VH-AII. Douglas C-47A-25-DK. c/n 13622. Was also registered as: 42-93683; VH-EBI; VH-TAV; VH-SBJ; XW-PEE; N13622; ETI-31. |
Construction was completed at the Douglas Oklahoma City plant - 1944 It was built as a Douglas C-47A-25-DK It was delivered to the United States Army Air Force - June 15, 1944 It was allocated the U. S. serial number '42-93683' Assigned to the European theatre of operations during the war with the United States 9th Air Force It was struck-off charge and sold to Qantas Empire Airways Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AII - December 12, 1945 Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Brisbane Leased / chartered by Trans-Australia Airlines - September 03, 1948 Operated its final western Queensland service Mt Isa - Brisbane (Archerfield) - April 01, 1949 Crew: Captain I. F. McSparron; F/O B. G. Ball; Steward J. Thompson Returned to Qantas Empire Airways and reregistered as VH-EBI - September 23, 1949 Sold to Trans-Australia Airlines - November 04, 1950 Operated its first revenue service under T. A .A. ownership - November 04, 1950 Reregistered as VH-TAV - November 08, 1950 Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne The aircraft was originally named 'Todd' but it was later changed to 'Leichardt' Reregistered as VH-SBJ - February 08, 1961 Transferred to Papua New Guinea to operate the T.A.A. Sunbird Services - March 01, 1961 Operated its final T.A.A. revenue service - September 03, 1968 Sold to Continental Air Services Inc - October 09, 1968 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 09, 1968 Entered onto the Laos Aircraft Register as XW-PEE - October 1968 Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N13622 - March 1969 Sold to Air Alliance Inc, Los Angeles, California - 1970 Sold to Turk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force) as ETI-31 Final fate of aircraft still to be ascertained |
VH-AII. Qantas Empire Airways - in the all-metal livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, April 1949. (Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 0251-407.) |
VH-AII. Qantas Empire Airways - in the all-metal livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, April 1949. (Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 0251-476.) |
VH-EBI. Qantas Empire Airways - in the all-metal livery at Tamworth Airport, date unknown. (Qantas Heritage Collection Copyright Image 0251-423.) |
VH-TAV. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Todd' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown. (B. Colledge Copyright Image 0250-735.) |
VH-TAV. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Leichardt' in the revised livery at Cootamundra Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-363.) |
VH-TAV. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Leichardt' in the revised livery at Cootamundra Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0251-364.) |
VH-SBJ. TAA Sunbird Services - in the standard livery at Lae Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0250-333.) |
VH-SBJ. TAA Sunbird Services - in the standard livery at Lae Airport, July 28, 1966. (G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 0250-979.) |
VH-SBJ. TAA Sunbird Services - in the standard livery at Lae Airport, July 28, 1966. (G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 0250-978.) |