Propliners Off-airport Asia and Pacific

Propliners Off-airport

Asia and Pacific

Stewart Lanham sent me these photos, in aid for my search of off-airport residing airframes...:
He wrote: "...here are some photos of C-47 JA5019 taken June 2007. Some of these are additional to those I placed on MyAviation.
The nose of C-47 JA5019 is inside the foyer of All Nippon Airways maintenance offices and hangars at Haneda, Tokyo.
This aircraft, MSN 4247 [41-7760], had previously been in a children's playground since the early 1960's. I believe it was restored to its present condition in 2002 for ANA's 50th anniversary."

Willem Overtoom included this shot in his newsletter, which was quoted to me, while travelling in Cambodia in July 2008.

He wrote (my translation): "I arrived at Sihanoukville, which I had visited 5 years ago too. It still isn't a city but rather a collection guesthouses, small hotels and a beach. There is no evidence of city planning, but there is a harbor, a cluster of streets, buildings.. And a few kilometers from there again some buidings, streets, small business and some governmental buildings. East of there more of the same... There is no city centre... A lot of walking if you don't have a motorcycle at your disposal!
A few years ago the beach of Victory Hill underwent a sizeable reconstruction and resorts and hotels, even casino's have been built here. Next to the pier a hangar has been built; it isn't large enough for the Antonov 24 it accommodates... It will serve at its last resting place as a decoration for a restaurant / nightclub here..."

XU-335
Willem Overtoom also sent this image, the aft fuselage of the An-24 above.
This helped to identify it as XU-335 (c/n remains unknown).
XU-335 on AIRLINERS.NET

Stewart Lanham sent me these photos in Sep.2007 and he added the following information:
"Douglas C-47A c/n 9414 has been on display at the Bangkok National Science Centre for Education for several years.
This aircraft was formerly 42-23552, arriving in Thailand for Thai Airways then transferring to the Royal Thai Army. It is displayed as 9414 in Royal Thai Air Force colours.
The location is on Sukhumvit, adjacent to the Ekkamai bus and Skytrain stations.
The pPhotos were taken on 28Aug07."

Its previous identities were 42-23552, FD868, G-AGHN, VH-BZB, HS-TDF, 223552 / 9414; the latter two for Thai Airways and the Royal Thai Army (9414 is also its c/n).

Stewart Lanham also sent this image, about which he wrote:
"Believed to be c/n 26777, this Douglas C-47B has been on display at the Royal Thai Police museum for many years.
This aircraft was formerly 43-49516, a Vietnam veteran before arriving in Thailand for the Royal Thai Air Force, then transferring to the Royal Thai Police. It is displayed as 219789 in Royal Thai Police colours.
The location is on Ram Intra, near to Don Muang airport. The aircraft is mounted above the gatehouse to the Police airfield. Other museum aircraft are displayed just inside.
The photo was taken on 25th January 1999.

JA8732 (cn 2101) - NAMC YS-11A-213
Air Nippon (ANK),
Off-Airport - Tokorozawa
Japan, April 7, 2006
This is the first shot of this aircraft at its new home. After flying for many years, this aircraft is now on display close to the Tokorozawa Museum, near the railway station.
Photographer : Stuart Haigh (published with permission).
My own notes say: JA8732 is on display Tokorozawa station (outside Koku-Koen).
Check out Stuart's website: www.topjetpix.com
Please note that the location is also spelled as Tokorazawa; Fred Streep reported he had a hard time finding it (2006) as this plane / museum is actually not at the main railway station but at a smaller one, nearby, at "Kuko-Ken" or something similar, which translates as airport...

Photo © Jack Hannen; published with permission.
RP-C1132 (cn 22571) at Cagayan de Oro, Philippines (14Feb06).
Former USAF, Flying Tiger & Astro Air Transport Inc. Impounded for many years and later withdrawn from use in 1989 at Cagayan de Oro's Lumbia Airport. She now is on display as the prominent façade of a local diner. Though the wings are real, the engine cowl is a fabrication and propellers are from a small aircraft.
Click on the image for the link and larger image on Airliners.net.

Steve Darke, of www.thai-aviation.net fame, helped me on these images of Curtiss C-46 Commando HS-SKD (c/n 22561).
The photo on the right was made by (©)Iain Hutchison when it was on Lat Phrao, Bangkok as the Apichart Restaurant.
It was at this location since 1985 at least, reported first as a coffeeshop, later as a restaurant (but that may have meant the same).

This photo of HS-SKD was made by (©) Steve Darke himself, when it had moved to Chonburi, late 2001.

