VH-MAL (02)  Douglas DC-3                                                   (c/n  4423)

                              

                                VH-MAL was previously Cathay Pacific's VR-HDB, and was an early C-47-DL serial number
                                41-18385.  It was actually CPAL's first aircraft and was named 'Betsy'.   It was sold to Mandated
                                Airlines as VH-MAL in August 1955.  The photo above is from the Geoff Goodall collection and
                                shows it in the mid 1960s at an unknown location (Essendon?).   In 1983 the old bird was painted
                                back in to its original Cathay Pacific livery, restored with the rego VH-HDB and today is preserved
                                at the Kowloon  Museum of Science & Technology.