I know it's a serious business, but this plane does have a comical appearance this way...!
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I know it's a serious business, but this plane does have a comical appearance this way...! |
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Not many Canadair CL-44s were built . Canadair made an effort to re-enter the civilian market after building the DC-4M2, C-4 North Star. After 8 converted Britannias ("Yukons") for the military, the civilian CL-44 was supposed to be a modified Yukon: higher rated engines and only one cargo-door. The swingtail was introduced, too.
This plane was designated CL-44D4. Canadair built the plane without a launch customer. This aircraft, serial no.9, was used as a demonstrator for many years. It was built in 1960 but not sold until 1965, to Loftleidir. |
Canadair built a total of 39 CL-44 aircraft. 12 CC-106 Yukon and 27 CL-44D4. Seaboard World Airlines bought seven aircraft and The Flying Tiger Line bought twelve. Later Slick Airways ordered four more. This left Canadair with the unsold prototype and three CL-44D4s already finished but not sold. Icelandic low fare carrier Loftleidir was searching for alternatives to replace their ageing fleet of DC6Bs. Loftleidir was interested provided the CL-44Ds would all be stretched to accommodate more passengers. An engineering office in the United States carried out a study to stretch the CL-44. Canadair carried out the work and the first stretched D4 flew on November 8, 1965. Loftleidir had already taken the other three D4s into service, but they too were converted.A CL-44D4 of Flying Tiger Line was converted by Jack Conroy Aviation of California into a CL-44-0 "Guppy". This aircraft had its upper fuselage removed and replaced by an enlarged section, which raised the cabin height by 1.5m. It was the only one thus converted. Jack Conroy went on to convert Boeing Stratocruisers in even larger Super Guppies. 9G-LCA is the only airworthy CL-44 remaining and amazingly enough, no CL-44s are preserved. |
    A sequence of closing the "swingtail". |
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By August 2003 I was informed that all those efforts, to restore 9G-LCA to airworthiness, had apparently been in vain... No contracts had been secured and the financial backer, Mr Fahrad Azima, had thrown in the towel. Rumor was that it's next destination would be a museum ! Unfortunately 9G-LCA did not operate any commercial flight (probably loosing out to the cheaper Antonov An-22, also in themarket for outsize cargo) and by 2006 rumors circulated of it a/going to a museum, b/being scrapped and c/being restored for an unnamed airline (restored by whom as BASCO was rumored to be on the brink of bankruptcy..?).
Who is Mr Azima, the financial force behind the Skymonster for many years ? A profile:
By Nov.2006 it became clear that this amazing plane was being restored for a new owner, saving it from the scrapman who had already been waiting in the wings...
Andrew Stevens posted on Yahoo's Classic-Propliners the news that by 13dec06 it had been reregistered to the Philippines as RP-C8023 and had been spotted doing engine testruns that day at Bournemouth-Hurn. Wonderful news! Here is a fine photo of RP-C8023, credit © Andrew Stevens:
By Feb.2008 I received a message that all hope to restore this Skymonster to commercial airworthiness seems to be lost now: " Despite the best efforts of Australian Geoff Leach -a former Flying Tiger Line employee of the 1970's-, the sole surviving CL44 (S/N 16) seems likely to remain at Bournemouth's Hurn Airport. During the latter part of 2006 and early 2007, a concentrated effort was made to return the aircraft to commercial service for its new owners Heavylift Cargo Airlines of Cairns. However, something of an internal Company struggle took place in 2007 and Geoff Leach left the company but made an attempt to purchase the Guppy on behalf of a new, interested airline. This company had definite plans to place the unique aircraft in Southern Africa and forecast that a modest 75 flying hours per month would ensure the aircraft's immediate future. Large inventories of parts were identified in Southern England (LGW) and in the USA (MCO) whilst other stocks had already been purchased and are currently on board the aircraft. Alas, co-operation could not be achieved between the owners and potential operators and in February 2008 Geoff returned to Australia following a short illness. The CL44 Association will be publishing a story on the past 2 years of the Guppy's life in its July Newsletter. " |
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Source: Fahrad Azima, a profile Aviation Leasing Group (ALG), companies of ALG. http://www.cl44.com/cl44/44history.htm Back to my Propliners in the UK, 2003 |
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A shot with the tail open. It says it all on the fuselage: Over Size Cargo.
