USAF History
51-16551 was made available on 25-Aug-1952 and accepted on 27-Aug-1952 by the 6600th Air Depot AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit), at Downsview, Ontario after which it was delivered to the Tactical Air Command at Sewart AFB., TN., where it was allocated to the 314th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 05-Sep-1952. After just three days it moved across the base to join the 5th Liaison Squadron before returning to the 314th on 10-Mar-1953. The aircraft was then assigned to the Air University at Maxwell AFB, Alabama attached to the 3800th Air Base Wing until 12-Aug-1954 after which it returned again to the 314th TCM Wing until 03-Jan-1956 and, staying with the TAC, moved to Pope AFB, North Carolina and was allocated to the 464th Medium Troop Carrier (TCM) Wing where it remained until 28-May-1957.
A change in assignment now found it moving north to join the Alaska Air Command and the 5039th Air Base Wing at Elmendorf AFB which was later re designated as the 5040th with the aircraft attached to the Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Group (CLM) until 11-Feb-1958. It now moved to the 14th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Burlington, VT., remaining until 12-Mar-1959 when it passed to the St. Pauls Minneapolis Air Material Command Unit for maintenance where it remained until 31-Jul-1979. It returned to Burlington for some ten days before moving on. The next move was to Fort Lee, Byrd Airport, Richmond, VA., joining the 4638th Support Squadron, part of the Air Defence Command and a SAGE / NORAD unit and assigned to the Washington Air Defence Sector (WADS). The aircraft’s record card shows it at this location in May 1960. Its further USAF history is still to be researched.
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