VH-UUO de Havilland D.H.89 Dragon Rapide              (c/n 6259)

                           

                             Photos 1,2 and 3 on this page are all from the Geoff Goodall collection.   Above the Rapide is seen at
                             Parafield in 1938 in ANA livery as 'Malonga'.   This aircraft began life as ZK-ACO and was entered
                             in the 1934 London to Melbourne Centenary Air Race.  After the race, a buyer could not be found for
                             it in New Zealand and it was sold to WA Airways in Perth.   The image immediately below shows it
                             whilst it was with WA Airways, circa 1935.    In 1936 it became part of the Adelaide Airways fleet,
                             passing to ANA shortly afterward.    In 1939 it was sold to Guinea Airways and named 'Lae'. An
                             image of it in the service of this Adelaide based airline is seen at the foot of the page (no 4), courtesy
                             of the Fred Niven collection.    It was the first Rapide impressed during the war, becoming A33-1, and
                             photo No 3 shows it at Townsville in 1943, then with ANA, but wearing wartime camouflage.   Note
                             P-38 in background.   VH-UUO later served with Queensland Airlines and Butler Air Transport before
                             crashing in poor weather on Warrumbungle Mountain near Tooraweenah NSW on 23 May 1952.  The
                             five on board the BAT service escaped with minor injuries but VH-UUO was written off.                    
               2.
                           
                  3.
                           
                   4.