Construction completed at the Long Beach plant - December 7, 1942

Built as a Douglas C-47-DL

Delivered to the USAAF - December 7, 1942

Allocated U.S. serial number 41-19479

Arrived Amberley for use by 5th Air Force - January 21, 1943

Operated by the 22nd TCS under radio callsign 'VHCJG'

Aircraft was named 'Overtime'

Acquired by the Commonwealth of Australia / D.C.A. under lend / lease agreement for use by airlines

Handed over to D.C.A. at Mascot, Sydney - August 28, 1944

Aircraft had flown only 1,561 hours 50 minutes

Converted to civilian standards by A.N.A.

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AEV - February 16, 1945

Registered to the Commonwealth of Australia

Leased to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - February 17, 1945 to January 31, 1946

Leased to M.M.A. - February 1, 1946 to June 18, 1946

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission - June 29, 1946

Aircraft had now flown 7,270 hours

Transferred to Trans Australia Airlines - their 3rd aircraft - July 2, 1946

Aircraft was named 'Kennedy'

Operated its first service with T.A.A. - July 2, 1946

Transferred to Papua New Guinea to operate T.A.A. Sunbird services - October 27, 1960

Commenced T.A.A. Sunbird Services - November 2, 1960

Aircraft was renamed 'Manus'

Reregistered VH-SBI - December 16, 1960

Aircraft was specially named 'Pard Mustar' for one day - February 18, 1972

Used to scatter ashes of Pard Mustar over the Gulf of Huon

Withdrawn from service and placed in storage at Lae - February 23, 1972

Had now flown 52,325 hours 10 minutes

Presented to the Lae Institute of Technology - May 8, 1972

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 9, 1972

Stripped of parts by the Papua New Guinea Defence Force

Placed on display at Lae Airport - April 1975

Purchased by Papua New Guinea National Museum for display at Goroka

Current

VH-AEV. Trans Australia Airlines - silver tail colors at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0250-689. B. Colledge Photograph)

 

 

VH-SBI. TAA Airlines of New Guinea - in the final color scheme at Lae Airport, June 1973.

(Image 0250-977. G. Bennett Collection)