RAWTAG #27: DOUGLAS C47. G-ALYF.

Description

The C47/DC-3 needs no introduction being one of the world’s most successful aircraft, with more than 10,000 built.
Instead, let’s consider the history of G-ALYF from which these tags were produced.
She was built with construction number 19350 and delivered to the USAAF as 42-100887 in December 1943. Supplied to the Eighth Air Force on 21 February 1944, the C47 was ferried to the UK and transferred to the Ninth Air Force. This was possibly in October 1944 when the Ninth took over the Mighty Eighth’s tactical transport aircraft. The C47 was then transferred to the RAF as TS424, part of a batch of 12 Dakota 3s, mostly destined for the heavy glider support unit. These aircraft were fitted with the necessary hardware to perform ‘glider snatch’ operations. After her time with the military she was released from the RAF in December 1948 when she is recorded as passing to Scottish Aviation Ltd whom specialised in civilianisation of ex-air force aircraft. Many Dakotas were acquired at very good prices enabling Scottish Aviation to offer civil spec aircraft at £10,500 for freighters, £15,500 for standard passenger aircraft and £30,000 for executive models. BEA purchased G-ALYF in August 1950, she was named ‘RMA Pionair’. In 1961 she was passed to Westpoint airline where she operated on a variety of routes and charters. In October 1967 she flew her final flight to Prestwick, Scotland. Soon after she was stripped of spares and became a fire dump hulk in Glasgow.
The blue paint on the top layer of these tags was applied by the airport fire section. Some tags have layers of paint showing the history of this hard-worked aircraft coming through.
These are superb tags presented in a fine deluxe box complete with art cards showing her in service and ending her days as a fire dump hulk.