The Mystery Aeroplane Quiz With No Pictures
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Woomera: I think you are D.H.84 Dragon G-ACGG/VH-AAC/A34-10. But you've confused your provenance. You were fathered (by the inestimable Arthur Hagg) to meet the requirements of Edward Hillman of Hillman's Airways & Saloon Coaches Ltd, to whom your first three siblings were delivered before you were equipped with a mid-upper gun and went off, eight-strong, to Iraq.
karrankk - your first flight was on 25 Mar 1958 and you are the Avro CF-105 Arrow.
woomera - you were G-ACGG and crashed in 1951.
woomera - you were G-ACGG and crashed in 1951.
Last edited by BEagle; 20th Mar 2004 at 23:06.
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Aerohack and BEagle, you are correct. However I would be interested in where you obtained the 1951 crash date as I never could find the date AAC pranged for the final time. It was one of two DH84's (the other was VH-AON which still exists) acquired to start Territory Airlines in 1952 and I found pilot records of it having operated in PNG in 1953 or 1954. VH-AAC finally disappeared in Queensland but I can't trace when or where (the final owner appears to have been "Queensland Air, Air Planters".
VH-AON was the last PNG Dragon, being ferried back to Australia in 1958 by Dick Cresswell.
Aerohack. My research (30 years ago) also indicated Hillman Airways may have established the original requirement, however over the years I have found a number of references to an Iraqi Air Force requirement (or inquiry) which may have pre dated the Hillman requirement:
"The Dragon was created by De Havilland' chief designer A.E. (Arthur) Hagg, in the early 1930's. Hagg and his team had been working on a light bomber for the Iraqi Air Force, and this was modified in response to operator demand (particularly charter companies like Hillman Airways) for a twin engine airliner, to produce the DH84. The prototype flew on November 12, 1932, and the aircraft went into production the following year. "
That too seems to confirm the Iraqi requirement pre-dated Hillman's request.
There is a great photograph of G-ACGG with the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) at the controls in the fronticepiece of either "Balus" I or II by Jim Sinclair.
VH-AON was the last PNG Dragon, being ferried back to Australia in 1958 by Dick Cresswell.
Aerohack. My research (30 years ago) also indicated Hillman Airways may have established the original requirement, however over the years I have found a number of references to an Iraqi Air Force requirement (or inquiry) which may have pre dated the Hillman requirement:
"The Dragon was created by De Havilland' chief designer A.E. (Arthur) Hagg, in the early 1930's. Hagg and his team had been working on a light bomber for the Iraqi Air Force, and this was modified in response to operator demand (particularly charter companies like Hillman Airways) for a twin engine airliner, to produce the DH84. The prototype flew on November 12, 1932, and the aircraft went into production the following year. "
That too seems to confirm the Iraqi requirement pre-dated Hillman's request.
There is a great photograph of G-ACGG with the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) at the controls in the fronticepiece of either "Balus" I or II by Jim Sinclair.
Last edited by Woomera; 21st Mar 2004 at 05:03.
My sources indicate:
1933 The aircraft was registered as G-ACGG and became a VIP aircraft for the Prince of Wales.
1937 The aircraft was shipped to Australia.
1938 The aircraft was re-registered as VH-AAC.
1941 The aircraft was acquired by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and re-serialed as A34-10.
29 Aug 1944 The aircraft was re-registered as VH-AAC.
29 Jan 1951 The aircraft crashed at Slate Creek, New Guinea .
Next turn I donate to whoever wishes to submit another puzzler!
1933 The aircraft was registered as G-ACGG and became a VIP aircraft for the Prince of Wales.
1937 The aircraft was shipped to Australia.
1938 The aircraft was re-registered as VH-AAC.
1941 The aircraft was acquired by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and re-serialed as A34-10.
29 Aug 1944 The aircraft was re-registered as VH-AAC.
29 Jan 1951 The aircraft crashed at Slate Creek, New Guinea .
Next turn I donate to whoever wishes to submit another puzzler!
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Woomera:
Most likely Hillman's request that DH design him a 'twin-engined Fox Moth' was coincident with the Iraqi Ministry of Defence's 'expression of interest' in an aircraft of the same general size and configuration. Hillman gave DH his performance parameters, and a price limit (no more than £500 per seat) and got the first off the line, but the Iraqi machines followed close behind, so they probably do deserve joint credit.
According to John Hamlin's book 'The de Havilland Dragon/Rapide Family', the remains of VH-ACC were storted at Lae pending rebuild before being sold to Territory Airlines in 1952. The rebuild never took place, and parts of it were incorporated into the rebuild of Territory's Australian-built Dragon VH-AIA.
Bus 429:
On those occasions when you lost a propeller, did you have others left?
Most likely Hillman's request that DH design him a 'twin-engined Fox Moth' was coincident with the Iraqi Ministry of Defence's 'expression of interest' in an aircraft of the same general size and configuration. Hillman gave DH his performance parameters, and a price limit (no more than £500 per seat) and got the first off the line, but the Iraqi machines followed close behind, so they probably do deserve joint credit.
According to John Hamlin's book 'The de Havilland Dragon/Rapide Family', the remains of VH-ACC were storted at Lae pending rebuild before being sold to Territory Airlines in 1952. The rebuild never took place, and parts of it were incorporated into the rebuild of Territory's Australian-built Dragon VH-AIA.
Bus 429:
On those occasions when you lost a propeller, did you have others left?
B429,
Were you a late-model Spitfire, or a Stratocruiser?
Were you a late-model Spitfire, or a Stratocruiser?
