Delivered to the USAAF as C-54A 42-72168 in 1943. To N54373 in 1946 then to LX-BNG in 1961. Converted to a Carvair and to British Air Ferries as G-ASDC in 1963. To N80FA in 1979 and N103 in 1983. Crashed in Alaska in 1997.

Although there are already numerous photos of this frame here on AirHistory this one is still different as it shows the aircraft in the new livery together with its given name.

A DC-4 conversion

Under restoration.

At its peak in the 1960s the vehicle ferry operation at Southend made it one of the busiest fields in the UK. The Carvair was the only Douglas propliner I flew on.

Another view of "Big Louie", with "Big John" (G-AOFW) in the later colours

Looking fine in the last BAF Carvair c/s, Delta Charlie warms up for departure. Note the tail-stick used during loading

Southend's last two operational Carvairs, G-ASDC is seen here in the company of G-ASHZ

When they stripped all the layers of paint from 'DC for its freight-only career 'au naturel', it was said that they gained about 10% extra payload. Behind is G-AOFW which for a while was a candidate for preservation

"Big Louie" eases onto SEN's runway 06. I grew up 3 miles out along that approach path in the Sixties and have the Carvair and the other classic props of the time to thank for firing my aviation interest

Converted by ATEL from DC-4 LX-BNG and first flying as a Carvair in 3.63, G-ASDC was first christened "Pont du Rhin" by BUAF and was renamed "Plain Jane" by BAF in 1972. Sold to Falcon Airways of Texas as N80FA in 4.79 (crashed 6.97 in AK)

A shot of this amazing beast from my Cessna 172 camera ship

Working at Southend Airport in the 'Seventies produced some great opportunities. Just before N80FA departed on its ferry flight to Texas, I was able to fix up an air-to-air session from Cessna 172 G-ATLN. We flew as fast as possible, the Carvair as slow as it could with everything down. I can still hear those P&Ws roaring over the sound of my open window and the general racket in the Cessna. I even sold my car to one of the Falcon directors who duly loaded and flew home to the States with it - truly Car-via-air as Freddie Laker originally intended. This aircraft crashed in Alaska in 1997 as N103; another of the few remaining Carvairs suffered a similar fate up there in May 2007, so now only two survive