Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Commercial airliner and/or freighter

Power Plant:

(C-54A Skymaster)

Four 1,007 kw (1,350 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7 Twin Wasp fourteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

In 1939 the Douglas Aircraft Company decided to design and build a new four-engine airliner with an un-pressurised fuselage, providing accommodation for 42 passengers, and a range which was sufficient to permit United States transcontinental performance, powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radial engines. Douglas had earlier designed and built the DC-4E, a pressurised aircraft with little resemblance to what became the DC-4 series. With the experience of the DC-4E, Douglas went ahead with the DC-4, there being no prototype as such, and the first aircraft off the production line was earmarked for the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as the C-54 with serial 41-220137 (c/n 3050) with a flight crew of two and an engineer, making its first flight at Clover Field (late Santa Monica airport), California on 14 February 1942.

At this stage a long-range aircraft was required for transport purposes for the US military services and early production aircraft soon went to the USAAF as the C-54, the first aircraft delivered being 41-20138 (c/n 33060). However, at this stage it was still basically a civil aircraft, there being no strengthening for the carriage of cargo. This was soon attended to, the cabin floor being reinforced, a wide cargo door on the port side being installed, along with cargo hoists. Provision was made to carry 50 troops if required, and take-off weight was increased to 33,122 kg (73,000 lb), this model becoming the C-54A. Models ranged through to the C-54G and the R-5D, some 1,315 C-54s being built at plants at Santa Monica, Chicago, and later after the end of hostilities, by Canadair in Montreal.

Production continued throughout the war for military service, and a variety of appellations was given to the various models, production continuing after the war for a short period with the DC-4-1009, intended for passenger use, carrying a crew of five and 44 passengers.

At the commencement of production US operators were keen to obtain the new aircraft, orders being placed by American Airlines and United Airlines. However, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, the production line was taken over by the USAAF. Further production of the aircraft as the C-54 followed. After the war a further 79 were built specifically for civil use, bringing the total to 1,242 aircraft produced.

The story of the use of the C-54s during World War II, the Berlin Airlift, where 204 C-54s and 22 R-5Ds were operated, at which time 110 others were held in reserve, etc, is well known. Large numbers of ex-military C-54s were converted for civil use throughout the world and the type saw service with a number of airlines in this region, including Trans Australia Airlines (later Australian Airlines), Australian National Airways (later Ansett-ANA), and Qantas. These continued in service in this role until the advent of turbine-engined transports, at which time a number were sold overseas, and others were converted from passenger to freight work.

Three of the Ansett Airlines aircraft were converted by Aviation Traders in the United Kingdom to ATL Carvair standard. These had a large nose with clamshell doors fitted to ease loading and unloading of freight. Up to five cars could be carried in the Carvair. Examples of the latter were also imported to New Zealand but all have since been exported.

After World War II Canadair produced the DC-4M North Star, this being a C-54 which was pressurised and powered by Rolls Royce Merlin engines. The first aircraft was a C-54 re-engined and, known as the DC-4M-X (CF-TEN-X – c/n 101), first flew on 15 July 1946. Twenty-four were unpressurised but the remaining 56 were pressurised. Operators included the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Trans Canada Airlines and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). Aircraft from these operators regularly visited this region, as did USAAF C-54s during the later stages of World War II.

Three of the ANA aircraft operated the Trans Pacific service for British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPAL), the route being from Sydney, NSW to Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada, via Nadi in Fiji, Canton Island, Honolulu, Hawaii and San Francisco in California, regular services beginning on 15 September 1946. Aircraft used were VH-ANB, VH-ANC and VH-AND. When the contract with BCPAL expired, two ANA DC-4s (VH-ANF and VH-ANG) were transferred to BCPAL to operate the service, the registrations being changed to VH-BPC and VH-BPD.  ANA then acquired a further two aircraft, the replacements becoming VH-ANF and VH-ANG.

Following the Ansett Airlines take-over of ANA some DC-4s were no longer required and were exported. Two of the ANA DC-4s were lost in accidents. VH-AND landed short of the runway at Mascot, NSW on 16 October 1952 and was written off; and VH-ANA crashed in heavily timbered country 19 km (12 miles) north-west of York, WA on 26 June 1950.

