In Australian Service – The Postwar DC-3

During the war years both ANA and Qantas had operated C- 47s on Army courier services and built up much valuable knowledge of the Dakota and its other derivatives. It was this store of knowledge that aided them in the civilianising of the C-47s for Australia’s airlines. In 1945 there was an urgent need to bolster the Australian civil airlines’ pool of aircraft. Much of the equipment in use was really too small or too old to be capable of making a significant contribution on the scale that was required.

The vastness of the DC-3’s contribution in Australia from 1945 onwards can be measured when one considers that over 40 operators and in excess of 200 different aircraft identities are involved. Through registrations, the actual number of aircraft involved is somewhat less but about 150 separate aircraft were associated in this assortment of DC-3s.

The majority of aircraft referred to as DC-3s in Australia were in fact originally built as C-47s for the USMF. In Australia, a sizeable fleet was operated during the war by the US Fifth Air Force on general transport duties. At the time of their disposal, they were either still operated by the USMF or had passed on to the RMF. It was this large number of US military C-47s which formed the pool from which so many Australian ‘DC-3s’ were to come. These aircraft were· mechanically excellent and in some cases had accumulated only 120 hours flying time. However, some were showing the signs of poor housekeeping such as a build-up of rubbish consisting of cigarette butts, banana skins etc. These cosmetic problems though were very minor and really of no long term consequence.

To prepare these C-47s for Australian airline service several conversion lines were established. Not much was required to be done mechanically to prepare them for civil use, but naturally much internal fitting out was needed. The Department of Civil Aviation coordinated the design work and set up the specification for a standard required by the DCA for the conversion. All the interior items such as seats and fittings were made in Australia.

The largest conversion line was set up by Australian National Airways at Essendon and they became the Australian-leader in this field. This was hardly surprising as ANA had built up an enormous amount of expertise in aircraft modification and maintenance during the war years. The Brisbane engineering shop for example opened in 1942 and with a works manager and four men had grown to a workforce of 2400 by 1944. A network of engineering bases extended from Cairns to Perth and by the end of the war, ANA had carried out 8,000,000 manhours of military maintenance for the USMF, RMF and RNEI aircraft.

Jack Stubbs, who was ANA’s Chief Engineer did initiate one mechanical change on the first batch of C-47s converted. A supply of brand new Wright Cyclone 3 engines complete with cowls, originally intended for installation in Lockheed Hudsons, had been obtained by ANA. This prompted Stubbs to substitute the Cyclones for the original Pratt & Whitney Wasps. Apart from taking advantage of a plentiful supply of zero-time engines, the Cyclone-powered aircraft was approximately 220Ib lighter than the P&W engined equivalent.

All subsequent aircraft retained the original Wasps although a further modification was implemented following an approach to DCA. This was an ANA proposal that the hydraulically variable cowl flaps be replaced with a fixed slot cowling. Two other conversion lines were established. One conducted by Qantas at Archerfield carried out a significant number of conversions while an ANA line at Mascot was a smaller operation.

The perception of the needs of the airline industry in 1945 as seen through the eyes of some observers, gives an interesting insight into some of the predictions of over 40 years ago. One analysis of the likely airliner capacity needed to meet the predicted passenger market came to the conclusion that Australian airlines would need a maximum of 24 airliners to service the nation. Fortunately the airlines had other ideas and geared themselves accordingly. The availability of the civilianised C-47s was of vital importance to numerous Australian airlines, both major and minor. For a comparatively modest amount, a fully equipped 21-seater (later increased to 28 seat layout) airliner of outstanding versatility could be put into service. No other aircraft was available which could approach the DC-3 for overall suitability. The only other types which could be even remotely considered were the Lockheed Hudson and Lodestar.

In 1946 Ron Adair, the Queensland airline operator investigated the suitability of an 18-seat Lodestar to fly a service from Brisbane to Melbourne nonstop flying a track Brisbane/ Tamworth/Wagga/Deniliquin/Melbourne. However DCA said that a coastal route would have to be flown via Sydney and as Adair felt that this would make the service uneconomic, the plan was abandoned. Hudsons and Lodestars of course were flown by a few operators but their numbers were fairly limited compared with the DC-3. ANA had long been the champion of Douglas aircraft in Australia having introduced the DC-2 and DC-3 into service with this being later to be followed by the DC-4, DC-6 and DC-6B. With this long-standing Douglas association it came as no surprise that ANA was a particularly prominent operator of the DC-3. A total of 41 DC-3s were to join the fleet and were the backbone of their operations until the DC-6s and DC-6Bs were introduced in the 1950s. Even when the fleet consisted in part of two DC-6s, four DC-6Bs and eight DC-4s there were still 14 DC- 3s flying with ANA.

