History[]
Constructed as a C-53-DO by Douglas at Santa Monica, CA., this aircraft was taken on strength with the United States Army Air Force in April 1942 as 42-6474. On 12 January 1945, it was transferred to Surplus Properties Administration, DPC, Bush Field, Augusta, GA., before passing to Aerovias Braniff as XA-DUI, and then to Aerovias Internacionales de Mexico (Aerovias Reforma) as XA-HIP.
Passed to unknown owner as N5139B, with a certificate of airworthiness issued on 24 September 1956, the aircraft then joined Eastman Kodak as N46TE, before being acquired by Airgo Air Freight as N162E, and then by Bo-S-Aire. By August 1979, the aircraft had come into the possession on Airspeed Hawaii. The following month, N162E was photographed by Geoff Goodall at Honolulu. Fitted with the Garrett-AiResearch DC-3 Maximizer performance kit, it was operated by Airspeed Hawaii on cargo work, but seating could be quickly installed for occasional passenger charter
In 1982 the aircraft moved to Air Molokai-Tropic Airlines, then to Viking Express in 1993, joining Pelican Air as N22RB the following year. By 22 July 1995, when the aircraft was photographed by Glenn Chatfield from the control tower at DuPage Airport, West Chicago, IL, it was operating as Eve with Vintage Airways. Passed on 18 February 1998 to Jade Software Corporation, Boca Raton, FL., the aircraft was photographed by Reinhard Zinabold at Kissimmee/Fl. Municipal Airport. On 2 July 2004 ownership passed to Gordon E. Cragg.
The airframe was written off on 13 August 2004 at Orlando-Herndon Airport, FL after being blown on its back by severe winds during Hurricane Charley, smashing into an aluminum hangar before coming to rest against a concrete hangar. With the remains passed to Dodson International Parts Inc, civil registration N22RB was cancelled on 24 February 2006[1]