VH-KAE    Auster J/2 Arrow                           (c/n  2393)

                           

                                Ian W. O'Neill, noted Auster historian reports:  "This aircraft was actually first registered in
                                1947 as G-AJPV, but was not completed until 1950, shortly thereafter being exported to
                                Kingsford Smith Aviation Services (the Auster dealers) of Bankstown, Sydney. When in the
                                ownership of Difrex Aust Laboratories Pty Ltd of Sydney it crashed approaching to land at
                                a private strip near Blanket Flat, NSW in 1963.  The pilot was killed and the aircraft totally
                                written off".
                                My shot (above) shows it outside Kingsford Smith's hangars at Mascot in 1955, and it had not
                                changed its appearance at all when Bob Neate took the photo (immediately below) at Orange,
                                NSW in October 1962.   At the foot of the page is an image from the Jennifer Gradidge
                                collection showing -KAE just before it crashed in Difrex insignia.