iscover
DH.86A A31-7 in RAAF colours. Formerly VH-UZX, impressed into RAAF service 27 December 1940. Converted to air ambulance, in service with No 1 Air Ambulance Unit. Departed Laverton 30 April 1941 arriving Cairo 3 July 1941. Damaged in ground attack Mersa Matruh 1 February 1942. Was repaired and damaged in further action. Was withdrawn from use September 1943 due to unavailability of 77 octane fuel. Later flown to Heliopolis Aerodrome, Cairo, Egypt 21 February 1944 and believed eventually scrapped. (State Library Victoria)
DH.86A A31-7 in RAAF colours. Formerly VH-UZX, impressed into RAAF service 27 December 1940. Converted to air ambulance, in service with No 1 Air Ambulance Unit. Departed Laverton 30 April 1941 arriving Cairo 3 July 1941. Damaged in ground attack Mersa Matruh 1 February 1942. Was repaired and damaged in further action. Was withdrawn from use September 1943 due to unavailability of 77 octane fuel. Later flown to Heliopolis Aerodrome, Cairo, Egypt 21 February 1944 and believed eventually scrapped. (State Library Victoria)
The de Havilland DH.86 in Australian operations (Part 2)
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Part two of Eric Allen’s investigation into the de Havilland DH.86 in Australian operations. Read the first part here.
The loss of VH-USG was a headache for Qantas as the launch of the new service had been planned for 10 December 1934. The airline had arranged for highly regarded Australian aviator P G Taylor to fly the company’s third DH.86 from England to Australia. However, in the light of the two crashes in Australia, Taylor declined to proceed with this arrangement in the belief the aircraft was unsafe. In a message to Qantas on 21 November he said he believed the aircraft should be replaced with a more proven type.
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