de Havilland DH-37
Aircraft identifier is G-AUAA, c/n 105.
G-AUAA had the privilege of having the very first registration no in the Australia series (G-AU) issued by ICAN in 1919. This particular aircraft was purchased by the Australian CAB in 1924. In Aug 1926, it made the longest one-day flight in Australia at that time - covering 1150 miles, from Longreach, Queensland, to Melbourne. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair in a sea landing on 25th Mar 1932.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Civil Aircraft Register - Australia
2. The Civil Aviation Historical Society & Airways Museum, Australia
3. The Civil Aviation Historical Society & Airways Museum, Australia
G-AUAA, at Geelong Air Service hangar, photographed by Charlie Pratt.
Source : The Civil Aviation Historical Society & Airways Museum, Australia
Junkers G 31
Aircraft identifier is VH-UOV, c/n 3012.
Built in 1929, and purchased by the Bulolo Gold Dredging Company. This aircraft was named "Bulolo 2 Peter". It was based at Lae Airport, and was used to transport dredge parts, equipment and supplies to support the company's gold mining operations. On 21 Jan 1942, five A6M Zeros strafed this airport and destroyed this aircraft.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
VH-UOV being unloaded by crane at Bulwa Airfield. Photo is subject to copyright (permission to use requested from Pacific Wrecks).
Source : Pacific Wrecks
Junkers F 13
Aircraft identifier is VH-UTM.
The aircraft depicted on the stamp is the Junkers F 13, but all records for VH-UTM seem to indicate that this registration belonged to a GAL ST.12 Monospar. No photos of this particular aircraft exist to verify this discrepancy.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Civil Aircraft Register - Australia
2. Aircraft identification numbers from the National Archives of Australia.
de Havilland DH-50
Aircraft identifier is A8-1, c/n 134.
Delivered in April 1926 to the RAAF authorities. In Sep 1926 this aircraft was the one in which the then Group Captain Richard Williams of the RAAF alongwith Flt/Lt McIntyre and F/Sgt Trist did a 10000-mile survey of New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
A short 9-min flight available on the Australian War Memorial website presents a fascinating view of part of the journey from their point of view.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Australian & New Zealand Military Aircraft Serials & History
2. Australian War Memorial website.
Source : Australian & New Zealand Military Aircraft Serials & History
Source : Australian & New Zealand Military Aircraft Serials & History
Group Captain Williams (right) with Flight Lieutenant McIntyre (left) and an RAAF mechanic (centre) on their Pacific Islands flight in 1926.
Source : Wikipedia entry for Richard Williams.
Klemm Kl 25
Aircraft identifier is VH-UUR, c/n 796.
This aircraft was built in 1933 in Germany, and operated in New Guinea from 1935 with the Alexishafen Catholic Mission. It continued operating through the war, having some adventures and a skirmish with an A6M Zero. After the war, it changed hands a couple of times, and thanks to its last owner, is still in flying condition. It is one of the oldest humanitarian aircraft still in flying condition.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
2. Pilot's Post - online aviation magazine from South Africa.
Source : Airhistory.net
More photos of the same aircraft at the Airhistory.net page for this aircraft.
Source : Pilot's Post - online aviation magazine from South Africa
Junkers F 13
Aircraft identifier is SE-AEC, VH-UTS, c/n 2074.
This aircraft was built around July 1930, and was initially registered in the UK before registration in Sweden as SE-AEC. In 1935 it was sold to the Lutheran Mission in New Guinea, and was registered in Australia as VH-UTS, nicknamed "Papua". An interesting story concerning the two German pilots of this aircraft who abandoned it in Dutch New Guinea in September 1939 is at this site.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
Couldn't find any photos of this aicraft as SE-AEC.
Avro 618 Ten
Aircraft identifier is VH-UXX, c/n 231/1A manufactured by A V Roe & Co.
This was originally VH-UMI named Southern Moon. This aircraft was purchased by one of the principals of the Australian National Airways, modified, and re-registered as VH-UXX with the name of Faith in Australia. In Dec 1933, this aircraft carried the first airmail from Australia to New Zealand, and also the first women to fly across the Tasman Sea. It was abandoned in 1942 during the war.
