C-54E "SPIRIT OF FREEDOM"

Manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company S/N 27370 and delivered to the Army Air Corps in March of 1945 as 44-9144. She was then part of a transfer of 25 C-54E's to the United States Navy and received a BuNo of 90414 on May 30, 1945. She then took on the designation of R5D-4.

BuNo 90414 served with various units of the US Navy, one being VR-3 and United States Marines in roles such as cargo transports, personnel transport, and finally VIP Transport. At one time she was based in Los Alamitos before being transferred to Washington DC.

In 1975 she was reported as being with the USMC HQ Flight Section at Tucson Ryan Field.

Following her retirement, she was registered N48163 for A.A.A.P. Co Inc. For what purpose, we don't know. After that she was registered N904DS.

On April 1978, she went to Canada to work for Carl Millard of Millardair, where she was registered C-GQIB. She was used to ferry auto parts between Toronto and Detroit for the next 12 years. After being sold in the early 1990's to serve in the same capacity for 2 years or so.

The Foundation purchased Douglas C-54E #27370 on Dec. 22, 1992 and began the restoration to her current state, including the creation of a Flying Museum and Memorial dedicated to the Berlin Airlift on her inside.