PP-PBK Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar
(c/n 2117)
Another cropped image.
This Lodestar was built as a true civil transport in 1941 and escaped
being impressed into the Army Air Corps as a
C-57. It was delivered to Pan American as
NC34910
and almost immediately seconded to Panair do Brasil as one of a fleet
of fourteen
similar
machines. The airline actually preferred the
Lockheeds to the DC-2/DC-3 since they
cruised at somewhat higher speeds. After
its Panair days were done PP-PBK was sold to
Viacao Aerea Bahiana as
PP-BHA. It later became PT-AND before being repatriated to the
US as as N2881D (and later N353H).