For the rest of the year, C47 “Fifi Kate” is based in Holland. It will be on show , and operated out of, the Aviodrome in Lelystad, for a 6 month period. The Dak is seen here on arrival. According to some, this machine is a veteran from “Arnhem” while other sources claim it was based during WW2 in Alaska. Anyone knows more on this machine? BW Roger
By: paulc - 26th July 2004 at 13:00
only 2 Melvyn but they were big ones 😉 (5 gal each i think) Took a team of 8 about 6 hours to paint the fuselage with 1 coat. Rudder + elevator had been re-covered so took 2 coats to get a decent result.
Rudder was painted first (by me) in a cage like contraption combined with forklift to get the height, owner turns up, was impressed with rudder but it made the rest look shabby……6 hours later one freshly painted fuselage (wings had already been done)
We were then lucky enough to go for a taxi round the airfield and fast run down runway – a real treat.
By: turbo_NZ - 26th July 2004 at 09:51
She looks beautiful.
Just noticed in the first pic, real judicious use of left rudder on landing.
TNZ
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 26th July 2004 at 09:49
Very sad to see her go from Lee-on-Solent, myself and several other have spent a bit of time working on her during the last few month, including a complete repaint (by hand) the weekend before the D-Day events.
How many tins of Humbrol did that take?
Melv
By: paulc - 26th July 2004 at 07:17
Very sad to see her go from Lee-on-Solent, myself and several other have spent a bit of time working on her during the last few month, including a complete repaint (by hand) the weekend before the D-Day events.
As Melvyn says the other DC3 at Lee is an Arnham and D-Day veteran and has a couple of small patched covering holes made by small arms from that period. Another visitor to Lee is Auster 5 (G-BJBJ i think) which was also an Arnham veteran.
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 25th July 2004 at 21:15
The other DC3/C47 that was at Lee on Solent with Fifi Kate, the one in South Coast Airlines markings, is an Arnhem veteran.
MH
By: EHVB - 25th July 2004 at 19:03
Thanks! BW Roger
By: Papa Lima - 25th July 2004 at 18:45
History
Built as Douglas C-47A-35-DL c/n 9700 42-23838 this aircraft started life as a military transporter during World War II, this aircraft was built for the US Air Force at the Douglas Long Beach plant and delivered on 14th June 1943. Later that year she was assigned to the 11th Air Force, in Alaska where she spent the remainder of her United States Air Force career.
In June 1946 she was sold to Mount McKinley Airfreight, based at Anchorage, Alaska.
Proctor and Gamble Ltd., converted her to a DC3 in 1950, fitting her out as an executive transport, based at Cincinatti where she operated for 18 years.
In June 1973 she was exported to Canada where she served with a number of Air Charter operators, until she was returned to the USA in February 1982 for use by Century Airlines, Pontiac, Michigan, as a freighter.
ARM operated her out of Spain for three years following her export in 1992. Eventually she was exported to England.
See http://www.eurofly.co.uk/dakotasale/n47fk1.htm for a lot more info
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July 25, 2004 at 6:07 pm