Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range commercial airliner

Power Plant:

(DC-6): four 1,567 kw (2,100 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA15 18-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The DC-6 series has been considered by many to be the finest piston-engined transport produced. A development of the DC-4, the Douglas designers used the same basic wing as the DC-4 but extended the length of the fuselage by 2.1 m (6 ft 9 in), and the height of the tail by 0.51-m (1 ft 7 in). Other changes were the use of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, and the introduction of cabin pressurisation, the former allowing the max take-off weight to be substantially increased. A grant from the US Army permitted development of the design with the result that the prototype, known as the XC-42, made its first flight on 15 February 1946.

At the same time as developing variants for the US Services, a model aimed at the civil airliner market was produced, this flying for the first time on 29 June 1946, entering commercial service on 27 April 1947. The next variant was the DC-6A, this differing in having R-2800-CB-16 engines providing 1,790-kw (2,400-hp) with water methanol injection, an increased length to 32.21 m (105 ft 7 in) and a take-off weight of 48,535 kg (107,000 lb). This model was also supplied as a freighter with a strengthened floor and large cargo doors. Final and most popular variant was the DC-6B powered by 1,790-kw (2,400-hp) R-2800-CB-16 or 1,865-kw (2,500-hp) R-2800-CB-17 engines. The series was extensively used by military services around the world and a few survived in service with the American military services into the 1970s.

British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines (BCPAL) was the first operator in this region, being owned by the Australian Government (50 per cent), the New Zealand Government (30 per cent) and the British Government (20 per cent) and operated services from Sydney to Nadi in Fiji, Canton Island, Honolulu in Hawaii, and San Francisco in California, later going to Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada. This company later went into liquidation and the routes were taken over by Qantas. The DC-6 series was also operated by ANA, later Ansett-ANA, and was used on the company’s routes throughout Australia and to Papua New Guinea, eventually being replaced by Boeing 727s.

asman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) used the DC-6 for a period on its overseas routes, the aircraft later being transferred to the RNZAF for use in the transport role. These aircraft were received in May 1954, being TEAL’s share of aircraft from the BCPA venture, and they were based at Whenuapai, the first DC-6 service being from Auckland to Sydney in that month. Later they operated to Melbourne, Brisbane and Nandi. When Lockheed 188 Electras were obtained in 1959 they took over some of the DC-6 routes, eventually the aircraft being handed over to the RNZAF.

Between the years 1948 and 1968 thirteen DC-6s were registered in Australasia to local airlines. These had long and valuable lives, both here and overseas later. They were operated by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Trans Australia Airlines, Ansett Airlines (later Ansett-ANA), Tasman Empire Airways Limited, and the RNZAF with No 40 Squadron.

These aircraft were: VH-BPE (c/n 43125 – ex SAS SE-BDG – Resolution) which crashed at Half Moon Bay, San Francisco on 29 October 1953.  VH-BPF (c/n 43126 – ex SAS SE-BDH – Endeavour) which was sold to TEAL as ZK- BGA Aotearoa III, was operated by the RNZAF as NZ3631, and later went to Lao United Airlines (XW-TDJ), Royal Air Lao (XW-PEH) and crashed into a swamp near Tegal, Java on 1 February 1972.

VH-BPG (c/n 43127 – ex SAS SE-BDI – Adventure) which was sold to TEAL as ZK- BFB, later ZK-BGB Arawhata, went to the RNZAF as NZ3632, and later to Lamm Associated (N254N), National Interests, Pacific Western Airlines Ltd (CF-PWP), and Mercer Airlines (N80MA). It then went Zaire where it became 9Q-CPL, EL-WNH in Liberia and survives at Lanseria Airport in Africa. The aircraft has been donated by the management of Lanseria International Airport to the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra and the museum has been seeking sponsors to fund the transfer of the aircraft from South Africa to Australia.

VH-BPH (c/n 43128 – ex SAS SE-BDK – Discovery), sold to TEAL as ZK-BFC, later ZK-BGC Arahia and the RNZAF as NZ3633 City of Auckland. After RNZAF service it was sold to Lamm Associates, National Interests (N255N), Pacific Western Airlines Ltd (CF-PWQ) and Mercer Airlines (N90MA).

Trans Australia Airlines operated one, and for a period two, on lease (VH-INH and VH-INU) from Ansett-ANA. VH-TAD (c/n 44687 – ex N6120C) operated with North American Airlines, Trans American Airlines, Eastern Airlines, Colombia Airlines and was named ‘John Ross’. Sold to TMA (OD-AER) in September 1966. VH-TBA (c/n 42900 – ‘Abel Tasman’) leased for a period from KLM (PH-TPW). It returned to KLM West Indies (PJ-DPW), later became PH-DPW with KLM and was operated in South America as HC-AIT and then N8703A before being scrapped at Miami in 1971.

Ansett-ANA operated seven examples: VH-INA (c/n 44893 – ex N37569 – United Airlines). It was sold to Far Eastern Air Transport in March 1967 (B2003) and went to Bellamy Lawson Aviation (NC62876) and to Conair where it was converted to tanker configuration. VH-INH Bungana (c/n 44693) sold to Sterling Airways (OY-STP) in February 1967 and broken up at Copenhagen in January 1971. VH-INS Beltana (c/n 45076) sold to Far Eastern Air Transport (B2007) in July 1968. VH-INT (c/n 45077 – Olympiana) later went to France (as F-BOEV) with Trans Union, to Delta Air (OO-VFG), and Aero Transportes de Espana (EC-DCK) and was withdrawn from use in Spain in September 1979.

VH-INU (c/n 44694) entered service in October 1956 and was sold to FEAT (B-2005) in December 1967. It crashed at Nha Trang on 22 December 1969 whilst on lease to Air Vietnam. VH-INV (c/n 43056) entered service in September 1953 and was sold to Saturn Airways (N74841) but was written off at Oakland, California on 24 January 1967. VH-INW (c/n 43058) entered service in September 1953 and was sold to Lancia (AN-AMI) in March 1960, later to Hemisphere Leasing (YS-03C) and was scrapped at Miami in July 1977. No example survives in this region.

In late 1966 a Douglas DC-6BF C-GHCB (c/n 44893 – ex VH-INA, N37569, B-2003, N62876) operated by Conair in Canada, visited New Zealand and was temporarily based at Whenuapai. It had been converted for fire-fighting but on this occasion was used to spray from the air the City of Auckland to kill a bug known as the Asian white spotted tussock moth which was infesting the area and putting large forestry plantations at risk.