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VH-MAL. Douglas C-47-DL. c/n 4423.
Construction completed at the Douglas Longbeach plant - June 1942 Built as a Douglas C-47-DL Allocated U.S. serial number 41-18385 Delivered to United States Army Air Force at Mobile, AL - June 4, 1942 Served as a Waco CG4A Harrian glider-towing tug in the United States Delivered to the 5th Air Force in Brisbane - August 18, 1943 Returned to the United States - November 15, 1944 Considered to be surplus to requirements and struck-off charge - October 15, 1945 Sold to R. Farrell Export-Import Co, Hong Kong for $HK 195,000 - October 1945 Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as NC58093 - 1945 Registered to Roy Farrell Export-Import Company Utilised for charter flights in the Far East operating from Shanghai & Hong Kong Sold to Cathay Pacific Airways Operated the first direct Hong Kong-Sydney service - July 12, 1946 Entered onto the Hong Kong Aircraft Register as VR-HDB - October 3, 1946 It was Cathay Pacific's first aircraft and was named 'Betsy' Suffered major damage at Bhamo, Burma requiring a replacement wing - June 5, 1949 Damage was caused when starboard engine caught fire prior to take-off, detaching from mounts Sold to W.R. Carpenter & Sons for $HK 320,000 - August 23, 1953 Delivered to Mandated Airlines at Lae - August 6, 1955 Ferry crew were: Capts J. Perry, G. Withers; Engineer B. Humphreys Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MAL - August 23, 1955 Registered to W.R. Carpenter Co t/a Mandated Airlines Ltd Operated in a 28 seat configuration Registered to New Guinea Co - June 26, 1959 Crashed on take-off at Madang following premature undercarriage retraction - September 15, 1960 Accident attributed to First Officer whilst undergoing training under command of Capt G. Bigge Repaired and returned to service Transferred to Ansett-M.A.L. January 18, 1961 Registered to Ansett (P&NG) Ltd - May 9, 1968 Painted in Ansett 'delta' colors with Airlines of Papua New Guinea titles - January 1970 Leased to Bush Pilots Airways - September 1973 Registered to Bush Pilots Airways (PNG) Pty Ltd - March 4, 1974 Sold to Bush Pilots Airways May 4, 1974 Originally carried 'Cargomaster' nose titles Registered to Bush Pilots Airways Ltd - January 27, 1977 Registered to Air Queensland Ltd - January 8, 1982 Withdrawn from use and stored at Cairns - 1983 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 11, 1983 Sold to Cathay Pacific Airways - September 1983 Repainted in Cairns to authentic Cathay Pacific's original livery Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MAL - September 9, 1983 Ferried Cairns-Sydney for photo shoot with a Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 Carried original registration of VR-HDB and VH-MAL for last flight to Hong Kong Ferried Sydney-Coolangatta-Cairns-Port Moresby-Wewak-Biak-Davao-Manila-Hong Kong Arrived at Cathay Pacific's headquarters in Hong Kong - September 23, 1983 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 6, 1983 Preserved at the Kowloon Museum of Science & Technology |
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VH-MAL. Mandated Airlines - in its full livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown. (Image 0250-310. P. J. Gates Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Ansett-M.A.L. - in its full livery at Lae Airport, date unknown. (Image 0250-351. P. J. Gates Collection) |
VH-MAL. Ansett-M.A.L. - in its full livery at Lae Airport, July 1966. (Image 0250-929. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in its full livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown. (Image 0250-352. P. J. Gates Collection) |
VH-MAL. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in its full livery at Sydney Airport, November 1971. (Image 0250-262. B. Dannecker Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Bush Pilots Airways Australia - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, August 1974. (Image 0250-224. B. Dannecker Collection) |
VH-MAL. Air Cargo by Bush Pilots Airways Australia - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, August 1974. (Image 0251-129. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Bush Pilots Airways Australia Air Cargo - in its original livery at Cairns Airport, November 1976. (Image 0251-132. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-MAL. Bush Pilots Airways Australia Air Cargo - in its new livery at Cairns Airport, date unknown. (Image 0250-059. P. J. Gates Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Bush Pilots Airways Australia Air Cargo - in its new livery at Cairns Airport, October 1978. (Image 0250-226. R. N. Smith Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Air Cargo by Bush Pilots Airways Australia - in its new livery at Cairns Airport, November 1979. (Image 0251-127. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-MAL. Air Cargo by Bush Pilots Airways Australia - in its new livery at Cairns Airport, November 1979. (Image 0251-128. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MAL. BPA Queensland's Airline Air Cargo - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, December 1980. (Image 0251-125. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-MAL. BPA Queensland's Airline Air Cargo - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, December 1980. (Image 0251-130. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MAL. BPA Queensland's Airline Air Cargo - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, November 1981. (Image 0251-133. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-MAL. BPA Queensland's Airline Air Cargo - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, January 1982. (Image 0251-131. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Air Queensland Air Cargo - in the new livery at Cairns Airport, October 1982. (Image 0251-123. G. Bennett Collection) |
VH-MAL. Air Queensland Air Cargo - in the new livery at Cairns Airport, October 1982. (Image 0251-124. G. Bennett Collection) |
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VH-MAL. Cathay Pacific Airways - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983. (Image 0250-561. R. N. Smith Photograph) |
VH-MAL. Cathay Pacific Airways - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983. (Image 0250-562. R. N. Smith Photograph) |
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VH-MAL. Cathay Pacific Airways - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983. (Image 0250-560. R. N. Smith Photograph) |
VR-HDB. Cathay Pacific Airways - in the original livery at Cairns Airport, September 1983. (Image 0250-549. R. N. Smith Photograph) |
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