The Douglas DC-4 could carry about 42 passengers. Its military counterpart was the C-54 Skymaster.
In 1960, the Royal Thai Air Force purchased a Douglas C-54 Skymaster from Thai Airways for VIP flight. The airplane was designated Cargo Type 3. An additional one was acquired afterwards.
Like its more famous Douglas forebear, the C-54 was a military derivative of a civilian airliner in this case the DC-4A. Designed specifically to fulfil a specification drawn up by United Air Lines for a long-range pressurised airliner, the aircraft was ordered to the tune of 6l airframes by the US operators, followed by a further buy of 7l for the USAAC - in the event, most of the civilian DC-4As were also requistioned into military service. The first production C-54 made its maiden flight on 26 March 1942, and by the following October 24 were in service with the Air Transport Command's Atlantic Wing. The A-model was introduced early in 1943, this aircraft having a cargo door, stronger floor, cargo boom hoist and larger wing tanks. The design was further modified during the remaining war years to suit different USAAF requirement, some 1242 C-54s of varying marks eventually being built. Included in this number were 183 examples for the US Navy, who opcrated them in the Pacific as R4Ds. Postwar, the C-54/R5D enjoyed a long career with both the USAF and US Navy, the final examples not being retired until the late 1960s. Ex-military aircraft also proved popular with civilian freight and fire bomber operators, and today a number of aircraft are still in employment across the globe. A handful of ex-military 'flyers' have also recently appeared within the waarbird fraternitv in the USA .
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