picture 181740

The hard-worked Douglas C-47 Dakotas of the RAF transport squadrons sometimes appeared in remarkably worn paintwork; the dark desert sand upper camouflage of this machine (known part of the serial is 33655) seen on the ARRIVALS apron of Almaza in 1946, was a good example. It is believed to have been a part of No. 31 Squadron South-East Asia Command and, as such, had originally been built as a civilian DC-3-G-102 for American Airlines. The top coat of paint was probably applied in a hurry, without a proper primer. Probably after a re-paint, the aircraft was deployed for Operation Plainfare which ran from 28 June 1948 to 11 May 1949, during the Berlin Airlift. (Artwork by Luca Canossa)