Kanana

Transported to Australia as deck cargo on the ship S.S. Clydebank, arriving in Port Melbourne. At the time this was the third DC-3 to be imported into Australia.

Assembled at Essendon Airport and first flown by Captain P.T.L. Taylor.

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABR and registered to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd The aircraft was named ‘Kanana’ meaning ‘quiet’. Originally configured to seat 21 passengers with a 7-window configuration, it was later converted to 28 passengers with 8 windows.

Chartered by the Australian Commonwealth Government for use by the RAAF.

Assigned RAAF serial number A30-3 and issued to no. 8 Squadron, Canberra. It operated in full camouflage markings.

Returned to Australian National Airways and entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABR.

Both propellers damaged during forced landing at Forrest, WA when both engines failed on take-off.

Involved in a wheels-up landing at Mascot Airport, Sydney.

Overshot runway and damaged on take-off from Mildura when engine failed and undercarriage collapsed, causing it to hit tree stumps. There were no injuries to the 27 passengers and crew.

Was operating daily Melbourne-Deniliquin-Griffith-Narrandera-Wagga Wagga- Sydney service, piloted by Captain Arthur G.L. Hubbard, with First Office J.C. King & Hostess Jean North-Ash.

Extensively damaged in forced landing 6km South of Browning following engine fire. Aircraft dismantled on site and trucked to Melbourne for rebuilding – pilot Capt A. Hubbard was sacked.

While on a Hobart-Melbourne flight, the propeller feathered and the starboard engine was shut down.

While on a Hobart-Melbourne flight, the propeller feathered and the starboard engine was shut down.

Registered to Ansett-ANA

Repainted into Airlines of South Australia livery at Essendon Airport, engines changed.

Rudder blown off by 727-77 VH-RME at Adelaide.

Operated its final ASA service – Adelaide-Kingscote-Adelaide (Captain J. O’Hagen). Had flown a total of 67,224 hours to date.

Ferried to Adelaide-Melbourne for storage.

Returned to service with ASA following loss of Friendship VH-FNE in a hangar fire.

Operated its final ASA service as a charter flight Adelaide-Bathurst-Griffith-Adelaide, for the Bathurst 500 car race. It was piloted by Captain Jim Evans.

Ferried to Melbourne for storage

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register. Placed in storage inside Hangar 131 at Essendon Airport.

Transported by road to Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. Placed on display outside maintenance facility in full Ansett ‘delta’ livery.

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABR. Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty. Ltd. The aircraft was operated and owned by Ansett Transport Industries/Ansett Australia. It was operated by the Ansett Historical Aircraft Society.

Utilised for special flight only. Repainted in A.N.A livery & later Ansett Airways livery. Used for occasional special ad-hoc charter flights and visits to airshows.

Utilised for special flight only. Repainted in A.N.A livery & later Ansett Airways livery. Used for occasional special ad-hoc charter flights and visits to airshows.

Ansett Australia goes into administration. Ansett Aviation Engineering Services (AAES) continues to operate for a further 5 years to care for Ansett aircraft held in storage having mandatory ongoing maintenance, and also supplies third party maintenance to other airlines.

AAES business and maintenance base acquired by John Holland Group to create John Holland Aviation Services (JHAS).

In 2008 the Ansett Australia administrator agreed to sell Kanana to the R.M. Ansett Historical Aircraft Society. However, it would not allow the use of the name Ansett in the society name. The society was renamed Kanana Historical Aircraft Society the transfer of ownership was completed.

Kanana featured in Episode 3 of ‘The Pacific’ television series. Kanana Historical Aircraft Society changed its name again to R.M. Ansett Historical Aircraft Society for financial reasons.

Aircraft badly damaged in accidental discharge of hangar fire suppressant cannons at JHAS maintenance facility.

Little Group take over JHAS maintenance base to create Melbourne Aviation Precinct (MAP).

Work underway to transfer ownership of Kanana from Ansett Historical Society to Little Group, which will in conjunction with MAP oversee an extensive overhaul program for the DC-3.

Engine overhaul is completed by Anderson Automotive, Idaho, USA and then shipped back to Australia.

Throughout November several major milestones were achieved in the restoration of Kanana, these were: elevators, rudder and ailerons installed and rigged, oil tanks installed and plumbed into the system, landing gear actuators installed and flight instruments installed.

Kanana’s engines are fired up for the first time since 2004.

Certificate of airworthiness is granted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

A historic moment for Kanana and for Australian aviation histroy. The Douglas DC-3 takes to the air for the first time in 9 years and nearly 80 years after it was built. Now meeting modern aviation standards, it’s expected that Kanana will be used for private and charity events and air shows.

Kanana moves into a new home at Melbourne Jet Base where it has its own a purpose built hangar.

Kanana takes to the air at the Lilydale Air Show