VH-AIO (2)    Fairchild F24W41A Argus II                                      (c/n  309)

                           

                               This aircraft was built as a Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder but immediately diverted to the UK under
                               the Lend Lease program, where it became known as an Argus.  A considerable number of these
                               machines were used by the RAF during the war for communication and ferrying duties.   VH-AIO
                               was formerly EV801.  At the end of the war it was civilianized as G-AKJK and sold to the Kuala
                               Lumpur Flying Club in Malaya as VR-RBE.  (Many years later I was to live in K.L. for three years).
                               My shot above shows it when it worked for the Illawarra Flying Club at Bankstown in 1954. 
                               Frank Walters' photo was at Bankstown, circa 1960 when the Argus was owned by North Bros.
                               Earth Moving Contractors.              It showed up at Moorabbin one day in February 1962 with
                               "Air Taxis - Shepparton" titling as seen in the next shot by  John Hopton image (via Geoff Goodall
                               collection).  Finally, at the foot of the page is a rough photo of it in its former identity.        VH-AIO
                               written off in a crash at Trimouille Is.,Western Australia in 1966.