Photo ID: 1011689
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Model: DC-6A |
Registration: N6174C |
| Year: 1954 |
Serial Number: c/n 44075, fuselage #451 |
| Engine(s): P&W R2800-CB3, 18-Cyl. Radial, 2400-HP each |
Owner: Northern Air Cargo, Anchorage, AK |
| Location: PANC, Anchorage International, Anchorage, AK |
Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
| Date: July, 2004 |
Present Registration: Same |
Present Owner (FAA info): Same |
Notes: 9/19/05 - Two old goodies of similar vintage. Does the Chevy look a bit small for a fuel truck for a DC-6? There's a reason for that. It's an oiler, not a fuel truck! If you had a fleet of DC-6's like Northern Air Cargo does, you would figure out an efficient way to service the oil too.
The DC-6A is a factory built cargo aircraft with both fore and aft doors. They were very popular in their day but most have long since gone the way of the aluminum can. What a shame! Douglas built a total of 74 civilian DC-6A's, all at their Santa Monica, CA plant.
This DC-6A started life with Flying Tigers Lines and saw action with many operators over the years. It was variously registered as N34959, N402US, N1281 and Canadian C-GBYN before becoming N6174C. See more details in the notes below the photos.
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Photo ID: 1011690
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The DC-6A has a wing span of 117', length of 105' and height of 28'. Empty weight is around #50,000 and max take-off a bit over double that. (I can't be more specific because there are so many variables.) |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011691
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The 2400-HP, 14-cylinder, twin-row, 2800-cubic inch engines pull the '6 along at over 300-MPH. |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011692
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This aircraft was set up for 98 passengers for a while, back in the 1960's. The window frames are there but are covered over. |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011693
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I'll bet those landing gears have set foot on more strange soil than most of us have! |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011694
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"Say aaaah"
Northern Air Cargo has quite a fleet of DC-6's. They gave this aircraft a complete overhaul and it was just out of the shop when I saw it. In fact, the new Airworthiness Certificate was not issued until a few weeks later. From looking at the aircraft and seeing their operation one has the sense that these people know and love DC-6's and that they are a first-class operation.
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| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011695
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Enough there to make a Cherokee driver's head spin! |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011696
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The view from the First Officer's window. |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011697
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The forward cargo door. It is hinged at the top and has a series of pins at the bottom to hold it closed. Bear in mind that this is a pressurized aircraft, so it takes a good structure and locking mechanism. The door in the fuselage bulkhead goes into the flight deck. |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011698
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Looking aft in the cargo compartment. Note that the window openings are covered over by the cargo liner |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
Photo ID: 1011699
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The aft cargo door. The bar at the top is for crew and cargo handlers to hold on to. It is not unusual for people to fall out onto the ground as they stand in the open doorway. A friend of mine did that and broke his leg. |
| Photographer: Ken Stoltzfus |
History from FAA files:
2/54, Douglas Aircraft Company sold Douglas DC-6A, s/n 44075, N34959 to The Flying Tiger Line, Burbank, CA. Aircraft had P&W R2800-CB17 engines;
4/56, Sold to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, CA;
4/56, To The Main-Elford Corporation, Providence, RI, Aircraft registered as N402US; Main-Elford leased the aircraft back to Flying Tigers;
6/58, Lease agreement (sub-lease) between Flying Tigers, Lessor, and United States Overseas Airlines, Lessee; By
12/58 the aircraft had 17,019 hours total time, which averages nearly 10-hours a day!
1/60, Sold to Trans-Pacific Investment Company, Providence, RI, who modified the interior and set it up for 98-passengers;
8/61, Sold to United States Overseas Airlines, Wildwood, NJ;
10/63, Sold to Overseas Holdings, Inc., NY, NY, registration changed to N1281. Now 28,597-TT;
4/64, All seats modified to accept food trays.
12/64, Sold to International Airlines, County Clare, Ireland;
12/64, Sold to Foreign Air Transport Development, Washington, DC;
5/65, Installed window in main aft cargo door;
9/65, Sold to AAXICO Airlines, Miami. Now inappropriately identified as a DC-6A/B on some documents;
11/65, Application for registration by Saturn Airways, Oakland, CA;
6/70, Sold to Associates Capital Co., South Bend, IN; 3/71, To Carolina Aircraft, Fort Lauderdale, FL;
5/75, To Zantop Airlines, Ypsilanti, MI;
5/90, To Conifair Aviation, Ste-Foy, QB, Canada, U.S. registration cancelled.
5/02, Sold to Northern Air Cargo, Anchorage, AK;
6/02, DC-6A, C-GBYN de-registered in Canada and became N6174C. It had 50,700-some hours total time; It appears that NAC bought three DC-6 aircraft in that transaction, including C-GBYH, s/n 43549 and C-GBYF, s/n 44061.
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www.FlyingHigher.net - Douglas Aircraft
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