"Mystery Ship" on display at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. So named because they were built in secrecy, only five Type Rs were made by Travel Air during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Flown by flyers like Jimmy Doolittle, Doug Davis, Frank Hawks and Pancho Barnes, they participated in air races, beating the military entries for the first time. "Texaco 13" was the fourth Type R to be built and was the most famous of the series. On 13 Aug 1930 Frank Hawks flew this aircraft from Glendale to Long Is. in a time of 12h 25m 3s, bettering the record set by Charles Lindbergh.

Photographer: Eberhard Kunze. K25 slide scan. Ordered as C-54D 42-72508 for USAAF, transferred to USN as R5D-3Z 56497 1945. Redesignated VC-54Q in 1962, retired to MASDC 1971. Auctioned 1974, civilianized for Aero Union as aerial tanker N62342, active until early 1990's. Cancelled 2001 as exported to Canada, registered to Buffalo Airways 2007 as C-FBAK for spares use at Hay River.

Crashed near Dargaville on December 6, 1977. Bob Kerr photo

Delivered to the USAAF as C-54D 42-72508 then transferred to the US Navy as R5D-3Z 56497 in 1945. Redesignated as a VC-54Q in 1962. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with park code 3C096 in 1971. To Aero Union as N62342 in 1974 and convertted to a firebomber. To Buffalo Airways as C-FBAK in 2001 and used for parts at Hay River.

Not wearing any exterior markings apart from the remains of the airtanker number, the former N62342 had been registered in Canada with Buffalo Airways on July 17, 2007. As such, it is remaining for sale by mid-2020 with 14201 flying hours, which is a really low number for a 1945 C-54.

'Captain Hawks leaving Vancouver airport for Los Angeles.' The fourth of the five Travel Air R racing aircraft had longer-span wings and Frank Hawks, who clearly was not superstitious, used Texaco No 13 to set some 200 'speed records' between various cities. Text on the fuselage reads:'This plane has traveled 100,000 miles at an average speed of 192 mph on inter-city flights in the U.S., Canada and Europe.' Hawks crashed it on 16 April 1932, but it was repaired and is preserved in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Photo by: Stuart Thomson / City of Vancouver Archives

Prepairing for the upcoming season.

This former Aero Union aircraft (ex N62342) was missing its #2 engine. Registered to Buffalo Airways as C-FBAK on 17 Jul 2007.

Delivered to US Navy in 03.45 as R5D-3 Bu56497, later C-54Q. N62342 from 03.75 and Aero Union '13' from 12.75. Later C-FBAK with Buffalo Airways.

During my visit to Red Deer in September 2005, 13 recently retired A-26 firebomber aircraft were parked on the ramp and were for sale for $100,000 each.