R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

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A photo of US Navy 128432 at Kai Tak in 1970, taken from a 28 Sqn Whirlwind. This aeroplane was so well looked after you could have eaten your lunch in the wheel wells!
KeithMac.
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RE: R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

Miss those aircraft. Living next to Valkenburg NAS, they came several times a year when the tulips and other flowers were growing, filled with American military (and family) on scenic tours to Holland. The C-118'ns and the Carvairs are the propliners I saw so very often in those years. A shame no Carvair was ever preserved in the UK.

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RE: R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

Roger - I echo your sentiments ! The whole Douglas family of four engined airliners is very much lacking in the U.K . Certainly the DC-4
was a common sight in the U.K in the 1950's and 60's and it's a great shame we cannot have one preserved!

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RE: R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

I guess that this is really a new thread but I agree with Roger S that a preserved DC-4/6/7 or Carvair would be great. I expect that because the aircraft are still so well used around the world that even damaged or time expired airframes are still too expensive for museums to purchase. The engines alone are worth a fortune.

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RE: R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

I guess we are lucky, albeit a working fleet, that Air Atlantique operate aircraft like DC3,DC6, Convair 440 and to some extent Electra.
When they reinstall their open days you can go along and for a very reasonable fee fly in some of these, plus the historic flight.
It will be interesting to see what happens with their two DC6's when they inevitably finish their working life.It would be nice, costs permitting of course, if they could operate one of them as part of the historic flight.

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RE: R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

A nice propliner classic.
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RE: R6D-1 or if you prefer VC-118B

Shot during the last passenger flight of the DDA DC-4. A shame it is gone thanks to the Dutch CAA. The CAA's new plans are now to destroy all Dutch airshows, and they have almost succeeded, but that is another story.
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DC6 prognosis

"I guess we are lucky, albeit a working fleet, that Air Atlantique operate aircraft like DC3,DC6, Convair 440 and to some extent Electra.
When they reinstall their open days you can go along and for a very reasonable fee fly in some of these, plus the historic flight.
It will be interesting to see what happens with their two DC6's when they inevitably finish their working life."

Don't worry too much about the DC6 at the moment.

They have been reconfigured as convertible freighter / sprayers, so as long as Atlantic hold the pollution control contract from the DoE they will remain on stand-by, and thus used for "go nows" in order to keep the crews current.

The main limiting factor on their use is the reducing availability of Avgas from tankers that can pump at the rate needed to turn the aircraft around in reasonable time. Hence the Electras.

Moggy