01/22/2007. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This Lodestar was one of four purchased by United Air Lines for use on their Pacific coast network; it was delivered to United on August 21, 1940. United named the type "Speedliner".

The aircraft was drafted (conscripted) by the USAAF on May 8, 1941 and converted to a Model 18-08 by replacing the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3G engines with P&W R1830-SC3G engines and was redesignated C-56D-LO, s/n 42-53607.

It was transferred to the Royal Air Force under Lend-Lease and flown to Accra, Gold Coast in West Africa by Pan American Air Ferries on July 25, 1941 and handed over to the RAF which designated it Lodestar Mk.I and assigned it s/n AX763. It was officially transferred on September 25, 1941. It was immediately transferred to the British Overseas Airways Corp. (BOAC) who registered it G-AGCZ and named it 'Lake Stephanie.' The aircraft was used by RAF No. 117 Squadron for a VIP trip to Teheran, Iran, on December 9, 1941. This aircraft crashed on landing near Tobruk, Libya, on December 22, 1941 and was struck off charge on February 23, 1942."