N47CE — 1944 Douglas DC3C-S1C3G (C-47A) Data

This aircraft was built as C-47A 42-93534 and delivered to USAAF on 5/30/44. However, it was diverted as a Lend-Lease plane to the RAF as Dakota Mk.III serial KG644, and delivered to Montreal for ferry to the U.K, arriving there on 6/13/44. Assigned to No.109 Operational Training Unit at Crosby-on-Eden in Cumberland on 8/29/44 and on 8/10/45 became part of the No.1383 Transport Conversion Unit. On 7/25/46 it moved to No.1333 Transportation Support Conversion Unit based at Syserston in Nottinghamshire. Became surplus and sold to PP Air Transport on 1/4/47, registered as G-AJPF three months later with Southampton Air Services Ltd. After changing hands twice more, in August 1948 it became part of the civil airlift augmenting the military Berlin Airlift. Operated by Trent Valley Aviation, it completed a record 186 sorties to Berlin between 8/4 and 11/10, 1948, flying 504 hrs. On 11/19/48, it G-AJPF was involved in the longest flight ever completed by a British Charter company, flying to Sydney, Australia with ships’ spares. 9/8/50 it was purchased by Eagle Aviation and two owners later found it in Canada on 2/5/51, later that year being registered as CF-IOC with Imperial Oil Transport. The plane passed through several more owners in Canada before being sold on 7/5/85 to Condor Enterprises in Aurora, IL as N47CE.

This plane crashed and was destroyed in April 1989, killing all three on board