VH-SMM. Lockheed 414-56 Hudson IIIA c/n 6464.
Was also registered as: A16-199; VH-AGJ.
This aircraft was built as a Lockheed 414-56 Hudson Mk IIIA / A-29 It was allocated United States serial number '41-36975' Transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force under the lend / lease scheme Delivered to R.A.A.F. No. 1 Aircraft Depot, Laverton - April 02, 1942 Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A16-199 Issued to 13 Squadron - June 30, 1942 Received at 5 Aircraft Depot - October 22, 1942 Issued to 13 Squadron - November 30, 1942 Issued to 2 Squadron - April 04, 1943 Issued to 3 Communications Unit for use by the Radiophysics Laboratory - April 16, 1943 Received at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond - August 29, 1944 Withdrawn from use and stored by 2 AD - November 16, 1945 It was deemed to be surplus to requirements and sold to Macquarie Grove Flying School - September 24, 1947 The sale price was quoted as being 150 Pounds The purchase price was 1,500 Australian Pounds Accepted by Macquarie Grove Flying School at Richmond - December 01, 1947 The application to register the aircraft was made by John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney - October 06, 1950 The aircraft was modified to enable the delivery of newspapers to country regions via an 'air drop' Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SMM - December 18, 1950 Registered to John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney Registered to Herald Flying Services, Sydney - August 10, 1951 Withdrawn from service and stored - May 27, 1952 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 02, 1953 The application to register the aircraft was made by John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney - September 21, 1954 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SMM - October 12, 1954 Leased to Brown & Dureau Ltd for aerial survey work - October 16, 1954 Modified by Brown & Dureau at Moorabbin Airport for aerial survey work This included the installation of an oxygen system for crew, camera hatch and a camera mount near the rear door Extra perspex windows fitted in the nose section and P&W R-1830-90B engines fitted Modifications were signed off - March 02, 1956 Leased to East-West Airlines Pty Ltd, Tamworth - 1957 Returned to John Fairfax & Sons at end of lease - 1958 Leased to Adastra Aerial Surveys Pty Ltd, Sydney - 1959 Registered to Sepal Pty Ltd, Mascot - June 24, 1966 Reregistered as VH-AGJ - December 14, 1966 The aircraft was repainted into the grey-orange livery - 1969 Registered to Adastra Aerial Surverys Pty Ltd, Mascot - October 24, 1969 Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - 1971 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 01, 1972 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AGJ - April 11, 1973 Registered to Adastra Aerial Surveys, Sydney Sold to M.J. Wittington, Avalon Beach, Sydney t/a Hendon Aeroplane Company - April 16, 1973 Deprated Sydney on the ferry flight to Auchterarder, Scotland (Capt L. van Praag) - April 19, 1973 Arrived Auchterarder, Scotland on delivery to the Strathallan Aircraft Collection - May 10, 1973 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - July 30, 1973 Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-BEOX - March 25, 1977 Registered to Sir William Roberts The Strathallan Collection closed due to financial problems - 1981 The aircraft was sold at auction to the RAF Museum - July 14, 1981 Displayed at RAF Museum, Hendon as 'A16-199' in RAAF markings It retains its survey configuration of non-standard nose glazing, metal skinned canopy and no gun turret Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - December 22, 1981 |
VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the standard metal livery at Canberra Airport, date unknown. (E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1806-007.) |
VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the standard metal livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, date unknown. (G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1806-029.) |
VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 1969. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1806-002.) |
VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, December 1970. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1806-026.) |
VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 08, 1973. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1806-035.) |
VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the final livery at Auchterarder Airstrip, October 1973. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1806-017.) |