During the mid to late 1940s the DC-3s were worked hard maintaining ANA services. Flying an annual utilisation of 3600 hours per aircraft, it was quite usual for the DC-3s to start the days flying at 6. 30 am and not cease operations until nearly midnight. Apart from numerous short-haul routes, some long-distance routes were also flown such as Melbourne/Adelaide (crew change)/Ceduna/Forrest/Kalgoorlie/Perth. The departure from Melbourne was at 6. 30am with a 9. 30pm arrival in Perth. Another lengthy route was Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane (crew change)/ Rockhampton/Mackay/Townsville/Cairns.

Although the ANA DC-3 fleet gradually diminished, following the formation of Ansett-ANA in October 1957 this trend was reversed. This arose through the acquisition by Ansett of several other operators such as Guinea Airways, Butler Air Transport, MacRobertson Miller Aviation, Queensland Airlines and Mandated Airlines. Over the years numerous DC-3s changed colours within the group as operational demands dictated. During the 1960s the DC-3s were still in widespread use with Ansett-ANA themselves and the various intrastate airlines owned by them such as Airlines of New South Wales, Airlines of South Australia, MacRobertson Miller Airline Services, Ansett-MAL and Victorian Air Coach Services. The delivery of modern equipment such as the Fokker Friendship enabled Ansett to retire their DC-3s from airline use during the 1960s and early 1970s. It is fitting that the venerable VH-ABR ‘Kanana’ which entered service with ANA in 1938 was one of the last of the noble breed to be withdrawn from use. When it was retired. From service with Airlines of South Australia on 4 October 1971 it had flown over 67,000 hours, a truly incredible achievement. Despite the widespread use of the DC-3 by other major Australian airlines, none can approach the use of the type with ANA before, during and after the war years.

One of the most momentous changes in the Australian airline industry was the formation in 1946 of Trans Australia Airlines. Many DC-3s (over 30) were to join the TAA fleet over a period of several years. As a prelude to the commencement of regular services, the first DC-3 was acquired in June 1946 to be followed by others prior to the inaugural flight on 9 September 1946. This historic flight was made by VH-AES ‘Hawdon’ under the command of Captain James Hepburn. Carrying invited guests and a load of mail, the DC-3 left Laverton at 5. 45am and reached Mascot on schedule at 8. 35am. The return flight left Mascot for Laverton one hour later. From 23 September two return flights between Laverton and Mascot were introduced. This was doubled again to four return flights a day from 2 October to cope with the volume of business expected to flow from regular public services which started on that day. Two DC-3s were based at both Laverton and Mascot to operate the service.

A steady throng of DC-3s started to appear in TAA’s livery. As the network expanded so did the DC-3 fleet. One return flight a day between Sydney and Brisbane commenced on 4 November and by the end of 1946, the route structure also included Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra. The DC-3s were aided by TAA’s DC-4 fleet of four aircraft which were delivered during October and November. This mixture of DC-3s and DC-4s formed the beginnings of the fleet from which TAA was to expand and prosper.

Over the next few years the DC-3s continued to join the TAA fleet. Nine DC-3s entered TAA service in 1946 followed by twelve in 1947. Further deliveries of DC-3s were made, although at a reduced rate. By May 1951 the TAA fleet had grown substantially and in part comprised five Convair 240s, three DC-4s and twenty-five DC-3s. The Convairs which were the first pressurised airliner to enter service in Australia were TAA’s flagship and were enormously popular while the DC-4s also filled a useful role. The DC-3s however were a vital part of the fleet and apart from flying between capitals were used on many services which could not sustain the larger aircraft. In 1949 TAA took over the Queensland and Northern Territory services previously flown by Qantas and ended up having a large network in the region. The cost of air travel in those days makes an interesting comparison with today. In 1950 the fare from Brisbane to Sydney was six pounds seventeen shillings and six pence and from Sydney to Canberra two pounds and ten shillings (present economy fares are roughly $160 and $90 respectively, Ed). As the basic wage in Sydney was eight pounds five shillings it would definitely seem that we are better off today after taking inflation into account.

By the mid-1950s, the TAA DC-3 fleet had been reduced to 18 aircraft as additional modern aircraft such as Viscounts joined the airline. However in 1960 DC-3 numbers increased again as TAA became responsible for all the internal services in New Guinea previously operated by Qantas. Six ex-Qantas DC-3s passed to TAA and the surviving serviceable aircraft were sold to Air New Guinea in 1973. The last DC-3s to be disposed of by TAA were VH-TAK sold to Forrester Stephen in 1974 and VH-DAS to East West Airlines in 1975. A striking reminder of the once mighty TAA DC-3 fleet is the historic DC-3 VH-AES ‘Hawdon’ on permanent display at Tullamarine.

