VH-AGR (3)  Ryan STM                                       (c/n  466)

                                  

                                      
This black fuselage with yellow tail and wings beuaty was at Bankstown in September 1968.
                                       The shot above is from the Geoff Goodall collection, whilst that below was taken by Greg                           
                                       Banfield at the same venue, some time later in August 1963.  This STM was built out of parts
                                       from VH-AGR(2) and also from A50-18 (which, in turn, was the ex Dutch East Indies machine
                                       S-30).  See my narrative under VH-AGR(2) for more on the three Ryans registered with this
                                       same rego. The nice color image at the foot of the page was taken by John Hopton at Morwell
                                       Victoria on New Years Day 1978 after the aircraft had received a complete restoration by
                                       RAAF pilot Jeff Trappett and returned to its original Dutch Navy (MLD) color scheme.
                                       VH-AGR(3) was cancelled from the Australian register in May 1981 when it was sold in the
                                       US as N2617W.  Shortly after arrival it became N466WA and, as such, is still active today.
                                       Ron Dupas has a shot of it at Brown Field, San Diego, in basically the same markings as John's
                                       shot full and this can be seen on his website at
                                                           http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Rundberg/4314.htm