PP-KAC Douglas DC-3CS1C3G
(c/n 4704)
Viacao Aerea Brasil, S.A. (VIABRAS) was founded in
April 1946 by Arnoldo Raposo Murtinho
and began operating
scheduled services one year later after obtaining its operating
authority. The
original route was
from Belo Horizonte to Rio Verde, via Uberlandia in western Minas
Geras, and
Goiania, the capital
of Goias. In 1949 it formed a consortium with
Nacional to mutually cut out
wasteful
duplication (since the two lines served basically the same
territory). It was fully absorbed
into Nacional in
1950. The rare photo above is
from the a print taken by an ex-Viacao (and
National) cabin
attendant, Mrs. Izolda Baez and shown here via the Carlos Ari
César Germano
da Silva collection.
PP-KAC was an early ex USAAF C-47-DL 41-18579 civilianzed in 1945
NC56969.
It went to Dias Henrique & Cia in 1947 as PP-XBO.
Viacao acquired it in 1947.
It became
PP-ANR when absorbed into the Nacional fleet in 1954, although had
other Brazilian
identities as
well (Brazil, it would seem, re-registers aircraft almost as much as
Australia does!)
The ex C-47 wound up
as a true C-47 again when it found itself in the Brazilian Air Force in
1961 with the
serial C-47-2079. It was offered for sale in 1980 but, in
the event, was scrapped
at Rio de
Janeiro.