North Central Airlines Douglas DC-3-G202A     N15773          (c/n  4982)

                                 

                                    As Wisconsin Central Airlines continued to expand it outgrew its original base at Clintonville, Wisconsin
                                    and moved to Wold Chamberlin Field, Minneapolis in 1952.  Obviously the title no longer fit and hence
                                    the name of the company was changed to North Central Airlines.  The mallard duck emblem (later to be
                                    dubbed "Herman, the Blue Goose") on the rear of the fuselage stuck with the company throughout its years
                                    and was, in fact, perpetuated and retained by Republic Airlines when that carrier took over NCA in 1979.
                                    More than thirty DC-3s were operated by North Central over the years, although not all at one time.
                                    N15773 above was a late model DC-3 built for TWA in 1942.  In the event the war intervened and it
                                    was immediately inducted into the USAAC as a C-47K-DO with serial number 43-1995.  After the
                                    war it went to Eastern Air Lines.  North Central acquired it in 1953.    N17312 (below) was an ex-TWA
                                    machine (this one did see service with "The Lindbergh Line" both before and after WW II).  It was one of
                                    Wisconsin Central's original aircraft and was taken on their asset register in 1950.  Both images via
                                    Leo J. Kohn.
                                    
                                       Douglas DC-3     N17312      (c/n    1922)