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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: de Havilland DH-84 Dragon / DH-89 Dragon Rapide
    Latest Model:DH-89 Dragon Rapide
    Last Military Serial:A33-1 RAAF
    Construction Number:6259
    Last Civil Registration:VH-UUO
    Compressed ID:de Havilland DH-89 sn A33-1 RAAF cn...
    Latest Owner or Location:Butler Air Transport Museum, Arthur Butler Memorial Airport, Tooraweenah, New South Wales

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    Dates

    Event

    September 1934

    Constructed as a DH-89.
    At Hatfield, UK

    Circa 1934


    Photographer: Geoff Goodall
    Notes: 1934 photo showing aircraft in livery that it flew in the MacRobertson England to New Zealand Air Race

    8 October 1934

    To The Melbourne Centenary Air Race Committee (NZ), Auckland NZ with new c/r ZK-ACO.
    Operated with markings: Named - TAINUI - (the first Maori war canoe to reach NZ)

    20 October 1934

    Departed Mildenhall with all competitors in the MacRobertson Air Race to Melbourne. ZK-ACO was eleventh to leave, race number 60 on rudder. Flown by all NZ crew of Sqn Ldr J. D. Hewett and Flying Officer C. E. Kay, radio operator F. Stewart.

    3 November 1934

    Reached Melbourne, the ninth and last race aircraft to cross the finish line. Total time 13 days 18 hours 51 mins with a flying time 85 hours 42 mins. Came fifth in Speed Section and sixth in Handicap Section.

    25 June 1935

    To West Australian Airways Ltd, Perth, WA with new c/r VH-UUO.

    1 July 1936

    To Adelaide Airways Ltd, Parafield SA keeping c/r VH-UUO.

    1 November 1936

    To Australian National Airways Pty Ltd, Melbourne Vic keeping c/r VH-UUO.
    Markings added: named MALONGA

    24 July 1939

    To Guinea Airways Ltd, Adelaide SA keeping c/r VH-UUO.
    Markings added: Named - LAE

    2 July 1940

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Australian Air Force with s/n A33-1.

    20 April 1942

    To Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Civil Aviation Operated by Airlines of Australia Ltd, Sydney NSW with new c/r VH-UUO.

    10 May 1947

    To Australian National Airways Pty Ltd, Melbourne Vic keeping c/r VH-UUO.
    Based at Cairns, QLD.

    18 October 1948

    To Queensland Airlines Pty Ltd, Archerfield Aerodrome, Brisbane QLD keeping c/r VH-UUO.

    7 February 1950

    To Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW keeping c/r VH-UUO.

    23 May 1952

    Crashed.
    Crashed into Warrumbungle Mountain near Tooraweenah NSW. Crashed in heavily timbered country 11 miles south of Tooraweenah at 5.30pm during a flight from Barradine NSW to Tooraweenah in rain and poor weather. Destroyed by fire, Captain Keith Brown and four passengers were injured.

    10 September 1952

    Civil registration, VH-UUO, cancelled.

    To Butler Air Transport Museum, Arthur Butler Memorial Airport, Tooraweenah, New South Wales.
    View the Location Dossier


    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier was started by a contributor.
    An preliminary review of the submitted data is pending.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.

    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Internet Sources
    Aviation History Site by Geoff Goodall

    Individual Contributors
    Terry Fletcher

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