Steve generously (I like it when I can copy/paste from a reliable source!) provided the following historical data:
C-46F 44-78738 c/n 22561 was leased (with 5 others) by Skyways International Trading & Transport Co (Miami, Fl.) from USAF on 19May48, and Skyways registered it as NC1649M on 02Jun48 (with incorrect c/n '2505'). The registration was formally changed to N1649M on 01-Jan-49, and the c/n was corrected to 22561 on 14Feb49.
Noted with Ttl 152:27 hours on 18Mar50, N1649M was leased (with 2 others) from USAF by Seaboard & Western Airlines Inc (New York) on 21Mar50 and registered to them on 30Mar50. The USAF lease moved to Slick Airways Inc (Burbank,CA.) on 14Jul52, and N1649M was registered to Slick on 28Jul52. Slick bought N1649M on 30Nov56 before selling it to AAXICO Airlines Inc (Miami,FL.) on 09Sep57 (registered to AAXICO 11Sep57).
AAXICO sold N1649M to William N. Hahn (Miami,FL.) in Nov64, and he registered it on 22Dec64. It was noted at Shannon on major overhaul by Shannon Repair Services Ltd in 1965, presumably prior to its sale by William N. Hahn to Caraibische Lucht Transport Maatschappij NV (Willemstad, Curacao, Netherland Antilles) on 01Jul65. An export CofA was issued on 19Aug65 on sale to Netherland Antilles, with a ferry permit applied for on the same day for flight from Miami, Fl. to Curacao, Netherland Antilles. N1649M was cancelled on 15Sep65.
HS-SKD via Steve Darke Photo © Iain Hutchison.
It became PJ-CLC with Caraibische Lucht Transport Maatschappij NV until they sold it to Millard C. Berry (Miami,FL.) (who was listed as CLTM’s General Manager) on 16May67. PJ-CLC was cancelled on 19May67, and registered immediately N1447 to Millard C. Berry. A CofA was issued to N1447 on 07Jun67.
Millard C. Berry sold N1447 to Continental Air Services Inc (Los Angeles,CA.) on 08Sep67, and it was fitted with ferry tanks in USA that month. N1447 was cancelled 10May74 on sale to Laos, where it became XW-PMF with Royal Air Lao.

Photo © Iain Hutchison.
XW-PMF markings

XW-PMF escaped from Vientiane to Bangkok on 24May75, and remained stored at Don Muang as XW-PMF until painted as HS-SKD in 1978, being registered as such on 17Nov78 to Sahakol Air Cargo (which later became Bangkok Airways). It did not enter commercial or cargo service, was cancelled in Apr80, but remained stored at Don Muang until at least Jan84. By 1985 it had moved to a location on Lad Phrao road in the northern suburbs of Bangkok to become 'Apichart' coffee shop. It remained there, although wasn't open for long as a coffee shop, until moved south to Chonburi in 2001.

This is how Andre Wadman found HS-SKD on 22Jul06; click on the image for the link to a larger image on Airliners.net

Andre Wadman 'found' this C-47 former Thai Air Force 919 (c/n 27180) at Si Racha on 31Jul05; click on the image for the link to a larger image on Airliners.net
And it is for sale!

And Andre continued with his finds: C-47 former Thai Air Force 210 (c/n 15026/26471) is also at Si Racha on 31Jul05; click on the image for the link to a larger image on Airliners.net
And it too is for sale!

AW.650 Argosy ZK-SAE is preserved at a bar/restaurant at Blenheim-Woodbourne,NZ (last reported Jan96). Photo anyone?
AW.650 Argosy ZK-SAF (6801) was reported in 2004 to be at Woodbourne, New Zealand; its fuselage with landing gear is located at a farm. Photo?
More details & pics on Phil Treweek's website.
Phil wrote in Nov.2007: "I photographed the aircraft both when it was on a farm behind RNZAF Base Woodbourne in 1998 and in 2000, after it moved down the road to the cafe. When I first photographed ZK-SAE what was left of ZK-SAF was pointed out to me in the distance, but I wasn't able to photograph it.
I drove past ZK-SAE back in July this year and she's looking pretty good - but as I had a ferry to catch, I wasn't able to stop..."

Bristol 170 Freighter NZ5906 (13059) has been converted into a 2-room accommodation at Woodlyn Park, Otorohanga, New Zealand.

For more details go to www.woodlynpark.co.nz

Another photo of NZ5906.

Photo was taken by Bill Blanchard on 26mar06.

