Malayan Airways DC-3
 

Hi Chaps,
Can anybody tell me please the date Malayan Airways got their first DC-3?
I can only guess it was between Aug and Dec 1947.
I know they had three Airspeed Consols up to late 1947; the first service operated by a Consol on the 1st May 1947.
The original registration was G-AIKY, and was delivered on the 9th March 1947, and later re-registered as VR-SCD in mid April 1947.
Two more Consuls were acquired thereafter but their service was short lived. VR-SCE crash landed on a road at Tronob - later written off at the end of 1947. The other one was VR-SCF which was sold to Air France in late 1947. So in between lies the answer!
Many thanks in advance:ok: .
Cheers
TG

According to www.berlin-spotter.de/airlines/sia.htm Malayan Airways received their initial batch of three DC-3s in November, 1947. In 1949, a further three DC-3s were added to the fleet.

postcard: http://www.postcardpost.com/ap725.jpg

Thank You
 

Thank you very much evansb:D

That's the sort of definitive answer I required........... cheers:ok:

ATB

TG

PS: Can you please check that Berlin-Spotter link......... she no worky!

try http://www.berlin-spotter.de/

Cheers! :)

Ahhh!
 

Ahhh!
You have me at a disadvantage........ my German is not up to much I'm afraid:O .

Can you direct me please to the section where it amplifies the DC-3 query:ok:

Cheers

TG

Malayan Airways DC3
 

Nice to see someone else has an interest in Malayan Airways DC3's. I have always had an interest in their fleet of DC3's, which probably is as a result of childhood memories flying on their DC3's when I was growing up in Malaya in the 50's. I particularly remember them at Kuantan Airport. I am currently building a Nick Zirolli DC3 to 1/5 scale, and yes I intend to finish it in Malayan Airways colours. I obtained several photos of their DC3's some four years ago from a guy based in England who runs a business dealing in old photographs of aircraft, at the moment I cannot recall his particulars, but he is on the web.

chris keeping:
I'm also interested in Malayan Airways DC3s (flew them for 10 happy years). Unfortunately one does not hear very much about this pioneer company that is both mother and father of Singapore Airlines. If you are into detail for your model then you may care to consider the following:
(1) Between 1955 and 1965 Malayan Airways had eleven (11) DC3s on line. They were VR-SCG, VR-SCC, VR-SDD, VR-SCQ, VR-SCM, VR-SCW, VR-SCR, VR-SCP, VR-SDH, VR-SCN, VR-SCO. Each aircraft was named after a bird and the name corresponded with the last letter of the registration. It was written on both sides of the nose at the rear mid-point of the pilot's sliding window more or less behind each pilot's head. (I can only remember VR-SDD which was "Drake" and VR-SDH "Heron". I think VR-SCO was "Osprey").
(2) Rudder fabric was grey as opposed to the fin which was white.
(3) The tiger's head had exactly eight (8) whiskers all shown as black dots on the tiger's upper lip.
(4) The union jack was on all aircraft directly above the registration on the fin.
(5) The registration mark was also written in large letters on the upper surface of the right wing.
(6) Max take off weights were written (block printed) on the left side of the fuselage just ahead of the tailplane leading edge as "passenger 27,000 lbs" "cargo 29,000 lbs".
(7) The tiger's head had a five pointed star located within the MAL logo.
(8) The propellers were paddle blades (not toothpicks) with yellow tips but the yellow was darker than the yellow stripe along the fuselage.
If there is anything else you would like to know such as the names of the crews including the girls then send me a private message. I don't mind in the least recalling what I consider to be halcyon days.
828a

Malayan Airways DC3s
 

Thanks for that info 82A. I have just sent you a private message.

When was the DC-3 'on-line'?
 

Hi 828a,

Many thanks for the additional 'gen':ok:

Can you tell me please, the date of the first passenger flights with the DC-3 on the line?

Captain Arthur Larkman's book "Chance Encounters" does not give the dates.

Cheers

TG

Tartan Giant:
I'm sorry to say I can't tell you the date of the first DC3 passenger flight online as I joined in 1955 (as a very very junior inexperienced first officer) and the DC3 operation was well established by then. Also I can't identify the crew in the photograph as it is pre 1955. The uniform style is the give away. I am sending a copy of the photograph to an old timer who was there before me and he remembers that uniform so it will be interesting to see what he says.
Captain Arthur Larkman left Malayan Airways at the same time as I joined so I can't claim to have known him. However I remember many of the captains speaking very highly of him and I wish I had known him. I particularly would like to get his book "Chance Encounters" (which I did not know about) and have checked through both Amazon Books and Abe Books and they don't have it. Could you tell me of any other second hand booksellers in the UK especially who might have a copy. Did you know there is one other book in circulation that speaks of Malayan Airways. It is "Luck is No Accident" by Captain Colin King who also flew DC3s there in 1960s. There is a chapter in the book devoted to Malayan Airways operations and it makes for very interesting reading.
Regards
828a

Thanks anyway
 

Hi 828a
Thanks for the reply.......... you were there at a splendid time egh!
Pity you missed Arthur though...... lovely fellow. Arthur's book only came out this year just after he passed away.
If you go to this website: http://www.danair.org/ and scroll down the Home Page page you come to two books......... click on Arthur's book (left hand one) and that will take you to the "Shop". £19.95 + P&P. Fill in the bits and they will post it on. I bought a copy and it's superb; very interesting photos of the time. You will be taken right back!!
I did know of that other wonderful book:ok: Thanks so very much.
Cheers
TG

Malayan Airways seem to have had 13 DC-3s overall. Many got re-registered, often more than once, as the country moved into independence and Singapore split away, so a bit complex.

