Pennsylvania-Central Airlines Douglas DC-4
NX86557 (c/n 3119)
In 1946 PCA acquired some 25 DC-4 Skymasters, and out them
into operation on their high
density traffic
routes. That's a lot of hardware. I can only assume
that the war time military
contracts they had to
provide regular air service between Washington, D.C. and Chicago, plus
the US Navy Flight School
it operated were quite lucrative. The DC-4 above was built
as a
C-54-DO in 1942
(41-32944) and is seen wearing NX registration during a test flight
prior to
being
commercially registered. A portent of things to come is the fact
that it is carrying "The
Capital Airline" fuselage
titling. The airline officially changed its name to Capital
Airlines in
April 1948.