VH-SBL Douglas DC-3CS1C3G
(c/n 12056)
Well, even as VH-TAE this aircraft had always been a
freighter with TAA. However, when
converted
in 1960 (by Hawker de Havilland) for use in Papua/New Guinea it was
given a mix-
ed
freighter/passenger interior. When Greg Banfield saw it at
Mascot (above) in December
1963 it was
still looking pretty much like a dedicated freighter.. It
was sold to Air Nuigini in
1973 becoming P2-SBL, and then re-registered P2-ANR a couple of years
later. It re-entered
the
Australian register in 1976 still as VH-SBL for Forrestair Stephen Pty
Ltd of Melbourne and
used on
freighter services across the on Bass Straight. Photo
# 2 is an interesting shot from the
Ben
Dannecker collection showing -SBL in formation with VH-BAB during an
airshow at RAAF
Point
Cook in December 1976. After a period of
open storage from 1978-1981 it
reappeared
in
the markings of General Cargo Airways as
as seen in the
photo # 3 below from the Barry
Maclean
collection. It was then
refurbished with plush seats and flew around
entitled "DC-3
Australia" as
seen in another (albeit
somewhat washed out) image from Barry's collection (# 4).
Finally, Phil Vabre took
the shot on the foot of the page (# 5) at the
Narromine Airshow in
2005.
The old
lady is now used on
ad hoc commemorative flights.
2.
3.
4.
5.
