request: DC-3/C-47 at KMIA

[Polleke_NL]

I know it's a long shot but I'll try it anyway:
Back in 2002 I took a picture of a dark green DC-3/C-47. I took it from the passenger terminal at KMIA accross runway 27L/9R. I thought I had found it on Google Earth previously but failed to track it down on GE today so she might have disappeared from that location but does anyone have a clue which aircraft this could have been??

Thanks in advance!

[Optimus]

I suspect that's C-47 c/n 11903.

Here's a picture of it on http://www.airliners.net:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Douglas- ... 4426efeaf1

Good night,

Kees

[Polleke_NL]

Location and base color seem correct although on my picture no invasion stripes, yellow "Z" or any other markings are visible as shown here: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Douglas- ... bc00c7f17f , so I think it's more then a fair assumption, thanks for your help !!

Do however have another question..., according to http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDos ... rial=27255, her last military serial was 42-92136. Airliners however shows a photo from before she got to KMIA showing Marrocan markings on rudder and wings..., does anyone know more about this??

[Polleke_NL]

Okay, the puzzle continues.....;

On a picture of C-47 N54608 on airliners.net, clearly Maroccan markings are still visible. According to http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDos ... rial=27255 however, the last military serial for N54608 was 42-92136 so USAAF and no mentioning of any duty in Maroccan service.
Their site however also mentions N54602 with a last military serial being CNA-LJ so a military registration or Marocco. Your picture does not lie when it comes to markings or registration, but Aerial Visuals appear to have a trustworthy database so I'm confused... Can anyone help me out here please??

Thanks in advance

[TF-104G]

c/n 11903 build for USAAF as 42-92136, to Royal Air Force as Dakota III FL544, to BOAC G-AGIP, to Morrocan AF 92136/CNA-LJ, to N54605 to Florida Military Aviation Museum.

[Polleke_NL]

c/n 11903 build for USAAF as 42-92136, to Royal Air Force as Dakota III FL544, to BOAC G-AGIP, to Morrocan AF 92136/CNA-LJ, to N54605 to Florida Military Aviation Museum.

Well, there you have a point as CNA-LJ is mentioned in other databases as being N54602 but the only known pictures of a former Moroccan C-47s which have been re-registered with a civil US regi appears to be N54605 (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Douglas- ... 939ad0bd6d) and N54608 (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Douglas- ... 68a549c611) so here we have a third possible candidate; N54605....

According to Airliners c/n 11903 turned into N54608, according to Aerial Visuals her last military regi was 42-92136 but that could be limited as I'm not sure if they only keep track of former US regi's..., according to them CNA-LJ turned into N54602 and now N54605 turns up??...., nice saturday morning puzzle!

[RobertMB]

When comparing some sources: FAA site, P. Brugier registers, FreeBird Database, Pacific Aviation Database, Airliners.net, J. Baugher US mil. site, Civil Aircraft Registers of GB 1919-1985 of John Appleton (book), G-INFO CAA site, the correct tie-up (please correct me if its wrong !) seems to be:

N54602: Douglas C-47B-20-DK 27080/15635 US:43-49819, RAF:KN214, G-AMJX, MorAF:49819/CNA-LJ, N54602 and still regd. by FAA. Painted as "312061", Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation/1941 Historical Aircraft Group, Geneseo, NY.
N54605: Douglas C-47B-30-DK 32939/16191 US:44-76607, RAF:KN465, HB-IRM, MorAF:76607/CNA-LB, N54605 Canx. by FAA 25jun1985 as exported to Iceland. In fact the aircraft was DBR during a storm at Reykjavik 27dec1980.
N54608: Douglas C-47A-1-DK 11903 US:42-92136, RAF:FL544, G-AGIP, MorAF:92136/CNA-LI, N54608, (N9845A), N54608 Finally Canx. by FAA 04may2011 after it was badly damaged by hurricane Wilma in october 2005 and declared as a write off. It was displayed at the 94th Aero Squadron restaurant on the south side of Miami Int. Airport (KMIA)and was later scrapped. (noted at KMIA in all green c/s in feb1999 and in feb2005 in green c/s and added invasion stripes with yellow marks "315156 / Z" applied. (the real 43-15156 [315156] was Douglas C-47A-80-DL c/n 19622)

BR,

Robert

[Polleke_NL]

Hi Robert, sounds feasable to me, thanks for your help, it's clear to me now!