VH-EBQ (1)
DHA-3
Drover
(c/n 5003)
As with most of Qantas' Drovers, decent images of -EBQ are hard to
obtain. The above shot
was taken in New Guinea circa 1950. Image #2, from the John
Hopton collection shows it
about to be handed over to Qantas late in 1950. Close scrutiny of
the
airline provided photo
(#3 reveals it
to be, in fact, this first production
Drover. This aircraft was completed at the
DHA works in September 1950 and was planned to be sent to England
for a sales tour and
accordingly it was registered G-ALLK on 31 February 1949 to the parent
DH company. How-
ever production
was delayed and by the time it was completed it was delivered instead
to Qantas
as the
first of their order for 4 Drovers for their Papua/ New Guinea internal
services (to replace
DH.84 Dragons).
VH-EBQ crashed into the sea
at Huon Gulf off Lae, New Guinea on 16 July 1951 when the center
propeller failed as the aircraft was approaching to land at Lae.
.
QEA Captain J.W.Speirs and all 6
passengers died. Drover propeller failures resulted in the
grounding of all Drovers, after which the
original
variable pitch propeller was replaced by various combinations of
engines and propellers to
produce the models Drover Mk.1F, Mk.2 then Mk.3, Mk.3A and finally
Mk.3B. At the foot of
the page
is an image (#4 from the Geoff Goodall collection showing the wing of
-EBQ
as retrieved
from the
wreck
salvaged from the waters of Huon Gulf.
2.
3.
4.
