VH-ANF Douglas DC-4

This aircraft was built at the Douglas Chicago plant - 1944

It was delivered to the United States Army Air Force - April 27, 1944

It was allocated the U. S. serial number '42-72197'

Struck off charge and sold to Willis Air Service Inc - January 1946

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as NC49776 - January 1946

Sold to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - November 25, 1948

It was purchased to replace the DC-4 c/n 3077 which had been transferred to Air Ceylon

It was originally entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ANF (c/n 3077) - November 25, 1948

The Certificate of Registration (CofR) was amended to this aircraft (c/n 10302) - December 08, 1948

Registered to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd, Melbourne

Arrived Melbourne (Essendon) on copmpletion of the delivery flight - December 15, 1948

Delivery route: London - Castel Benito - Cairo - Bahrain - Karachi - Colombo - Batavia - Darwin - Melbourne

The aircraft was named 'Loongana' (swift)

Operated its first revenue service - December 1948

Operated the final A. N. A. service on behalf of B. C. P. A. Vancouver - Honolulu - April 25, 1949

It made a wheels-up landing on Brisbane Airport's south-east runway - November 15, 1954

This accident was due to pilot error with the aircraft sustaining underbelly damage but no passengers were injured

Local repairs were made before it was ferried to Melbourne (Essendon) for the final repairs

Converted to freighter configuration by A. N. A. engineers - 1955

Ownership transferred to Ansett-ANA on the merger of both airlines - October 21, 1957

Inaugurated the Ansett-ANA's Melbourne (Essendon) - Adelaide - Perth DC-4 freighter service - July 30, 1964

Leased to M. M. A. but operated in the Ansett-ANA livery - 1965

Chartered to Qantas Airways - August 09 - 12, 1967

Sold to Civil Air Transport Co, Taipei - August 13, 1967

Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to Taiwan - August 14, 1967

Ferry route: Melbourne - Alice Springs - Darwin - Kota Kinabalu - Taipei

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 19, 1967

Entered onto the Taiwanese Aircraft Register as B-1811 - ?

Transferred to China Airlines - 1971

This aircraft crashed at Battambang, Cambodia - July 15, 1974

It was damaged beyond repair and was scrapped on site

VH-ANF. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - Loongana' in the original livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-306.)

VH-ANF. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - Loongana' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-132.)

VH-ANF. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - Loongana' in the revised livery at Brisbane Archerfield Airport, November 15, 1954.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1125-141.)

VH-ANF. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - Loongana' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, March 1955.

The aircraft is undergoing repairs following its unfortunate landing accident.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-442.)

VH-ANF. Australian National Airways Pty Ltd - Loongana' in the revised livery with additional 'Air Cargo' titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1125-231.)

VH-ANF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery with 'Cargomaster' tail titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-280.)

VH-ANF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery with 'Cargomaster' tail titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-295.)

VH-ANF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery with 'Cargomaster' tail titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-002.)

VH-ANF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery with 'Cargomaster' tail titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, April 1966.

(G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1125-412.)

VH-ANF. Ansett-ANA - in the standard livery with 'Cargomaster' tail titles at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1125-443.)

B-1811. China Airlines - in the all-metal livery at Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport, June 1974.