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Post by mickywest on Jul 18, 2023 0:28:28 GMT
Looks like the Douglas Santa Monica staff have all turned out for the Skymaster (C-54/DC-4) first flight in early 1942 And with olive-drab still standard finish in September 1943 C-54A-DO 41-37314 is photographed with one of the Douglas World Cruisers The Douglas Chicago C-54 production line in the world's largest timber built building This photograph ,in a steel frame building ( so not the Chicago plant), is dated 2.11.46 (11Feb46) so probably civilian DC-4 conversion from C-54s ( but where and by who?).... note some of the work seems to be sealing off the rear door of the cargo door pair ....the first left back row has ghost markings 'The Air Transport Command' and a USAAF tail number, and the nose furthest right back row is marked 'Airfreighter....' over a zig-zag stripe...American Airlines?
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Post by mickywest on Jul 18, 2023 18:10:44 GMT
American Airlines experimented with Jet Assisted Take Off JATO (a.k.a. RATO) on DC-4 freighter NC90446 for operations from Mexico City*, November 1946 * This second photo is reportedly taken at Rosencrans Field, St Joseph,Missouri with a model posing as a tradtional Mexican woman....from the LAAHS page www.laahs.com/rocket-dc-4/
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Post by mickywest on Jul 18, 2023 23:04:11 GMT
The C-54 door was a long way from the ground!
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Post by mickywest on Jul 24, 2023 12:59:52 GMT
American Airlines purchased some 50 USAAF surplus C-54s and contracted Republic Aviation at Farmingdale to do their civilian conversion which included panelling over most of the cargo aperture and fitting outward opening rectangular passenger doors, front and rear on the port side(LH) and a taller more rectangular outward opening crew door on the starboard side (RH) Glenn L Martin did many DC-4 passenger conversions at Middle Rver, Maryland, those for Braniff had their port side cargo door replaced by a front* and rear outward opening passenger door (* top more curved) , the original inward opening C-54 starboard side crew door was retained Braathens LN-HAT, LN-HAU and LN-HAV had DC-4 conversions with unusual passenger doors over the starboard wing rootmade by TEMCO in Dallas
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