CB-26  Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar                 (c/n  2098)

                                     
         
                                        Lloyd Aereo Boliviano traces its history back to 1925 when it was formed using a single Junkers
                                        F-13.   Prior to WW II it was partly owned by the Junkers Company and flew early production
                                        Junkers Ju 52/3Ms. This "German connection" was particularly troublesome to the US in 1941/2
                                        and accordingly Panagra was charged with the task of "snuffing out any Axis dreams of achieving
                                        commercial air supremacy in South and Central America"  (Panagra's words, not mine). To this
                                        end LAB was nationalized by the Bolivian government and Panagra was given a five year contract
                                        to provide operational and management support services.  Assisted by its parent company, Pan
                                        American Airways, Panagra updated the LAB fleet, initially with Lockheed Lodestars. The poor
                                        image above was culled from a WW II era Panagra brochure.  CB-26 was one of the Dutch East
                                        Indies Lodestars and was to be been LT-903.  In the event this was not taken up due to the Japan-
                                        ese invasion of the islands and the aircraft was delivered instead to Yukon Southern Airways as
                                        CF-BTY.   It was acquired for Bolivian in 1942.