3. Alden Air Lines Douglas Propliners Poster

When the U.S. entered World War II, Alden remanded its entire DC-2 and DC-3 fleet to the U.S. Army Air Corps and won contracts to operate military cargo flights between Texas, Mexico, and Panama. The route became known as the ‘Fruit Rouges’ route, because during the war, the airline’s pilots would fly Panamanian fruit back to the U.S. for sale. Due to the global conflict, there was no other way for Panamanian farmers to ship their food abroad.

The airline’s excellent war-time service earned it a lucrative route flying from Dallas to Buenos Aires via Havana, Balboa, Panama, Guayaquil, Lima, and Asuncion in 1946. The route was flown using surplus C-47’s and C-54’s converted for civilian/passenger use. In 1949, the route was extended to La Paz and Rio, but only the DC-4’s and new DC-6’s flew these legs. This route became the backbone of its Latin-American network.

By 1954, Alden operated over 70 aircraft - including the DC-4, DC-6, DC-6B, and DC-7 - to over 40 destinations.
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From top to bottom:
DC-4
DC-6 (early)
DC-6B
DC-7C

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Changelog:

- Changed placement of Registration and Fleet numbers on tail