VR-HDB Betsy

VR-HDB in Hong Kong's Science Museum 2002

C/n 4423 was built as a C-47-DL under contract AC15847 for the U.S. Army Air Force Corps (USAAC). It was assigned serial 41-18385 and went overseas in 1943. It was registered to R. Farrell, Hong Kong with tailcode NC58093, which was subsequently changed in Oct.1946 to VR-HDB for Cathay Pacific Airways.
American Roy C Farrell and Australian Sydney H de Kantzow founded Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong on 24 September, 1946. Initially based in Shanghai, the two men eventually moved to Hong Kong and founded Cathay Pacific Airways. Legend has it that Farrell and a group of foreign correspondents thought up the airline's unique name in the bar at the Manila Hotel!
C-47 4423 moved on and was registered to New Guinea Airways as VH-MAL on 23Aug53. Only to be reregistered 2 years later to W.R. Carpenter & Co. In June 1959 Mandated Airlines became the new owner, 2 years later renamed Ansett-MAL. On 09Mar69 it was registered in the name of Ansett Airlines of Papua/NG, on 28Jul73 the paperwork was amended to Ansett (P&NG) Ltd.
Bush Pilots Airways leased it from Sep73-Mar74 and by then Cathay Pacific had it in its sights for a preservation project.
Cathay bought "Betsy", as the Skytrain was lovingly named during its years of operation by CPA, and it was delivered in Sep.'83, upon it was transferred to The Hong Kong Museum of Science and Technology.

Sources:
"The Douglas DC-3 and its Predecessors", by J.M.G. Gradidge (Air-Britain Historians, 1984)
Gil White also wrote a history on c/n 4423

External link:
Cathay has a story to tell: Cathay's history

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Created: 8-9-02 Updated: 10-11-04
Last updated 23.2.2006