VH-INN Douglas
DC-3CS1C3G
(c/n 4969)
This DC-3 was originally built to a United Airlines order and would
have been NC33690 had
the war not
intervened. In the event it was impressed into service with the
USAAF as 43-2025
a C-53C-DO, and was
then seconded (I suspect simultaneously) to the US Navy as a R4D-3
with BuAer No.
06998. In March 1947 it was civilianized as VH-AKG for
Butler Air Trans-
port but withdrawn
from use in December of that year. Restored, it became VH-INN and
named 'Gwingana' for ANA. In
September 1953 ANA sold it to dealers Aviation Sales of
Sydney and it
was immediately ferried to Saigon on delivery to French long-distance
airline
Aigle Azur as
F-OAPC. It was destroyed 4 March 1954 by Viet Cong
attack at Gia Lam,
Hanoi. Ben Dannecker's rare shot was taken at Mascot circa
1953.