VH-CJX  de Havilland D.H.104 Dove 1B                           (c/n  04397)

                                 

                                     The Royal New Zealand Air Force operated some 30 D.H. Devons (as military Doves were known)
                                     commencing in 1948.  Beginning in 1970, most of them were released from service and sold (although
                                     they retained six as instructional airframes).   Several of these went to Australia, and three of them
                                     (NZ1814, 1817 and 1818) were imported by Murchison Air Services at Perth Airport..   VH-CJX
                                     was ex NZ1814 and was first registered in Australia in May 1972.  It is seen above at Perth's general
                                     aviation airfield at Jandakot in this nice shot by Geoff Goodall just after receiving its Australian CofA. 
                                     NZ1818 became VH-CJY and NZ1817 was reported in storage in South Australia well into the new
                                     millennium.    Seen below are two more Geoff Goodall images.  The upper one shows NZ1814 in the
                                     partially converted state as left by Murchison when they went out of business while the lower shot
                                     shows all three awaiting conversion at Perth Airport in December 1971.    NZ1814 and 1818 were
                                     eventually completed by Trans Air Charter and sold to Altair Pty Ltd, based at Jandakot.   Smart
                                     though it looks in the above shot, VH-CJX was nevertheless withdrawn from use in 1974.