commercial kits, as long as they are not used for profit purposes. One example is the Alan Rose DC-3 that is currently being digitalized with his permission, and that will be available for free once it is finished.
regards.