VH-MMD  (2)  Douglas DC-3CS1C3G                     (c/n  16553/33301)

                          

                             VH-MMD was a late model C-47B-35-DK built at the Douglas plant in Oklahoma City in 1944.
                             It was assigned the USAAF serial 44-76969 but almost immediately was seconded to the RAAF
                             as A65-109, where it saw service in Malaya.  In June 1958 it was sold to MacRobertson Millier
                             Aviation becoming VH-MMD and officially registered to that carrier on 8 October 1958.  It was
                             named 'Durack'.   (The first VH-MMD had been a Lockheed 10A Electra which went to the US                               
                             in 1954).    The photograph above and also # 2 immediately below are from the Geoff Goodall
                             collection, and show the DC-3 at Perth in late 1960s.   When Ansett took over MacRobertson
                             Miller, the aircraft was used in the Ansett Papua/ New Guinea Division.  Merv Prime's shot (# 3)
                             shows it at Perth on 9 Feb 1969 freshly repainted in Airlines of Papua New Guinea livery.  It
                             departed the following day on delivery to Lae, and its log books recorded a total flying time of
                             27,668 hours before commencing its new life in PNG.    Upon being later sold to Air Nuigini, it
                             became P2-MMD and then P2-ANU.   Returning from New Guinea in 1977 it was restored to
                             the Australian register as VH-MMD and sold to Travmar Holdings Pty Ltd of Mascot.  Greg
                             Banfield took shot # 4 of it at Bankstown in October 1981.  Shortly after this photo was taken
                             it was sold to Setair and remained with them until they ceased operations in 1983. It was acquired
                             by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney in 1983 although was donated by them in 1997 to the
                             Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown who intended to restore it.   Just where that project
                             stands (as of 2009) I am not sure.

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