The same aircraft is also depicted in some Australia stamps.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Australia's Civil Aviation Historical Society & Aviation Museum website.
Refueling at New Plymouth, New Zealand, in Dec 1933.
Source : Australia's Civil Aviation Historical Society & Aviation Museum website.
The "Faith in Australia" and "Southern Cross" leaving Mascot airport, Sydney, sometime in 1935.
Source : From the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences.
Arriving into Sydney, 28th Oct 1933.
Source : From Trove, an online collection curated by the National Library of Australia.
de Havilland DH-86 Express
Aircraft identifier is VH-UYU, c/n 2359.
This aircraft, named the "Carmania", was operated by W R Carpenter Airlines in Australia. It was assembled at Mascot airport, Sydney in November 1939. It operated the Sydney-Salamaua-Rabaul route until 1941, when it was taken on RAAF charge as an Air Ambulance operating in Egypt. It was destroyed by enemy attack in November 1941 and written off.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Geoff Goodall's Aviation History website.
RMA Carmania refuels at Archerfield, Brisbane on W.R.Carpenter Airlines' long air mail route Sydney-Rabaul.
Source : Geoff Goodall's Aviation History website.
Westland Widgeon
Aircraft identifier is VH-UGI, c/n WA1681.
Aircraft was built imported into Australia in 1927. Had an initial registration of G-AUGI, which changed to VH-UGI when the Australian registration system changed. It was struck off the register in 1947, and languished for the next 40 years until an extensive restoration to airworthy condition. It is based at Richard "Dick" Smith's farm near Canberra, and is reputed to be the only Widgeon in flying condition.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Civil Aircraft Register - Australia.
2. Ed Coates Civil Aircraft Photograph Collection.
3. Civil Aviation Historical Society & Airways Museum page on Facebook.
The VH-UGI around the time it was imported into Australia.
Source : Ed Coates Civil Aircraft Photograph Collection.
Photograph taken in 2019 at an antique aeroplane event.
Source : Airhistory.net website. Photograph under copyright.
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Aircraft identifier is NC-777, later G-AGBJ, c/n C-3 (built by Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, USA).
This famous Catalina aircraft - named Guba - was used by Dr Richard Archbold for his groundbreaking natural history expeditions around Guinea in 197-39. It was also used for a survey flight from Australia to Africa in 1939. The same year, it would return to the US, and thereby complete the first round-the-world flight by a seaplane. It was damaged by gale wings while moored in North Wales in 1945, and was scuttled at sea.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Geoff Goodall's Aviation History website.
2. Travel for Aircraft blog.
3. Pacific Wrecks.
Fokker F28 Fellowship
Aircraft identifier is P2-ANE. Serial no 11264, type F28-100, first flight 28-Mar-1990.
Currently active aircraft (as on March 2021) with Air Niugini. Can be tracked on Flightradar in real time.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Airfleets.net.
2. Flightradar24 page for P2-ANE.
Cessna 170
Aircraft identifier is VH-BUX. Serial no 26854, YoM 1955.
VH-BUX, a Cessna 170B, started life in 1955 as MAF’s first Cessna in PNG, then spent three decades as a tailwheel trainer, and 56 years on is still owned and operated by MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) enthusiasts in Victoria. As of March 2021, aircraft is still believed to be in flying condition.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Regosearch website.
2. Australian Flying magazine website.
Auster Autocar
Aircraft identifier is VH-KAN, c/n 2919.
This was the first aircraft of the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), which was an air service started by Australian war veterans after WW2. Unfortunately, this aircraft had a short life, as it and its veteran experienced pilot Harry Hartwig failed to return from a trip on 6th Aug 1951, barely three months after its inaugural flight for the MAF on 7th May 1951.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Aviation Safety Network website.
2. Australian Flying magazine website.
Cessna 206
Aircraft identifier is P2-MDC.
Not much info available online. Probably still in active flying condition (March 2021).
DHC-6 Twin Otter
Aircraft identifier is P2-MFB.
No info available.
GippsAero GA8 Airvan
Aircraft identifier is P2-MFJ.
No info available.
Photo under copyright.
Source : Wordpress blog site (warning - site content is religious in nature).
