| | This aircraft was built as C-47A 42-23766 and delivered to USAAF on 6/1/43, but allocated to the RAF as Dakota Mk.III s/n FD906 on 6/18/43. On 7/2/43 it was assigned to the South African Air Force in the Middle East Theatre, serialed as 6802. After WWII the aircraft returned to South Africa and eventually became surplus. On 4/28/50 it was registered as ZS-DDV with Crusader Airways, later going to Africair. On 10/19/50 it was registered as G-AJXL to British European Airways, but the following month was re-registered as G-AMGD to avoid radio confusion with G-ALXL. Aircraft was named “George Brackley.” The aircraft went to Autair Ltd on 4/13/60 and then changed hands a few more times until on 11/30/61 it was registered as VP-YTT with Autair (Rhodesia) Ltd and later Rhodesian Air Services. On 12/8/65 it became ZS-EKK in South Africa, then in Dec. 1971 it went to Swazi Air as 3D-AAV. WFU on 8/2/73 but in June 1974 was in South Africa as ZA-IWL with Comair. The aircraft then went to Ethiopian Airlines in 1983 as ET-AIA. Now displayed restored at Ethiopian Airlines headquarters in Addis Ababa. |
