Delivered March 10-Nov-39;



Aircraft had been modified to C model standards by replacing waist side blisters with flush windows, radio operator’s top blister replaced with a flush window, ventral blister replaced with a “bathtub” turret. Aircraft received some modifications to D model standards as evidenced by the cheek gun ball sockets in the nose side windows. The camera dynamotor suggests that the electrical system was not upgraded to 24 Volts.



Aircraft was modified at Cheyenne United Airlines Modification Center in March 1942. It had 6 Fairchild K-17 cameras fitted in the Bombardier/Navigator compartment in the nose. A magazine rack to hold 24 type A-5A film magazines was built into the instrument panel bulkhead an another to hold 12 more was added just aft of bulkhead 8. Long range fuel tanks were added in the bomb bay, 2 more of the same tanks were installed in the radio operator's compartment. 2 more fuel tanks similar to those used to ferry/deliver DC-3 to distant customers were installed just aft of the radio operator's compartment and the “bathtub” turret beneath them was removed. A fuel tank was added behind the copilot's seat and most likely the pilot's. The de-icing tank was moved from under the radio operator's compartment floor to the aft bomb bay bulkhead. The drift sight was moved to the right of the bomb sight. The navigator manned the bombardier's seat. The "football" part of the Norden Bomb Sight was removed but the rest of the C-1 autopilot system was retained. About 2 feet of bombardier's floor was removed to accommodate the extra cameras. A camera operator sat in a folding chair attached to the rails for the rear row of cameras. (Thank you to Dana Bell who found the pictures of these details in the National Archives in College Park, MD.)



Assigned ATC, W Palm Beach 24-Mar-42; with Lovell Stuber crash landed 100 miles South of Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico 9-Apr-42, Written off 24-Apr-42. Missing Air Crew Report 15642. 6 Killed. Not in combat, never served in the UK.

Airmen who perished on this flight:

Crenshaw, Fletcher M ~ T/Sgt, Maryland (Passenger)

Haney, Floyd B ~ Capt, D.C. (Passenger)

Stockton, Lorain Hamilton ~ 1st Lt, Indiana (Co-Pilot)

Stuber, Lovell Swain ~ Capt, Kansas (Pilot)

Tucker, Raymond F ~ M/Sgt, Kansas (Engineer)

White, Robert Cooley ~ 1st Lt, D.C. (Navigator)



Aircraft was en-route to participate in Operation Rusty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rusty