Construction completed at Oklahoma City plant - December 31, 1943

Built as a Douglas C-47A-1-DK

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-92392

Transferred to the Royal Air Force as a Dakota III becoming FZ631 - January 1944

Allocated to No 24 Squadron during the war and based in England

Allocated to Military Advisor & Assistance Group for use by General Maitland Wilson - April 10, 1944

Returned to No 24 Squadron - March 23, 1945

Allocated to A.C.S.E.A. Communications Unit, Ratmalana, Singapore - September 12, 1946

Sold to Qantas Empire Airways - April 18, 1949

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAN - July 11, 1949

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Aircraft was withdrawn from service with intention of scrapping it - 1951

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - January 21, 1951

Rebuilt by Qantas and returned to airline service

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAN - March 6, 1952

Reregistered as VH-EBF - May 10, 1956

Damaged on landing following a training flight at Sydney Airport - June 28, 1956

Trainee pilot applied toe brakes on landing causing the aircraft to tip over onto nose

Crew: Training Captain N.J. Schlink; Trainee Pilot W. Robbie

Repaired and returned to service

Reregistered as VH-EBU - January 20, 1958

Sold to Trans Australia Airlines - September 1, 1960

Operated its first revenue service with T.A.A. as a freighter - September 1, 1960

Reregistered as VH-SBD - December 8, 1960

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission

Transferred to New Guinea to operate the T.A.A. Sunbird Services

Aircraft was named 'Madang'

Withdrawn from T.A.A. service - October 31, 1973

Sold to Air Niugini - November 1, 1973

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 1, 1974

Entered onto the New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-SBD - June 1, 1974

Reregistered as P2-ANO - December 11, 1975

Withdrawn from Air Niugini service and placed in open storage at Port Moresby - July 31, 1977

Sold to Insured Aircraft Title Service Inc becoming N5590C - March 1980

Sold to John Ford III - June 1981

Sold to Bush Pilots Airways Ltd - October 1981

Ferried Port Morseby-Cairns where aircraft was used as a source of parts by Air Queensland

Aircraft subsequently mounted on a pole outside the terminal at Cairns Airport in Air Queensland livery - 1984

Displayed carrying registration marks 'VH-BPA'

On instructions from the Cairns Port Authority (owners of airport) aircraft removed from pole - September 5, 2008

Concerns had been express over its structural integrity

Inspection found that airframe was badly corroded and was broken up - January 16, 2009

Nose section acquired by Warbird Adventures, Mareeba, Queensland

Some parts donated to the Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach, Queensland

Remaining airframe scrapped on site

VH-EAN. Qantas - in the white cabin roof livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

VH-EAN. Qantas - in the white cabin roof livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

VH-EBF. Qantas - damaged nose section following landing accident at Sydney Airport, June 1956.

VH-SBD. TAA Sunbird Services - in the full livery at Lae Airport, July 1966.

VH-SBD. TAA Airlines of New Guinea - in the 'blue tail' livery at Lae Airport, August 1973.

N5590C. Air Queensland - in basic Air Niugini livery at Cairns Airport, date unknown.

VH-BPA. Air Queensland - in the full livery at Cairns Airport, December 1984.

VH-BPA. Bush Pilots Airways - in original BPA livery at Cairns Airport, October 1987.

VH-BPA. Bush Pilots Airways - in original BPA livery at Cairns Airport, October 1987.