MAR38 |
Construction
completed at Burbank.
|
12APR38 |
Delivered
to KNILM by Lockheed and subsequently shipped to the Netherlands East
Indies.
|
23MAY38 |
Registered
PK-AFN to KNILM.
|
FEB42 |
Used
with other KNILM aircraft on evacuation flights from the NEI to Australia
in advance of the Japanese invasion. After escaping to Australia the
aircraft was operated by KNILM under charter to the military.
|
28MAR42 |
Acquired
from KNILM by the USAAF.
|
MAY42 |
Handed
over to the USAAF. Ferried from Sydney to Laverton by Captain Frans
van Breemen and John Gyzemyter of KNILM and a junior American pilot
who insisted on occupying the left hand seat despite never having
flown a Lockheed before. His cockiness was rewarded with several contrived
"emergencies". Unfortunately, the flight culminated in a real emergency
when the undercarriage would not lower. A screwdriver normally stowed
in the aeroplane for the purpose of removing the access cover to the
emergency extension mechanism had been pilfered and the panel was
laboriously removed using coins. The undercarriage was successfully
lowered and the aircraft landed safely. As the starboard engine was
consuming excessive oil it had become common practice to shut it down
en route to conserve oil.
|
MAY42 |
Operated
by the Allied Directorate of Air Transport with the radio call-sign
VHCXI. The aircraft operated in camouflage as would have been applied
by KNILM. The aircraft was later assigned to the 21st Troop Carrier
Squadron in Brisbane.
|
06APR43 |
Arrived
Parafield, South Australia on delivery to Guinea Airways Ltd. Operated
on behalf of ADAT on the Adelaide-Darwin courier service.
|
11MAY43 |
Australian
CofA No. X9 issued. (The X series CofA was to permit the carriage
of civilians on military aircraft).
|
15JUN43 |
Few
Guildford-Cunderdin-Kalgoorlie carrying US troops. (Source:: 9EFTS
Cunderdin ORB)
|
13FEB44 |
Crashed
on take-off at Alice Springs, NT. The aircraft developed a swing on
take-off for Parafield and ground looped, tearing out the port undercarriage
and engine, the propeller of which cut through the nose just forward
of the pilot's feet. The damage was such that the aircraft was scrapped
after usable parts had been removed. The crew consisted of Capt John
Robins (GAL), F/O F/Sgt Ken Bird (RAAF) and Radio Operator F/Sgt Phoenix
(RAAF). There were only minor injuries to the crew and passengers.
By this time the aircraft was in bare metal with USAAF markings, and
the GAL "donkey with knapsack" emblem on the nose.
|
15FEB44 |
The
aircraft was withdrawn from the ADAT agreement with the airlines.
|
MAY44 |
GAL
advised DCA that VHCXI had been written off by the USAAF and was being
salvaged at Alice Springs.
|
20JUN44 |
In
a retrospective book-keeping exercise, the aircraft was formally taken
on charge by the USAAF under the designation C-111-LO and allocated
the serial number 44-83233. It should be noted that this serial was
never carried on the aeroplane.
|