(photographer not known)

Originally 42-68724/USAAF. Constructed as a C-53D and converted to DC-3A. Owned by actor Cary Grant. Photo by Steve Kraus.

Photo by Steve Kraus.

The only DC-3 (C-53) in the world to carry the massive Edo Model 78 amphib floats. Owned by the Folsom family.

The aircraft was a genuine pre-WWII civilian DC-3 delivered to TWA in April 1939 as NC14931 and served with them until February 1952. It subsequently passed thought the hands of numerous operators and was last active flying out of Laredo, TX., as XA-KTB with Aero JBR, but had been withdrawn from use and stored there by 2008. The deteriorating aircraft was acquired by the Fourrier Foundation in 2018 and moved from Laredo to San Antonio, TX., where it is planned it will be restored to airworthiness and used for humanitarian relief flights in South America and Africa.

This Turbo DC-3 is currently based in Angola. The airplane departs Luanda every morning around 9 am, to return between 5 and 6 pm. Parking and handling takes place on the ramp of the domestic terminal. The FR24 data track stops just outside the urban area of Luanda, so I am not sure what its destination is, nor what the purpose is of the operation. Looking at previous locations where this airplane has been seen flying, places like the Canadian Arctic and Indonesian Borneo, my guess would be that it is oil related.

5/44: TOS USAAF. 6/44: 7th Air Force, Oahu, HI. Ca.1945: Manila, Philippines. By 4/46: HQ 20th AF, Guam. 11/46: Declared surplus. VH-BHC. G-ALFO, N94529, N300A, N700E, N20DH, N3BA. 4/79: N890P. 7/90: Robert Burwell, West Chicago, IL. 8/90: N12RB. Ca.8/92: Dakota Aircraft Inc, Orlando, FL. (remained at DPA). 12/92: Viking Express, West Chicago, IL. 7/93: Vintage Air Tours "Eve Amelia." 9/97: WFU Orlando, FL— owner death. 11/97: Vintage Wings and Things Llc, Carencro, LA. 6/98: N33VW. 6//01: Cavanaugh Air Museum and Cavanaugh Flight Museum. By 3/22: Hangar 360 Aircraft Services Llc, Bolton, MS.

5/44: TOS USAAF. 6/44: 7th Air Force, Oahu, HI. Ca.1945: Manila, Philippines. By 4/46: HQ 20th AF, Guam. 11/46: Declared surplus. VH-BHC. G-ALFO, N94529, N300A, N700E, N20DH, N3BA. 4/79: N890P. 7/90: Robert Burwell, West Chicago, IL. 8/90: N12RB. Ca.8/92: Dakota Aircraft Inc, Orlando, FL. (remained at DPA). 12/92: Viking Express, West Chicago, IL. 7/93: Vintage Air Tours "Eve Amelia." 9/97: WFU Orlando, FL— owner death. 11/97: Vintage Wings and Things Llc, Carencro, LA. 6/98: N33VW. 6//01: Cavanaugh Air Museum and Cavanaugh Flight Museum. By 3/22: Hangar 360 Aircraft Services Llc, Bolton, MS.

5/44: TOS USAAF. 6/44: 7th Air Force, Oahu, HI. Ca.1945: Manila, Philippines. By 4/46: HQ 20th AF, Guam. 11/46: Declared surplus. VH-BHC. G-ALFO, N94529, N300A, N700E, N20DH, N3BA. 4/79: N890P. 7/90: Robert Burwell, West Chicago, IL. 8/90: N12RB. Ca.8/92: Dakota Aircraft Inc, Orlando, FL. (remained at DPA). 12/92: Viking Express, West Chicago, IL. 7/93: Vintage Air Tours "Eve Amelia." 9/97: WFU Orlando, FL— owner death. 11/97: Vintage Wings and Things Llc, Carencro, LA. 6/98: N33VW. 6//01: Cavanaugh Air Museum and Cavanaugh Flight Museum. By 3/22: Hangar 360 Aircraft Services Llc, Bolton, MS.

(photographer not known)

23 Oct 43: TOS USAAF. 11/43: 37th Troop Carrier Squadron, England. 6/6/44: Dropped paratroopers from the 505th PIR, 82nd Abn Div.. 9/44: Flew in Operation Market Garden. UNK: Suffered combat damage during WWII. After 4/45: Assigned to the 61st, 12th, and 60th Troop Carrier Groups in Germany. By 1948: 7290th Air Base Group, Germany. Flew in Berlin Airlift. 1/49: Loaned to Turkish Air Force. By 11/54: Returned to USAF, 169th FBS/126th FBG (ANG), Greater Peoria Airport, IL. By 1971: Ohio ANG at Springfield, OH. 9 Jun 93: Air Commando Park, Hurlburt Field, FL.

6 July 43: To USAAF as C-47A 42-108798 but transferred directly to USMC as R4D-5 17096. Record not found until 1944. August/44 VMR-142, Bouganville, Solomon Islands for remainder of WWII. October/45: NAS Corpus Christi, TX. September/46: Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), MCAS El Toro, CA. March/48: Naval Auxiliary Air Station Miramar, CA. April/48: NAS Columbus, OH. August/48: Naval Auxiliary Air Station Miramar, CA. UNK: NAS Anacostia, Washington, DC. 1967: TOS US Army with s/n 17096. By 1987: Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum, Ft. Campbell, KY.

Photo by Steve Kraus.

6 July 43: To USAAF as C-47A 42-108798 but transferred directly to USMC as R4D-5 17096. Record not found until 1944. August/44 VMR-142, Bouganville, Solomon Islands for remainder of WWII. October/45: NAS Corpus Christi, TX. September/46: Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), MCAS El Toro, CA. March/48: Naval Auxiliary Air Station Miramar, CA. April/48: NAS Columbus, OH. August/48: Naval Auxiliary Air Station Miramar, CA. UNK: NAS Anacostia, Washington, DC. 1967: TOS US Army with s/n 17096. By 1987: Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum, Ft. Campbell, KY.

This C-47 was built as wartime 43-49942 and delivered to the Royal Air Force in May 1945 as KN270. It was transferred to the RCAF with the same serial in April 1946 (and later became 12909). Sold to Ontario Central Airlines January 8, 1976, it would pass through several Canadian airlines before sold in the USA as N595AM in 1998. The aircraft was last with the Commemorative Air Force as N47HL from 2004. Sadly it caught fire and burned up after drifting off the runway during take-off on July 21, 2018 at Burnet Municipal Kate Craddock Field, TX .