Photographer: Al Rodriguez. K25 slide scan. Built 1953 as CF-CUO for Canadian Pacific. UAT F-BHMR 1959, merged into UTA 1965. EAS 1971, Air Djibouti 1973, Bellomy Lawson 1975. Leased to Surinam Airways 1978, COPA HP-936 1981. Remained Miami based with several small operators as N2890M, N94BL and N47048 until 1992 when sold to Aerosol as HK-3874X 1992. Damaged beyond repair in landing accident Villavicencio February 1994 and subsequently scrapped.

CF-CUO fleet number 431 is normally listed as Empress of Lima but here at Auckland in May 1953 it is Empress of Honolulu. The aircraft was sold in France as F-BHMR in 1959. Photo from: Whites Aviation Collection/Alexander Turnbull Library

Thought to be operated by Caribex Worldwide Inc.

Registered to Aggie Aircraft Corp. at the time. Re-reg N94BL only days later.

Delivered to Canadian Pacific as CF-CUO in 1953. To UTA as F-BHMR in 1959. To Air Afrique as TU-TCK in 1963 and returned to UTA as F-BHMR in 1965. To Bellomy-Lawson Aviation as N47058 in 1975 and converted to a freighter. To COPA as HP-936 in 1981. To N2890M then N94BL in 1982. Back to N47058 in 1983 and back to N94BL in 1985. To Aerosol as HK-3847X in 1993. Damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Villavicencio in 1994.

I'd wanted to know what the streamlined bulge under the forward fuselage was for and David Carter has come up with a good explanation: dual long-range ADF antennas. This makes sense as in the days before LORAN, INS and GPS, the aircraft's position could be fixed by use of intersecting radials from two or more ADF stations. Especially useful on long trans-pacific flights which is what CPAL, the original operator of this aircraft, used to do.

Initially a DC-6B CF-CUO with CP Air this aircraft, like so many others, was later converted to (F). It was damaged beyond repair landing at Villavicencio, Colombia in February, 1994 as HK-3847X. Other registrations carried were F-BHMR, TU-TCK, HP-936, N2890M, and N94BL.

Sold in Panama as HP-936 in 1981.

Previously registered CF-CUO, F-BHMR

I wonder what this hump underneath the forward fuselage was. It was removed later.

This well travelled DC-6B began life as CF-CUO with CP Air and was later converted to (F). Was damaged beyond repair landing at Villavicencio, Colombia 2/94 as HK-3847X. Other regns were F-BHMR, TU-TCK, HP-936, N2890M, and N94BL.

This DC-6B served Aeromaritime from June 1959 until October 1971. It is departing from Ringway on a regular inclusive tour service to Nice.

UTA's DC-6B from Noumea was a hard aircraft to catch. It operated to Sydney once every two weeks, arriving around 10pm and departing early the next day. F-BHMR had returned to French registry in November 1965. A Caravelle replaced it in the South Pacific in November 1966.