Construction completed at Oklahoma City plant - October 14, 1943

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

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-92194

Transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force under lend / lease agreement as A65-20 - December 1943

Operated using the radio callsign 'VHCTU'

Allocated to No 33 & No 35 Squadrons during the war

Withdrawn from use and struck off charge - August 1946

Sold to Trans Australia Airlines - August 22, 1946

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAF - October 11, 1946

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission

Aircraft was named 'Warburton' and later 'Champion'

Operated first revenue service - August 16, 1947

Reregistered as VH-SBM - April 13, 1961

Modified to enable the retransmission of television programs

Entered service in this mode by flying a holding pattern over Nhill, Victoria - January 23, 1963

Transferred to New Guinea to operated 'Sun Bird' services - February 1965

Withdrawn from service and stored Brisbane pending sale - January 26, 1968

Sold to Australian Aircraft Sales (ACT) Pty Ltd - March 30, 1968

Sold to Seulewah Air Services, Indonesia

Aircraft was named 'Windu Kentjana'

Departed Brisbane on delivery flight to Jakarta - September 26, 1968

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 28, 1968

Entered onto the Indonesian Aircraft Register as PK-RDE

Final fate of aircraft not confirmed but presumed scrapped

VH-TAF. Trans Australia Airlines - in the 'silver-tail' livery at Essendon Airport, date unknown.

VH-SBM. TAA Sunbird Services - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, date unknown.

VH-SBM. TAA Sunbird Services - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, January 1965.

VH-SBM. TAA Sunbird Services - in the full livery at Lae Airport, July 1968.