This aircraft was part of an original order for 20 airframes placed by Western Airlines but was not taken up

Convair offered these aircraft to other interested airlines providing they accepted the Western specifications

Trans-Australia Airlines agreed to purchase five of these aircraft for $US 260,000

This aircraft was constructed at the San Diego plant

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TAO - March 24, 1948

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Construction completed - December 21, 1948

Departed San Diego on the delivery flight to Australia - December 30, 1948

Delivery route: San Diego - Tulsa - Chicago - Montreal - Goose Bay - Narssaq - Keflavik - London -

thence via the Kangaroo Route to Australia

It sustained major damage when the undercarriage collapsed at Keflavik - January 01, 1949

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - July 03, 1949

Originally named 'George Bass' butit was later changed to 'Abel Tasman' and then 'John Fawkner'

Operated its first revenue service - July 03, 1949

Withdrawn from service and stored at Melbourne (Essendon) pending its sale - July 10, 1959

Sold to Beldex Corporation - November 25, 1959

Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to the United States - November 25, 1959

It arrived at Pompano Beach on completion of the ferry flight - December 6, 1959

Ferry route: Melbourne - Alice Springs - Darwin - Djakarta - Bangkok - Calcutta - Karachi- Bahrain - Khartoum -

Fort Lamy - Accra - Ascension Island - Natal - Belem - Port of Spain - Kingston - Miami - Pompano Beach

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 07, 1959

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N9313R - ?

Sold to Fairbanks-Whitney and then to Remmert Werner

Reregistered as N18M - ?

Sold to Monsanto Chemical Company - June 1962

Reregistered as N2008 - ?

Sold to General Dynamics for conversion to CV-600 standard - January 1965

Reregistered as N331G - ?

Sold to Thunderbird Airways (Flying T) - February 02, 1967

Sold to East Coast Leasing for East Coast Flying Services - October 1967

Reregistered as N278E - ?

It was badly damaged as a result of an arson attack at Martinsburg, West Virginia - August 22, 1968

Purchased by Ross S. Lipscomb, Leesburg, VA - September 1968

Scrapped at Dupage County Airport, Ilinois - September 1968

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the original livery at an unknown location, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-088.)

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1029-084.)

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1029-083.)

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the revised livery at Canberra Airport, date unknown.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1029-034.)

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'George Bass' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-032.)

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Abel Tasman' in the revised livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-019.)

VH-TAO. Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Abel Tasman' in the revised livery at Canberra Airport, August 1957.

(B. Colledge Copyright Image 1029-077.)

N278E. East Coast Flying Service - in the basic livery at an unknown airport, June 1968.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-160.)