Qantas used DC-3s for several years on services within and outside Australia. Initial flying of the type by Qantas comprised several C-47s on loan to the airline towards the end of the war from the USAAF. In the post war years, 14 DC-3s were acquired between 1945 and 1948. Some were re-registered several times to vacate registration sequences for other aircraft. In addition, a further three DC-3s were chartered by Qantas in 1948 to augment their fleet. These were VH-BHD and VH-BHE from the Zinc Corporation used as freighters and VH-AEO from TAA. Services within Australia were flown by Qantas DC-3s from Brisbane to Darwin and Cloncurry to Normanton. The Queensland Inland Services network was later extended in 1948 and then included fights between Brisbane and Charleville, Quilpie, Cunnamulla, Winton, Mitchell, Mt. Isa and Darwin and between Cloncurry and Burketown. The overseas services operated by. Qantas DC-3s were numerous. In April 1945 a weekly service was flown from Sydney to Lae and this was increased to three flights a week in July. This service had been taken over from W. R. Carpenter (now ironically owned by Ric Stowe). In November 1945 a Qantas DC-3 under charter to the RAAF began a Brisbane/ Manila service.

By 1949 Qantas had five DC-3 freight/passenger aircraft in New Guinea and these blended into a fleet which included Dragons and later Drovers, Beavers and Otters. Another route was opened up on 7 September 1953 when the DC-3s commenced operating from Lae to Madang, Boram and Hollandia. When Qantas withdrew from its New Guinea operations in 1960 the remaining services and aircraft were transferred to TAA. Qantas’ last two DC-3s were retained for crew training use and were disposed of in 1971 when VH-EDC and VH-EDD were sold to Queensland Pacific Trading Company.

Apart from its distinguished association with the three major Australian airlines, the DC-3 made no less a contribution with the various intrastate airlines. Ownership of several of these airlines changed over the years as companies merged or were taken over but throughout these amalgamations and absorbtions, the DC-3 was their prime equipment during the period 1945-1955. These operators were Aircrafts Pty Ltd with one DC-3, Airlines of New South Wales: 13, Airlines of South Australia: 8, Butler Air Transport: 7, East West Airlines: 8, Guinea Airways: 11, MacRobertson Miller Aviation: 12 and Queensland Airlines: 7. Many other operators used the DC-3 for aerial surveys, cargo work, charter use, commuter services and newspaper deliveries. There was very little the DC-3 was not called upon to do during its prolonged career. However, rising operating expenses coupled with the new generation of gas turbine aircraft with all their attendant benefits hastened its eventual withdrawal from service.

In parallel with the active use of the DC-3 by the Australian civil operators, its career with the military was equally impressive. The RAAF took delivery of 124 aircraft of various C-47 marks and allocated the serials A65-1 to A65-124. Of these, 47 went to civil users post-war while another went to the RAN Fleet Air Arm. RAAF Dakotas achieved prominence with their valuable service with the No91 Transport Wing in Korea where they carried 120,000 troops in Japan and Korea, moved 3,000,000lb of mail and evacuated 15,000 casualties. In later years Dakotas of No86 Transport Wing comprising No36 and No38 Squadrons were based at Canberra together with other Dakotas attached to the No34 VIP Flight. The arrival of the first C-130As in 1958 for No36 Squadron hastened their retirement from transport use which was further accelerated by the delivery of Caribous from 1964 and HS748 Navigational Training aircraft for the RAN in 1968.

As at June 1986 there were still four Dakotas flying with the RAAF belonging to Support Command. These aircraft are attached to ARDU (Aircraft Research and Development Unit) and are used for trials and trial support duties. A notable career extending over 43 years has not yet ended for the RAAF’s Dakotas. It is doubtful whether this length of service will ever be equalled or bettered by any other RAAF aircraft.

At the end of April 1986 there were still 11 DC-3s on the Australian Civil Register. Honours for the largest existing operator of the type go to Air Queensland with their quartet VH-BPL, VH-BPN, VH-EDC and VH-PWN. This last-mentioned aircraft is the oldest DC-3 still flying in Australia. Originally delivered to the USAAF as 42-23424 on 25 March 1943 it passed to the RAAF as A65-9 soon after on 1 May 1943. After the war it went to Qantas during November 1946 as VH-EAM and later to East West on 21 July 1953 as VH-EWF ‘Peel City’. It became VH-PWN on 27 November 1967 when owned by Pacific and Western Aviation and passed through various hands before serving with its current owners.

The other current operational Australian DC-3s are VH-AGU operated by Yaraykan Pty Ltd, VHsCAN and VH-MMA by Air North, VH-MIN and VH-UPQ by Wan See Pty Ltd, VH-PWM by Rebel Air, VH-NVZ by the RAN Fleet Air Arm Historical Flight and VH-SBT by the Mackay Air Museum. In addition to the 15 airworthy civil and military examples in Australia, there are currently 13 other non-flying examples in various states of preservation.

DC-3s have now been in service for nearly 49 years in Australia. During this time; hundreds of them have flown in our skies and the toll of hours flown, passengers carried and distances covered are incalculable. There can be few areas of Australia left untouched by the DC-3 during its almost half a century of duty and the remarkable thing is that its role in our aviation history is far from finished. There seems little doubt the enthusiasm of aviation devotees in particular and the public in general will ensure that the familiar sound of the DC-3 will echo in our skies well into the next century.