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- Douglas Aircraft
- R5D-3 / C-54Q Skymaster
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- 56528 R5D-3
- Douglas C/N 10854
- Side Number 5
- "Admiral's Plane"
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 - Photo from Larry Lister
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- Was originally ordered by the USAAF in 1942 as a C-54D-15-DC, USAAF Serial Number
42-72749.
- It was transferred to the US Navy as an R5D-3 BUNO 56528 on 1 Aug 1945.
- The aircraft was transferred to Operation Deep Freeze / VX-6 in Oct 1958 and was the
first aircraft to land at McMurdo Sound during the IGY
- It was redesigned as a C-54Q in 1962 and retired to Litchfield Park, AZ in Dec 1964 and
struck from the Navy record.
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- 56505 R5D-3
- Douglas C/N 10665
- Side Number 6
- "Have Gum, Will Travel"
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- Photos from the Travis AFB Historical Air Museum
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- Was originally ordered by the USAAF in 1942 as a C-54D-5-DC, USAAF Serial Number
42-72560
- It was transferred to the US Navy as an R5D-3, BUNO 56505 on 13 April 1945.
- The aircraft was transferred to Operation Deep Freeze / VX-6 in October 1958.
- In 1964 it went to NAS Glenview, IL.
- It was sold as surplus in Feb 1975.
- It was sold to Central Air Service, CA for aerial firefighting, assigned Air Tanker
number 149.
- Sold to Travis Air Museum Dec1989, on display at Travis AFB, Cal
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 - Photo from VXE-6 DE-Com CD
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 - Photo from VXE-6 DE-Com CD
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 - Photo from VXE-6 DE-Com CD
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- Photo from VXE-6 DE-Com CD
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 - Photo from Bob Nyden
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 - Photo from Bob Nyden
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 - Photo from Larry Lister
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- Email from BUZ Dryfoose, a VX-6 R5D pilot:
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000
From: BUZSAM@aol.com
Re: R5D / C-54 CO
Joe,
Thanks much for the info on 56505!!
When we got her she was rigged for Tri-Met camerawork, with two camera blisters on the
lower side aft of the wings and a chin blister forward.
We removed those after I flew her and gained almost 30 knots. If I can ever get my slide
scanner, I have some fine pictures of the old girl when we polished her in Ch Ch. At this
time(1957) we could STILL find coal dust in her tail section and bilge's. Quite a work
horse!!!!
Buz
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From: BUZSAM@aol.com
Date: Sun, 28 May 2000
Subject: R5D info - CO
Joe,
When I got to the squadron in 1957, they had two R5D's: 56528, which was the Admiral's
plane and piloted by Lcdr. Hank Hansen and 56505 piloted by myself (Lcdr. E.D.
"Buz" Dryfoose) and Lcdr. John Henning.
56528 was Number 5;
56505 was Number 6.
56505 was named Have Gum, Will Travel......a travesty on the then new TV program Have Gun,
Will Travel. The thought behind that was that we could patch it up with chewing gum and
bailing wire if we had to do so.
I don't know of any name for 56528. Both planes at the time were fitted with tri-met
camera systems for mapping. The camera fixtures on the outside of each aircraft (which
slowed them down 10 kts) were removed after the first deployment in 1957.
Both planes had been used on the Berlin Airlift by a Navy MATS squadron (either 6, 7, or
8......I don't know which) and we could still find traces of coaldust in the stringers aft
of the after bulkhead.
I have flown both planes......and they were both great aircraft. The Admiral's plane (at
one time) was rigged with a complete galley, all kinds of electronic gear for the
Admiral's benefit (even a screen to show movies......just like PanAm!). Hank Hansen had a
nickname of "The Gadget Man";.....that's what Gus Shinn still calls him.
'Hope this helps in some way.
Buz
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- BERLIN AIRLIFT HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
- http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/
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- DOUGLAS R5D SKYMASTER by Jack
McKillop
- http://www.microworks.net/pacific/aviation/r5d_skymaster.htm
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- Travis AFB Historical Air Museum
- http://public.travis.amc.af.mil/museum/c-54sky.htm
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- Associated Airtanker Pilots
- http://airtanker.com/tankers.htm
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