This is ZK-CLU, a Bristol 170 Freighter (c/n 13156) at Nelson Founders Park, New Zealand.
Click on the image for a larger photo; taken by Steve Mills 14Jan06.
First flight of this Mk.31M was on 02Dec53. It was bought by the Royal Pakistan Air Force and delivered on 22Dec53. Next it went to Straits Air Freight Express Ltd and registered ZK-CLU (1966); it became converted to Mk.31E.
That company was renamed SAFE Air asper 31Oct67. At some point it was put up in storage.
Steve Mills offered the following (additional) details on its history-
"Allocated G-18-148 22Dec53 for Bristol Aeroplane Co.Ltd.; manufactures date 22Dec53; delivered 1954 RPAF - serialled S4403, coded 'A'; delivered 01Jun66 Auckland for Straits Air Freighter Express; reg ZK-CLU 01Jul66 to SAFE; entered service 03May67 named Merchant Buccaneer; renamed Safe Air in 1967. Final flight Cook Strait flight 26Sep86 (crew S. Petersen, L. Gollop); final SAFE commercial flight Sep 30, 1986 Christchurch - Invercargill - Woodbourne (crew T. Allen, R. Guard, G. Batchelor); wfu 30Sep86 (21314hrs, 25978 cycles); delivered 20Nov86 Wakapuaka for Nelson Founders Museum - landed on Wakapuaka sandflats, aircraft belly landed after a bridge over a creek collapsed, wings removed then towed to Museum; reg cancelled 04Dec86; reassembled and on public display."

Other Bristol Freighters surviving -partially- in New Zealand can be found at the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society: ZK-AYG and ZK-CRK on Air Britain's Photographic Images Collection (AbPic).

Click on image for a link to larger photo on Airliners.net

ZK-APK (cn 34227): a different life for this DC-3 on State Highway 1 at Mangaweka, New Zealand.

See also other photos on A.net
Peter Layne wrote the following on 09Apr06:
"Had a look inside this DC-3 today while driving from Bulls to Waiouru in the North Island of New Zealand. Owner John Eames was telling me that one of the aircraft's former engineers visited for the weekend recently and took out all visible corrosion and then a painter touched up all the necessary paintwork. ZK-APK is in remarkably good condition considering it has been outdoors since 1986.
Have a look at the above website (A.net); if you look up the port side interior you will see a series of photographs depicting ZK-APK's history. That was my idea back in 1987 which I discussed with John Eames at that time. The entire project concerning ZK-APK has been a great success."

David Ellis sent me this photo (published with permission, © D.Ellis, 06Mar05): McDonalds DC-3, ZK-CAW, located near the lakeside at Taupo, New Zealand. The inside is fitted out for burger eaters. It's been there for many years.

The Air-Britain DC-3 book (1984) has the following history:
C/n 18923 - delivered 15oct43 to USAAF as 42-100460, continued on to Brisbane (07Dec43). Registered 06Feb47 as VH-ANM for Australian National, named "Yannana". Then to Queensland A/L Ltd (named "Darling Downs") registered on 04Feb56. On 07Dec58 it was registered to Ansett-ANA and a few years later, on 14Feb61 it moved to Airlines of NSW.
It became registered ZK-CAW for South Pacific A/L of NZ (named "George Bolt") on R28Sep61, changing to NZ National Airways (still named) "George Bolt" on 28Feb66.
Qantas leased it from 12May66 and tailnumber VQ-FAI was applied for Fiji A/W, delivery on 06Jun66; it was reregistered ZK-CAW again, for NZ Natl on 05Aug69, the lease obviously ended. Then Mt Cook Airlines leased it, from 05Aug69, returning at some point to NZ National.
South Seas A/W had it registered on 07May71 and Fieldair Ltd (trading as Airland) had it registered on 13May71.

Gil White offers the following history of ZK-CAW.

A good website to read up on "Kiwi DC-3s": www.kiwiaircraftimages.com

Gerben Tornij sent me these photos, made © by Jos Heyman, of Douglas C-47A c/n 20041 located at Armadale in Western Australia.

This is the history: early 1946 this C-47A was bought by the Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM) and registered DT-971. For use of operating from the Dutch East Indies to Australia the radio callsign VH-REY was painted on the aircraft.
In Aug. 1947 the aircraft transferred from the (military) ML-KNIL to the KLM, but it remained in the Dutch East Indies; its tailnumber changed to PK-REY.

When Indonesia gained its independence from the Dutch, PK-REY was handed over to Garuda, which changed the tailnumber to PK-GDC. In 1971 PK-GDC suffred an accident at the airport of Broome, located in northwest Australia. It remained since then in Australia.
For years the C-47A served as decoration to the Tourist Bureau of Broome, but after 1980 its condition deteriorated.
Around 1995 PK-GDC was bought by the Western Australian Museum of Aviation and the aircraft was transported to Jandakot Airport; here it was painted in the drab USAAF camouflage paintscheme. Unfortunately, the plans for the museum were never fully realized.

In June 2002 the aircraft was again offered for sale with the remark: Ideal for conversion into bus/caravan !. It did not come that far, but the fuselage was sawed in 3 pieces to make it suitable for roadtransport.
It was then transported to Armadale and put in the garden of the new owner. It now serves as a spare bedroom and highlights gardenparties. Unfortunately the left wing was not attached as it would end up in the neighbours yard.
These photos were taken on 02Oct05.

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