VH-ACP (1) de Havilland D.H.82A Tiger
Moth
(c/n 3561)
This Tiger, formerly with the
Leicestershire Aero Club as G-AETO, was imported in July of 1940
for the Newcastle Aero Club. Ckub. It is seen above at Mascot
just after its assembly in this CofA
style photo from the Geoff Goodall collection. Although war had
already broken out by the time
this aircraft was to be shipped from the UK, the imporatation was
allowed to continue inasmuch
as
the civilian flying clubs in Australia at that time were heavily
involved in training pilots for the
RAAF. This was before the official Empire Air Training Schemes were set
up (in Australia, Canada
and
Southern Africa). In the event the RACNSW
only used it for a month before it was impressed
into the RAAF as
A17-690. It spent
most of the war years with 9EFTS at Cunderdin, where it was
sold at
RAAF disposals sales in December 1946 to become VH-BIM.