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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Douglas DC-4 / C-54/R5D/C-112 Skymaster / Carvair ATL / Canadair DC-4M/C-4 North Star
    Latest Model:C-54Q Skymaster
    Last Military Serial:42-72449 USAAF
    Construction Number:10554
    Last Civil Registration:N27MA
    Compressed ID:Douglas C-54Q sn 42-72449 USAAF cn...
    Latest Owner or Location:Aerospace Museum of California, McClellan AFB (formerly), Sacramento, California

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a C-54D-1-DC by Douglas at Chicago, IL.

    5 February 1945

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-72449.

    Transferred to VR-1, NAS Patuxent River, MD.

    Ferry flight.
    Flown to the San Diego Naval Air Station.

    Redesignated as R5D-3.

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 50874 as a R5D-3.

    Transferred to VR-8, Hickam AFB, HI.

    Transferred to VR-22, NAS Norfolk, VA.

    Transferred to VR-24, Port Lyautey, Morocco.

    Converted to a C-54Q.

    1962

    Redesignated as C-54Q.

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 50874.

    August 1962

    Transferred to Office of Naval Research, Boston, MA.

    February 1970

    Assigned to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ for storage.

    11 May 1971


    Photographer: Peter B Lewis
    Notes: At Davis Monthan

    September 1975

    To Mercy Airlift Inc with new c/r N27MA (C-54, 50874).

    September 1979


    Photographer: Geoff Goodall
    Notes: Former US Navy R5D-3 N27MA at Ontario, California in September 1979 was used by Mercy Airlift for humanitarian relief work

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-72449.

    Transferred to a museum.

    To U. S. Forestry Service.

    Markings Applied: 42-72449
    Painted by Aero Union in Chico, CA.

    17 January 1990

    Certificate of airworthiness for N27MA (C-54, 50874) issued.

    23 January 1990

    Ferry flight.
    Flown from Chico, CA, to McClellan by Aero Union.

    23 January 1990

    Loaned to Aerospace Museum of California, McClellan AFB (formerly), Sacramento, CA.
    Placed on permanent loan to the museum.
    View the Location Dossier

    April 2001


    Photographer: John Meneely

    14 July 2004

    Civil registration, N27MA, cancelled.
    Sale reported to a new owner in Oklahoma.

    26 May 2007


    Photographer: Reinhard Jost
    Notes: At McClellan AFB, CA

    31 August 2014


    Photographer: Mike Henniger
    Notes: Photographed at the Aerospace Museum of California, Sacramento, CA.

    30 September 2019


    Photographer: John Bennett
    Notes: Taken at McClellan, CA, U.S.A.
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Print Sources
     U.S. Military Out of Service 2007 by Andy Marden
    Internet Sources
     Aerospace Museum of California
    Airbus, Boeing, Convair and Douglas Production List
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
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