Pan American Airways Douglas DC-6B  N6518C               (c/n   43518)

                                       

                                               Pan American did not operate the "straight" DC-6 (although it's subsidiary, Panagra did) waiting
                                               for the upgraded DC-6B instead.  Of these, a large number (40 plus) was operated by the airline
                                               commencing in 1952 to replace its aging DC-4s and Constellations.    The above shot shows
                                               the first one, N6518C at Douglas' plant in Santa Monica wearing the fleet name "Clipper Liberty
                                               Bell" although this name was later transferred to N6519C, while this machine was named "Clipper
                                               Freedom" when in service.  Did the sign painter get it wrong?  If so, why not let it go?  Maybe Pan
                                               Am insisted?  The airline retired it in 1961 and it was leased to Austral in the Argentine.  It finally
                                               wound up in Panama as HP-536 and was broken up in 1975.