20792 VR-SCB ex-USAF Mar47. Sold in India Dec47, probably to standardise on ex-RAF models
20763 VR-SCC "Curlew". Ex-Cathay Pacific Apr51. Sold by MSA to Lao Air Charter Jul68
12006 VR-SCG "Gull". Ex-Sivewright Apr51. Crashed in Sarawak 30Jan67 in MSA service
19569 VR-SCM "Martin". Ex-RAF Aug47. Sold by MSA to Khmer Jun71
12209 VR-SCN "Nightingale". Ex-RAF Aug47. Sold to Shell Pertamina Mar59
13366 VR-SCO "Osprey". Ex-RAF Aug47. Sold by MSA in Indonesia 1968.
12433 VR-SCP "Plover". Ex-Silver City Oct47. Sold by MSA to Air Indonesia Sep68
13729 VR-SCQ "Quail". Ex-RAF Mar48. Sold by MSA to Lao Air Charter Mar67
9189 VR-SCR "Robin". Ex-BOAC Aug48. Sold to Siam Apr61
13384 VR-SCW "Widgeon". Ex-RAF Jul49. Sold by MSA to Khmer 1969
33423 VR-SDD "Drake". Ex-Crewsair Apr51. Sold to Gulf Avn Apr61
26867 VR-SDH "Hawk". Ex-RAF Jan52. Sold in Indonesia Dec59
26237 VR-SEI. Ex-RAF Mar61. Sold by MSA to Khmer 1971

Most of this info from Air Britain's "The Douglas DC-3" by JWG Gradidge, published 1984. I've put the birdie names on as well for those who remember them (they look surprisingly British).

Nearly 25 years of service, obviously gave good value for money.

Several of the ex-RAF ones were long-time South East Asia residents. My father flew them in Burma in 1944-5 so some of you guys probably were handling the same throttles.

Just thought you might appreciate this as well.

Malayan Airways timetable July 1949. All flights departed from Singapore (times shown are there) and on DC3

0700 Mon - Bangkok. Returns 1900.
0700 Wed - Kota Bahru, Saigon. Returns 1815.
0700 TueFriSun - KL, Kuantan, Kota Bahru, Penang. Returns 1820.
0730 Daily - KL, Ipoh, Taiping, Penang. Returns 1800
0800 Mon - Kuching, Labuan, Jesselton. Night stop, returns 1530 on Tue.
0800 Fri - Batavia. Returns 1730.
0800 Tue - Palembang, Batavia. Returns 1815.
0830 ThuSat - Penang, Medan. Returns 1730.
0830 Fri - Palembang. Returns 1300.
0915 Wed - Penang, Bangkok. Night stop, returns 1615 on Thu.
1430 Daily - KL, Ipoh, Penang. Returns 1155. Based upcountry at Penang.

Seems to need at least 5 DC-3s to maintain the service. There were 7 in the fleet at this time. What nice days' flying !

Terrific stuff
 

Hi WHBM
What terrific data............ many thanks for your time and trouble relaying the gen :D
Take care
TG

WHBM:
You are correct in saying there were actually a total of thirteen DC3s in the Malayan Airways fleet. Thanks for listing all the bird names, just reading them brought it all back just as if it was yesterday. Have you read "The Moonlight War" by Terence O'Brien? Considering your father flew DC3s in Burma then you will find it very interesting. It is an account of a DC3 squadron engaged in clandestine operations dropping spies and their supplies into Japanese occupied Burma, Inodochina and Malaya. They operated from bases in Eastern India and the author was in charge of flyhing operations. His nuts and bolts description of what they had to do at night (hence the name moonlight war) makes great reading. I highly recommend it and perhaps your father gets a mention. Thanks also for putting up the Malayan Airways timetable. I loved that word Batavia. Do you have any later timetables say about 1958-60? Also would your source of information stretch to something about Borneo Airways. It was Malayan Airways policy to send some of their DC3 first officers to fly DH-89A Rapides with their offshoot company Borneo Airways which was based in Labuan. I did six months of this in 1957 and I often wondered what happened to those Rapides that I used to fly around British North Borneo. There was only three of them registered VR-OAC VR-OAA and VR-OAB. They (the aircrafts) were marked as Malayan Airways but the company was called Borneo Airways so if they are listed in any records it could be with either organisation. Thanks in advance as anything found would be much appreciated. Regards.
Tartan Giant:
Many thanks for the info re Captain Arthur Larkman's book. I have been in touch (by email) with the Dan Air shop and they are processing my request. I consider it as giving myself a Christmas present. When I was stationed in Labuan Borneo (mentioned to WHBM)! I remember seeing York freighters transiting there to refuel on their way to and from the rocket range in Woomera Australia. At the time I thought them some sort of monster with their oil stains and their noisy crackling engines but I also thought they must have been exciting to fly. I think those Yorks belonged to Dan Air but I'm not sure and if so Arthur Larkman would have been flying them. Thinking about why his book is entitled "Chance Encounters" reminded me of an axiom that says "splendid people are where you find them". I'm sure you agree with that.
Regards
828a

