Help with information on Douglas C-53

[rd12]

Hello, I have never tried to research an aircraft before and am not sure where to start. I am trying to find out anything I can about the aircraft pictured below.

the tail number/serial number is 247371.

I know the picture below was taken in the CBI theater during WW2. After the war the plane was given to the Chinese Nationalist Gov't.

I am trying to find what unit the plane was assigned to. I assume it would have flown under 10th AF and then ATC?

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

 

[rd12]

On a side note, the plane is still flying and is based in Phoenix, AZ.

 

This is a recent photo. It is now painted in Civil Air Transport (CAT) livery. CAT was a Nationalist Chinese airline.

 

 

[USARV72]

C-47, most likely hump veteran. Start with C-47 units.

[rd12]

I believed it to be a C-53 in that it lacks the large cargo door. But I suppose the cargo door could have been removed at some point.

[lettow]

Here is the wartime history according to data at www.aerialvisuals.ca

 

Constructed as a C-53-DO by Douglas at Santa Monica, CA.

29 June 1942 Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-47371.

By July 1942 Transferred to Air Transport Command.

Flown around Santa Monica by ATC in July 1942.

August 1942 Ferry flight. Flown from Santa Monica to West Palm Beach, FL then onto Karachi, India.

10 September 1942 Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Air Force with s/n FJ712. Served with the RAF in India.

26 December 1942 Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-47371.

December 1942 Transferred to 1st Troop Carrier Squadron, 10th Air Force, USAAF, China-Burma-India Theater, India.

21 December 1945 To unknown owner. Sold into commercial service, at Dhub, India.

5 February 1946 To Central Air Transport Corp., Bejing, China.

 

 

The site lists the post-war history up to the present day with pictures.

[MattS]

Just FYI, but the first digit of USAAF tail numbers are generally the last digit of the year it was made (1942).

Oddly, 47371 is also my ZIP code.

 

Douglas C-53-DO
47371 (MSN 7313) to USAAF Jun 29, 1942. To 10th AF in India Aug 12, 1942.
To RAF in India Sep 10, 1942 as FJ712. Returned to
USAAF custody Dec 26, 1942. Sold Dec 21, 1945 at Dhub, India. Sold To Central Air Trsnsport Corp
(CATC) of Beijing, China Feb 5, 1946. Sold to Civil Air Transport
(CAT) of Taipei, Formosa Dec 19, 1949, and transferred to Hong Kong registered
as N8336C. CAT was renamed Air Asia, Ltd, a subsidiary of Air America.
Registered as N1794B Jul 22, 1953. Sold to TEMCO Aircraft Corp
of Dallas, TX Dec 9, 1953 and registered as N67K. Reregistered as N47L
Jan 12, 1954. Sold to Union Chemical and Materials Corp of Dallas, TX
May 22, 1958. Sold to Southern airways Co of Atlanta, GA Jun 22, 1958
and reregistered N147M. To Mead Corp, Dayton, OH Jul 23, 1962. To
Ohio Aviation Co of Vandalia, OH Apr 18, 1969, sold to Tecumseh Products
of Tecumseh, MI. Donated to Kalamazoo Aviation History Dec 3,1982.
Purchased by Warren Basler Oct 18, 1993. Used in production of 1994 film
"Richie Rich". Began private ownership service Jul 5, 1999 as "The Spirit
of Enterprise" with private user in Wisconsin. Re-registered as N943DJ. Current 2011.

 

From: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_2a.html

[rd12]

Thank you for the information and sources.

[rd12]

This aircraft now wears tail number N8336C

[MattS]

That's its civilian FAA registration number: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8336c