In the early postwar years, the Department of Civil Aviation acquired four Douglas C-47 Dakota transports from military disposals to be converted into civil DC-3s.

This photo shows the first of these, VH-ASD, in 1947 outside the Department of Aircraft Production hangars at Parafield Airport, Adelaide, after its civil conversion. Note the spartan all metallic finish, with the DCA emblem on the fin. It was later fitted as an airways survey aircraft by Butler Air Transport, Mascot.

This Dakota came from US Army Air Force disposals in Manila, Philippines and was ferried to Parafield. Two of the other DCA Dakotas were ex RAAF, and the fourth came from RAF stocks. It was originally built as a C-47A (c/n 13506) and used by the USAAC as 42-93579 before conversion into a civil DC-3CS1C3G.

VH-ASD was added to the Australian register on 26 March 1947 and served for many years in the airways survey role. It was re-registered VH-CAN on 9 August 1950 following a change of policy regarding Departmental aircraft registrations. Click here to read more about this.

Click here to see more photos of this aircraft.

(Photo: CAHS collection)

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