Same task indeed. They were in Eastern India initially (Gauhati) then moved on across Burma. They did get to Saigon but I think that was after the war ended.

Father worked all his career in Barclays Bank in various British cities, except that when WW2 came along he was just told "you will join the RAF". One tour on Halifax bombers from Topcliffe, Yorkshire, then reassigned to the Far East on Daks (fortunately, as all his fellow crew who did a second Halifax tour were lost and I would not be here). After the war, back to the bank, what a comedown, the RAF was undoubtedly the highlight of his life, and as a small child he would tell me sufficient about the trips that even today I could probably fly my weekends-only PA-28 from Rangoon to Mandalay without charts ! He had, as many aircrew had, a "lucky charm", in his case an 1870 US silver dollar that had come through the bank one day. It's still in my flight bag.

I'll dig the stuff out. Best I have is a summer 1956. Putting it together will make a pleasant diversion from sweeping up the autumn leaves (don't tell Mrs WHBM :) )

Certainly Dan-Air were on this run with Yorks (as were many others). It seems to have been about a fortnight round trip.

Malayan Airways DC3
 

What a fascinating thread this is, about Malayan Airways. I guess we have to thank 'Tartan Giant' for kicking it all off!

Tartan Giant:
On the subject of Yorks as mentioned to you before this I seem to remember a York freighter disappeared between Calcutta and Rangoon around 1958. I can't recall if this freighter was ever found and would be interested to know if it was one of Dan Air's aircraft. Regards
WHBM:
Interesting to read of your father's account of his war on Halifax bombers followed by DC3s. He was indeed lucky to have been posted to that DC3 squadron in the Far East. One of the old timer Malayan Airways captains who was a close friend of mine did a tour or two on bombing operations over Germany and he told me the biggest hazard over the target was being hit by bombs from his squadron mates who would intentionally climb above the allocated bombing height so that they (the squadron mates) would not be hit by any falling bombs. Your father's "lucky" silver dollar is familiar stuff as lots of pilots carried all sorts of talismans which seemed to work. Regards
Chris Keeping:
I have been thinking about the rudder on your model DC3 which is fabric covered and realised I forgot to mention to you that the ailerons and the elevators are also fabric covered. This means that the Malayan Airways aircraft had all three of these control surfaces the same colour. Those three chaps you mentioned in the PM are known to me. Regards
828a

Malayan Airways August 1956
 

As promised some notes from the Malayan Airways timetable for 1956, which includes not only the DC-3 services but also the Rapides in Borneo which 828a was operating. They are shown as an integral part of the service, with Malayan Airways flight numbers. And as you might expect, the service has filled out quite a bit since 1949. It’s all a bit complex so I’ll just do one day of the week. I’ve chosen Thursday

Rapides first. 3 aircraft.


Labuan 0620 ML618
Anduki 0730
Lutong 0805
Sibu 1040
Sibu 1235 ML619
Lutong 1510
Anduki 1545
Labuan 1655

Labuan 0700 ML614
Anduki 0810
Anduki 0825 ML615
Labuan 0935
Labuan 1430 ML616
Anduki 1540
Anduki 1555 ML617
Labuan 1705

Jesselton 0830 ML608
Ranau 0900
Ranau 0920 ML 609
Jesselton 0950
Jesselton 1010 ML604
Ranau 1040
Ranau 1100 ML605
Jesselton 1130
Jesselton 1150 ML611
Keningau 1240
Labuan 1320

A Rapide also flew 3 days a week Sandakan to Tawau, which doesn’t seem to have been linked to the other services. The whole schedule would seem to be a bit of a challenge if there were only 3 Rapides in the fleet, were there more than this ?

DC-3s :

[see posts below]



I’ll also put a scan of the whole timetable on a pdf when I get into my office, if anyone would like one PM me.

For further reading on Far East flying I can recommend “Beyond the Blue Horizon” by Alexander Frater. Published about 20 years ago, well-known journalist Frater got hold of an account from the first Imperial Airways flight from London to Australia in the 1930s, then retraced all the steps in the 1980s on commercial flights, and wrote a whole book about it. Absolutely fascinating, in all my somewhat large aviation book library I have to say it’s my favourite. Out of print but you will find it on Amazon or in secondhand book shops.

Malayan Airways DC3
 

828a, don't know if you are aware of this websire, but it may be of interest to you; http://www.cathayclassics.co.uk. Chris Keeping