Starting for 1933 Turkish Airlines back than Devlet Hava Yolları, set up as a domestic carrier started to plan for expand beyond the borders of Turkey, and this the story of the first plane that did it.
Built in 1942 for United Airlines (Tail Number: NC33692) but for ongoing war efforts and non-taken by airline and drafted to US Army Air Forces (Registration: 43-2027) and converted to Douglas C-53C Skytrooper. C-53 is a different warison of DC-3 main use for troop transfer with single oval entry door on the left side and the small baggage compartment door, thinner prop but on basics it’s a basic DC-3.[1] [2] Served in Air Force’s North African Wing and with end of the sold to Devlet Hava Yolları in 1947.[3]
After the war TC-ABA one of the 30 aircraft stained in Cairo, a group of Turkish Airlines officials went to Cairo to purchase DC-3s. At first aircraft were in bad shape, mostly defective which understandable after WW2, after negotiations they bought 30 DC-3 for 20.000 Dollars for its time around 30.000 Lira (For its time 1 Dollar = 1.47 Lira) and no pilots to carry the planes back to Turkey and need to refit first 5 plane came to court and after fancy hotels, gifts and city tours to American pilots they also bring rest of planes to Turkey with necessary engineers to refit the planes. With planes, committee of instructors gave education and training to Turkish pilots.[4]
TC-ABA possibly the first to arrive to Turkey with tail number of 26 and early tail numbers goes with A(X)A (Ex. ABA, ACA. ADA, AFA… all Turkish Airlines DC-3 tail numbers.). These planes served in Devlet Hava Yolları than Turkish Airlines until 1967.[5]
With positive talks with Greece Government, Devlet Hava Yolları Planed a test flight between Turkey and Greece with flight plan Ankara-İstanbul-Athens. On February 12th, 1947, test flight started from Ankara and 10 in the morning from İstanbul to Athens flight started. Flight took 2 Hours 40 minutes with success. Subsequently to flight 10 more flight tested and same year flights started to Athens on Wednesdays and return flight from Athens on Thursdays.[6]
TC-ABA continued to serve Turkish Airlines for March 29th 1966 and sold to Turkish Air Force (Registration: ETI-6006) afterwards disappeared presumptively used for parts then scraped.2 5
There are two version of this livery one from 1947. simplistic and early version 1950s Turkish Airlines livery. Other livery is from 1950s version of Turkish Airlines and both version from old photographs from time period.
There is 2 folders DHY-1 and DHY-2 in 1 main folder called DHY and there are 2 folders for each livery, copy and paste these 2 folders to community folder and hopefully that should to the trick.
This isn’t a good ending of a historic plane for Turkish aviation and after working on Icelandair DC-3 TF-ISH I can see the similarities between two planes and their stories which is saddling. But not forgotten and if you are still reading this these planes still flies in a way. hopefully you will have fun flying with these liveries.
BvN
References
[1] https://www.vintagewingsinc.com/what-is-a-c-53
[2] https://rzjets.net/aircraft/?reg=223109
[3] https://stonehengeairmuseum.org/dc-3 (Story of TC-ARA)
[4] https://archive.org/details/DndenBuggneTRkHavaYollarl19331983/page/n51/mode/1up (Page 55, Turkish)
[5] http://www.ole-nikolajsen.com/TURKISH%20FORCES%202004/civil%20DC-3%20fotos.htm
[6] https://www.havayolu101.com/2007/02/12/60-yildonumu/ (Turkish)
5 months ago
batuhanakbulut