VH-SNB de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon
(c/n DHA2002)
Several images of this, the second
Australian built
Dragon manufactured by de Havilland of Australia
Pty Ltd at
Bankstown in 1942. Above, it is seen at Bankstown early in 1962
by Brian Baker. Below
are two shots
taken at an air show at Orange, NSW in February 1966. The
upper one is by Roger
McDonald (note Geoff
Goodall's pink and white Ford
Zephyr II in the background !). The lower
ground-to-air photo
is by Greg Banfield and illustrates a truer color tone with which the
aircraft was
painted at that
time. This Dragon was
serialed A34-13 in the RAAF (A34-1 to
-11 being ex civilian
examples
impressed into
service). After being demobbed (and
converted to an air ambulance by
DHA) it
went to the
Northern Territory Aerial
Medical Service as
VH-ASK.
It operated with
NTAMS from
1946 until 1954 when it was replaced by
a Drover. After being sold by the Dept of
Health
the Dragon was re-registered VH-SNB. It flew
regularly on missionary work
for the next
twenty odd years
before
being being exported to the U.K. for display in the
Strathalan/Perth/Auchter-
auder Aero Park
collection. When that collection was disbanded in
1980, VH-SNB
was saved and
is
now part f the Museum of
Flight collection at East Fortune,
Scotland. The aircraft is still displayed
in its civil
livery.