Construction completed at Long Beach, California - August 1943

Built as a Douglas C-47A-45-DL

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-24138

Delivered to the U.S.A.A.F. - August 5, 1943

Transferred to R.A.A.F. under lend / lease agreement becoming A65-18 - August 23, 1943

Used radio callsign 'VHCTR'

Served with No 33 & No 35 Squadrons & 86 Transport Wing

Withdrawn from use and struck off charge - 1948

Sold to Qantas Empire Airways - May 31, 1948

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBE - December 9, 1948

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Whilst in Qantas service the aircraft was not named

Reregistered as VH-EBT - January 24, 1958

Sold to Trans Australia Airlines - September 1, 1960

Operated its first commercial service with T.A.A. - September 1, 1960

Aircraft was named 'Cape Hoskins'

Reregistered as VH-SBB - December 8, 1960

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission

Transferred to New Guniea to operate T.A.A. Sunbird Services

Operated its last T.A.A. Sunbird 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-SBB - June 1, 1974

Reregistered as P2-ANN - November 6, 1975

Operated its final revenue service with Air Niugini - July 31, 1977

Withdrawn from use and placed in storage at Port Moresby

Sold to Insured Aircraft Titles Service Inc as N5590K - March 13, 1980

Was intended to be used in Thailand for Red Cross work which did not eventuate

Sold to J. J. Ford III - June 30, 1981

Sold to Bush Pilots Airways for use as spares - October 1981

Ownership transferred back to J. J. Ford III - June 1984

Remains still in existence at Port Moresby - 2001

VH-EBT. Qantas - in the full livery at Lae Airport, date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 0251-411.)

 

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

(G. Bennett Collection. 0250-969.)

VH-SBB. TAA Sunbird Services - in the full livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 0250-328.)

VH-SBB. TAA Airlines of New Guinea - in the full livery at Mt Hagen Airport, November 1972.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 0250-268.)

VH-SBB. TAA Airlines of New Guinea - in the full livery at Lae Airport, August 1973.

(G. Bennett Collection. 0250-992.)

P2-ANN. Air Niugini - in the full livery at Lae Airport, December 1975.

(P. J. Gates Collection. 0250-786.)