DC-3 displays and re-enactments
The various RI-001s (and others) has intrigued me for a while. Here is what I got:
Over the years there have been a number of DC-3s with the registration RI-001 in Indonesia, either in a flying condition or as a display.
The original RI-001 was c/n 26903, ex VR-HEC. It went to the AURI in August 1950 but it is not known what serial it received in AURI service.
From January 1994 to September 2001 an AURI aircraft, AF-4775 was flown as RI-001. This aircraft had former identities 45-0965, NZ3557, VH-MMO, ZK-AOH, PK-VTM and PK-NDG. It has been suggested that this aircraft operated at one stage from Pondok Cabe and was later located at Halim. Its current status is not known.
The RI-001 on display at the TNI Satriamandala museum in Jakarta was formerly PK-GDZ (as is seen from the underwing markings) which was originally ML-KNIL DT-991 and was also registered, at some time as PK-RCI, PK-DPK and AURI’s T-491. Its c/n was 12514.
The RI-001 on display at the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah site in Jakarta has not been identified. This aircraft is, however, marked ‘Indonesia Airways’, rather than ‘Indonesian Airways’.
A RI-001 has been reported in display in Bandar Aceh. Its identity is not known.
Some reference source has suggested that there was a RI-001 on display in Padang. Based on reports there was no such aircraft on display in 2006.
In addition a TNI-AU aircraft was used in a re-enactment of the para drop executed with RI-002 over Kotawaringi in June 1948. It has been suggested that this aircraft was c/n 9281 which was originally ML-KNIL DT-951, then PK-REE, PL-GDA, PK-NDK and PK-VTM, ie it was never a TNI-AU aircraft. However, it may also have been TNI-AU AF-4776 which was c/n 13344, 42-93433, DT-943, T-443 and PK-RDM.
The TNI-AU museum in Yogyakarta displays a C-47 with serial T-462 but a marking i/n the cockpit reads that this aircraft was in fact T-474.