This aircraft was delivered new to the United States Army Air Force - April 28, 1943

It was allocated the serial number '41-32786' but it did not enter service

TIt was tansferred to the United States Navy as an R5D-1 with the serial number 'Bu 39140' - April 28, 1943

Returned to the United States Army Air Force as '41-37286' - April 1946

Transferred to the War Assests Administration for disposal - April 1946

Sold to Veterans Air Express Inc, Rhode Island - May 24, 1946

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as NC57777 - ?

Transferred to P. P. Artoserse & L. O'Dell (Trustees for bankrupt Veterans Air ) - December 1946

Sold to Matson Navigation Co, San Francisco - November 01, 1948

Australian National Airways applied for an Australian C of R for a DC-4 - November 25, 1948

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ANF (c/n 3077) - November 25, 1948

This Certificate of Registration was not taken up

Transferred to Air Ceylon - January 21, 1949

Entered onto the Ceylonese Aircraft Register as VP-CBE - January 24, 1949

Departed London (Heathrow) on the ferry flight to Melbourne - January 21, 1949

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - January 24, 1949

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the ferry flight - January 26, 1949

Ferry route: London - Castel Benito - Cairo - Karachi - Colombo - Singapore - Darwin - Melbourne

Operated its first Air Ceylon revenue service Melbourne (Essendon) - London (Heathrow) - February 04, 1949

This aircraft was named by the Governor-General of Ceylon 'Ratmalana' - February 07, 1949

Reregistered CY-ACB - October 11, 1950

Sold to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - December 1950

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft register as VH-INZ - December 21, 1950

It retained the name 'Ratmalana' (site of Colombo's first airport)

Remained under charter to Air Ceylon and was operated in the Air Ceylon livery

Returned to A.N.A. when Air Ceylon ceased operations - July 23, 1953

Delivered to A.N.A. at Melbourne (Essendon) - July 27, 1953

Transferred to Ansett-ANA but it was never registered to them - October 21, 1957

Sold to Twentieth Century Airlines Inc - April 21, 1958

Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to the United States - June 15, 1958

Ferry route: Melbourne - Nadi - Canton Island - Honolulu - Los Angeles - Las Vegas

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 15, 1958

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N5521V - ?

Sold to Seven Seas Airlines Inc, New York - July 1959

The aircraft was named 'Mediterranean Sea'

Sold to Ameurco Anstalt - February 24, 1961

Sold to Seven Seas Airlines - June 13, 1961

Repossessed by Ameurco Anstalt - August 01, 1961

Sold to Aeronaves de Panama SA - March 21, 1962

Entered onto the Panamanian Aircraft Register as HP-351 - ?

Sold to Pan African Airlines, Nigeria - September 1962

Entered onto the Nigerian Aircraft Register as 5N-AFC - ?

Sold to Lion Enterprises Establishment - 1966

Sold to Crossroads Aviation Inc - February 13, 1967

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N11117 - ?

Sold to Aviation Facilities Inc - November 02, 1968

Operated by Pan African Airlines during the Biafran conflict - from April 1969

Withdrawn from use and stored at Lagos Airport - May 1970

Sold to East Coast Aviation Corp - November 10, 1972

Repossessed by Security Investment Company - February 26, 1973

Sold to Concare Aircraft Leasing Corp. - February 26, 1973

Sold to Seminole Aviation Inc - June 12, 1973

Sold to Cecil E. Wroten - July 1974

It was operated in south-east Asia

Withdrawn from use and stored at Phnom Penh Airport, Cambodia - 1975

Eventual fate of this aircaft is still unclear

VH-INZ. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - 'Ratmalana' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-441.)