PP-AXQ  Douglas DC-4                              (c/n  18338)

                             

                                  Aerovias Brasil operated three DC-4s (although a fourth was acquired when REAL took over
                                  in 1954).  The three originals were former Chicago & Southern Airlines machines and were sold
                                  to Brazil in 1951.  The above image was received from Fred Hanke (see the connection under
                                  PP-AXR) and was first published in FLAP Internacional magazine.     PP-AXQ was named
                                  "Genera San Martin" in Aerovias service.   It was built as a C-54B-5-DO for the USAAF
                                  with serial 43-17138, and flew with Chicago & Southern as N88708 from 1947 until 1951.
                                  The badly cropped second shot below shows it white-topped after the take-over by the REAL
                                  consortium in 1954 in REAL-Aerovias Brasil livery.    In 1960 it was sold to Loide, and re-
                                  registered PP-LEY.  The image on the foot of the page is from the Jennifer Gradidge collection
                                  and is rare in that it shows PP-AXQ in Loide livery just before this re-registration occurred.
                                  The aircraft was repatriated back to the USA in the early 1970s and wound up as the "Flying
                                  Down to Rio" cafe in Rio Vista, California.  I understand that it was rescued from that fate but
                                  am uncertain as to its current whereabouts.