A few C-74s were sold on the civilian market. In March 1959, 42-65408 was bought by Akros Dynamics 'for a Cuban party'. On 22 May, ten men and a 'shapely red-headed woman co-pilot' were arrested at MIA while loading the aircraft with guns and ammunition. This photo was published the next day. The arms smugglers were anti-Castro and had ties with the Dominican Republic government. Did they also operate that F4U Corsair? The USA had recognized Castro's government and didn't support rebels yet in 1959. N8199H to Aeronaves de Panama which operated three C-74s until the fatal crash of N3182G (c/n 13915) near Marseille in 1963. Photo from: The Miami Herald

42-65414 was the only C-74 used on the Berlin Airlift, landing at Gatow for the first time on 17 August 1948, carrying 20 tons of flour. The aircraft made six round trips from Frankfurt within 24 hours on 18 September, carrying coal, but was withdrawn after only 25 trips in six weeks, being too dissimilar from the regular aircraft flow. It was then used to transport C-54 engines and parts from the USA to Germany. Photo from: Imperial War Museums

Ex USAF 42-65412. Broken up at Long Beach circa 1964/1965.

The Globemaster I strategic transport came too late for Word War II, first flying in September 1945, and only 14 examples were built. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

This really was bad timing! Ex USAAF 42-65408. Sister HP-379 (13920) suffered the same fate at Turin after the demise of the operator. Third Sister HP-385 (13915) crashed in 1963. All three were named 'Heracles' and were operated by Aeronaves de Panama.

Built in Jul-1946 and delivered 26-May-1948 as USAF 42-65404. Early 1956 it was flown into storage at Davis-Monthan AFB. In 1959 it became N3182G and end 1962 it was registered HP385. It was based in Copenhagen mainly to fly cattle to the Middle East. It crashed 09-Oct-1963 into high terrain 13km S of Marseille-Marignane airport in France after catastrophic propeller failure and an engine separating from the wing after it had taken off at night from the wrong runway.