VH-UOH General Aircraft Genairco
(c/n 17)
Photographed in Fiji in 1933 after it had been sold to the
original Fiji Airways where it eventually
became VQ-FAC. -UOH was shipped to Fiji first, where
it was later rebuilt as the second cabin
model by George Boehm
(of Genairco) who had taken a position with Fiji Airways. It was
restored
to the
Australian register in 1936 as VH-UUI.
(Had it been in the UK, it would
have reverted
to
its original
rego). Photo above from the Geoff Goodall
collection.
Geoff indicates that -UOH,
along with
Genairco Cabin Biplane VH-UOJ were both
shipped out to Suva from
Sydney on the
SS Aorangi, departing 2
Feb 1933. They were
accompanied by General Aircraft Co
Ltd's
owner/CEO George
Boehm to supervise their assembly and the
fitting of their floats which
were
designed by
Lawrence Wackett and had been built at Cockatoo Island
Dockyard in
Sydney.
Due to poor patronage, Fii Airways Ltd
ceased
operations in Feb 1934. The company, which
was
registered in Adelaide with Guinea Airways backing, was liquidated two
years later.