VH-MBF Auster J/5G Cirrus Autocar
(c/n
VH-MBF was the other of the two
ex-RAN Autocars (A11-300) civilianized in 1963 at the
same time as VH-MRD (and evidently had the rego painted on
by the same bloke). The above
shot is from the John Hopton collection (via Geoff Goodall) and shows
the Auster in a hangar at
Tocumwal in January 1964. It was on the strength of the Murray
Border Flying Club at the time.
This Auster was preserved and is now on display at the RAN Fleet Air
Arm Museum in Nowra,
NSW in its
original A11-300 markings. (It is doubtful that it ever displayed
its Navy allocated
serial of N1-300). George Canciani took a
shot of it at the museum (below) in 1992.