VH-TAO  Convair 240-5                                                      (c/n  32)

                                                
         
                                              Trans Australia Airlines ordered a fleet of five Convair 240s in 1948, and were the sixth
                                              airline to do so.  Although first in registration sequence, VH-TAO was the last to arrive,
                                              not doing so until 7 Match 1949, following a problem in Iceland on its delivery flight.
                                           .  It was named  'George Bass'.      My rather poor and uncontrasty shot above  was at
                                              Essendon in 1955.    I have others, but cluttered with baggage carts etc.  Fortunately
                                              Barrie Colledge kindly provided me with a superb color shot (below) taken at Canberra
                                              in 1957.  By this time the aircraft had been renamed 'Abel Tasman' After a decade of
                                              service with TAA, VH-TAO was sold in the USA as N9313R.  For a full and complete
                                              history of this  aircraft go to airline historian Fred Niven's page at:
                                                                            http://www.spiritsofansett.com/history/niven_convair.html