VH-UEQ de Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth
(c/n DHA75)
This was the former A17-78, sold by the
Commonwealth Disposals Commission, ex RAAF Mallala,
SA
in June of 1947. For some reason it was never civilianized and
sat for some fifteen years, not
appearing on the civil register until mid 1962.. It was in mint
condition and had been fitted with a
radio. Geoff Goodall (who provided the shot above showing the
Tiger just after it had been civilian-
ized at
Parafield in 1962) indicates that the DHA plate had very rough punching
and the "A17-78"
was
misread as "FU78" and this
was the c/n quoted to DCA. It carries this spurious number
officially
to this
day. It was one of two Tigers which participated in the 1964
Ansett Air Race and image # 2
below is by
Greg Banfield who caught it at the Bankstown overnight stop on 29 March
of that year.
It seemed to
be well endowed with sponsors. Photo # 3, also by Geoff
shows it at
Whyalla in 1966,
still
retaining vestiges of its Air Race treatment.
Finally, (# 4) Andrei
Bezmylov caught it at Aldinga,
South
Australia (bottom) over
forty years on (July, 2006), looking just as pristine.
2.
3.
4.