Really F-BASS which was built for Air France in 1953, then in 1964 transferred to the French Air Force for long-distance transport duties. Retired in 1967 and became "Restaurant Le Bréguet" here at Fontenay, but long since abandoned. The only surviving example of the Breguet 763 Deux Pont!

In basic Trans Canada Airways markings

DND photo.

Flew in from Benin via Abuja (Nigeria) and Tamanrasset (Algeria).

Delivered new to the USAAF on 30 November 1944. Later transferred to the Italian Air Force.

First flight 1960, delviered new January 31st 1960 as N6226A to American Airlines as "Flagship Tucson". March 30th 1970 N6126A McCulloch Properties, May 1972 McCulloch International Airlines. July 1977 N651126A converted to freighter. July 29th 1977 N6126A Great Northern Airlines, September 1977 N404GM rr. November 22nd 1980 N669F Fleming International Airways. September 1983 CAM Air International. August 1985 Spirit of America Airlines. November 1988 TPI International Airways, lease to Air Bridge Carriers and opf EMS in EMS colours. June 5th 1991 LN-FOL Fred Olsen, but seen May 25th 1991 too

Displayed here at NAS Virginia having been given to the Smithsonian Institute in 1953 for the National Aviation Museum. It remained for another couple of years before being barged to Pensacola on loan to the Naval Aviation Museum and is now preserved as shown in my photo here. In 1946 it had accomplished a record-breaking flight from Perth, Australia non-stop to Ohio, the crew being accompanied by a young kangaroo gifted to the National Zoo in Washington DC

The prototype of the Neptune, the XP2V-1, made its maiden flight in May 1945 and in Sept/Oct 1946, the early aircraft seen here made a record-breaking flight from Perth to the USA. Intended originally to reach Washington DC, the crew had to settle for Columbus, OH having covered some 11,236 miles over a period of 55h 17m. It then flew with the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River until 1953 when presented to the Smithsonian Institution, going on display at NAS Norfolk, VA where I got to photograph it in 1975. Loaned to the Pensacola museum in 1977 and delivered by barge

The Tropical Science Mission was from late 1945 to early 1946. According to the caption, the C-54 had already visited Australia when it arrived in China. It is known from media reports that it was in Australia in January 1946. 45-559 was passed to the Mexican air force in 1960. Photo from: The William Orthman World War II Collection/The Museum of Flight

DC-1 NR223Y after its record flight across the US using the Lear Model L Lear-O-Scope, which was a direction finding loop for navigation. The loop is visible on the cabin roof. NR223Y was sold to Howard Hughes for a his round-the-world but he used a Lockheed 14 instead. The DC-1 was then sold in the UK as G-AFIF. It ended up in Spain. The William P. and Moya Olsen Lear Papers / The Museum of Flight

One of the 435 Squadron Flying Boxcars flying over some of the villages near Naples. DND photo.

After serving as a regular USN transport from 1943, BuNo 12418 was transferred to VX-6, NAS Patuxent River in 1955 and converted next year to R4D-5L for use in Antarctica. On 31st October 1956, it made the first ever landing at the South Pole, the crew of seven becoming the first humans there since the Royal Navy's Captain Scott reached the pole in 1912. Qué Será Será was presented to the Smithsonian Institute in 1958 and placed in store at its Silver Hill facility. In 1974 it was loaned to the Naval Aviation Museum but was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Restored for display inside by 2011

Delivered to KLM as PH-DSI in July 1957 it was converted as a DC-7F in August 1962. In 1969 it was sold to Aer Turas as EI-ATV but quickly passed to Affretair as TR-LNZ. In 1979 it was leased to the Rhodesian AF as serial 7230 returning to Affretair, this time as VP-YTY, in 1980. In 1982 it was placed on the US register as N103LM, operating for La Mancha Aire, JBM & Sons and Million Air before acquired by Trans Air Link in February 1985. It was leased in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998; little is known of its DRC time except that it was reportedly scrapped at Kinshasa in 2010.

The USN purchased a total of 360 Beech D-17s from 1937, 18 of them designated as GB-1s and 342 GB-2s powered by an uprated P&W R-985-50 engine. Named "Traveller," the GB-2 served as both a liaison aircraft and as a transport to take ferry pilots to aircraft factories around the US for pick up and delivery of new aircraft for the fleet

DND photo.

Delivered to Northwest Orient Airlines as DC-6B N577 in 1957, it served until 1964 when it was acquired by the Finnish operator KAR-AIR and registered OH-KDA. In 1968 it was converted to swing-tail (ST) configuration by SABENA at Brussels. In 1982 it was sold to Trans Air Link as N867TA, passing to Northern Air Cargo in 1986. Sadly, on 25th September 2001, this beautiful propliner was destroyed when, just after touchdown at Deadhorse-Alpine Airstrip, AK., the left wing broke free from the fuselage, the aircraft veered to the left of the runway, down an embankment, and was consumed by fire.

DND photo.

This is the last surviving Coronado, one of 210 built. Originally a PB2Y-3, it served VR-4 as a transport after conversion to PB2Y-3R with faired-over turrets. Further conversions to PB2Y-5R and PB2Y-5Z saw it fitted out with a VIP interior, flying the deputy and staff of Admiral Nimitz to Tokyo for Japan's surrender on 2 September 1945. Registered N69003 post-war, Howard Hughes used it in preparing to fly his HK-1 flying boat, remaining airworthy until the 1960s. By 1975 it was on display at a Spruce Goose memorial at Long Beach and in 1977 was barged through the Panama Canal to Pensacola

One of the 435 Squadron Flying Boxcars on the tarmac at Capodichino Airport near Naples with Mt Vesuvius in the background. DND photo.

435 Squadron - Athens, Greece - C-119 Flying Boxcar with UN markings being refuelled at Athens Airport after a flight there to see about using the Athens Airport instead of Souda Bay in Crete. Written off 13th December 1958 DND photo.