Douglas DC-4 series aircraft operated in this region included: ANA, later Ansett-ANA: VH-INZ (c/n 3077 – ‘Ratmalana’); VH-ANF (c/n 10302 – ‘Loongana’); VH-ANG (c/n 10347 – ‘Palana’); VH-INY (c/n 10365 – ‘Laxapana’); VH-INX (c/n 18327 – ‘Kattana’); VH-INM (c/n 27314 ); VH-ANA (c/n 42910 – ‘Amana’); VH-ANE (c/n 42916 – ‘Arkana’); VH-ANF² (c/n 42917) which was ‘Loongana’ with ANA, ‘Adventure’ with BCPA when it was VH-BPC, ‘Malayan Trader’ and ‘Pacific Trader’ with Qantas when it was VH-EBK, later VH-EDA, ending up with Air Express Ltd; VH-ANG² (c/n 42918) which was ‘Palana’ with ANA, ‘Discovery’ with BCPAL when it was VH-BPD, and ‘Philippine Trader’ when it was VH-EBM with Qantas.

VH-INJ (c/n 42927) initially with Airlines of NSW, Ansett-ANA, was converted to ATL Carvair configuration; VH-ANB (c/n 422948) was ‘Lackrana’ with ANA, then was with BCPAL for a period and returned to ANA, later Ansett-ANA; VH-ANC (c/n 42949) was ‘Warana’ with ANA, then with BCPAL, later ANA and Ansett-ANA; VH-AND (c/n 42950) was ‘Tarana’ with ANA and BCPAL crashed landing at Mascot on 16 October 1952; VH-INK (c/n 42994), with Ansett-ANA, later converted to Carvair standard; and VH-INL (c/n 43071) with Ansett-ANA, and Ansett Airlines, was converted to Carvair configuration.

Qantas Douglas DC-4s included: VH-EBN/VH-EDB (c/n 7458 – ‘New Guinea Trader’, ‘Pacific Trader’, ‘Norfolk Trader’); XA-HEG (c/n 10324) on lease from Aerovias Guest; XA-HIZ (c/n 10511) on lease from Aerovias Guest; VH-EBO (c/n 18347 – ‘Pacific Trader’) and VH-EBP (c/n 42920 – ‘Australian Trader’).

TAA Douglas DC-4s included: VH-TAC (c/n 7466 – ‘John Gould’, ‘Nat Buchanan’); VH-TAF (c/n 7469 – ‘George Grey’); VH-TAG (c/n 27245 – ‘Charles Grimes’); VH-TAE (c/n 42922 – ‘David Lindsay’); VH-TAA (c/ n 43065 – ‘John Eyre’ and ‘Watkin Tench’) which crashed at Bulwer Island near Brisbane, QLD on 24 May 1961; VH-TAB (c/n 43066 –  ‘Thomas Mitchell ‘) with TAA, ‘Endeavour ‘with BCPAL, ‘John Gilbert’ and ‘David Collins’ later again with TAA; VH-TAC (c/n 43067 – ‘John Forrest’) with TAA, ‘Resolution’ with BCPAL when it was VH-BPA, ‘Hong Kong Trader’ when it was VH-EBL with Qantas, and later VH-INY² with Ansett-ANA, the second DC-4 to use this registration; and VH-TAD (c/n 430068 – ‘McDouall Stuart’ and ‘John Ross’).

In 1948 Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) was having problems with its Short Sandringhams and leased three Douglas DC-4s from Australian Airlines for services out of Whenuapai, continuing until Short Solent flying boats were obtained. In June 1951 it leased DC-4s from Qantas for the Christchurch to Sydney service, and in December that year launched its Coral Route, a Pacific service to Tahiti via Suva and the Cook Islands.

Douglas DC-4s continued in service in Australia until late 1979. The last two, operated by Air Express to carry freight to and from Tasmania, were sold overseas and replaced by Armstrong Whitworth Argosys. These aircraft, VH-EDA and VH-EDB, had, until 1974, been operated by Qantas on the Sydney – Norfolk Island route.

One DC-4 survived in Australia up until the 1990s. VH-INX was owned by a private collector at Melton, VIC but, due to corrosion, etc, had to be cut up with only the forward fuselage section surviving.

Another DC-4, a C-54E-DC, VH-PAF³ (c/n 27352 – ex N9013V, 44-9126) was imported and registered in January 1996 for freight work out of Brisbane, QLD. By 2000 it was not doing much work and was parked at Lismore, NSW for a period, later beginning operations from Archerfield, QLD. In mid 2008 it was gifted to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) at Albion Park, NSW and, after some maintenance, was flown to its new base in 2009. It was later restored to airworthiness as VH-EAY and painted in Qantas markings.