VH-EDB   Douglas DC-4                                    (c/n  7458)

                              

                                  Built as a C-54A-1-DO in 1944 (41-107439) this aircraft was civilianized in November 1945 for
                                  American Airlines ("Flagship America") as N90414.   Qantas acquired it in 1949 whereupon it
                                  became VH-EBN.   It was leased to Malayan Airways in 1958 for a couple of years as VR-SEA.
                                  Upon returning from the lease it resumed its Qantas career as VH-EDB, and, as "New Guinea
                                  Trader" is seen above at Mascot in January 1963 in this shot by Greg Banfield.   A new livery
                                  was adapted in 1964 and Greg's second shot, below, shows it in October of that year, now re-
                                  named "Norfolk Trader".  VH-EDA and -EDB both soldiered on until well into the jet age until
                                  1977, serving the Sydney to Norfolk Island service.  At the foot of the page is Greg's final shot
                                  taken in 1976 showing -EDB in "Jet Age" livery (with radar nose)   Like -EDA, -EDB passed to
                                  Air Express who operated them on freight services from Melbourne to Tasmania, until the company
                                  folded in 1979.   In 1980 VH-EDB was sold to Basler Flight Service ostensibly as N5581S,
                                  although, in the event, somewhere along the way it was erroneously painted up as N5581T, an
                                  identity it then retained.(VH-EDA became N5581S).    C/n 7458 was sold in Canada to Calm
                                  Air International in 1982 becoming C-GPSH.