A16-22

 

 

Type: B14S Hudson Mk I
MSN: 1873
Previous Identities: Nil
Owner: RAAF Museum, Point Cook (Melbourne) VIC.






History:

09FEB40
 Received 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond ex U.S.A.
  To this day the fuselage of A16-22 carries the faded number 273 between the nose windows. This number was applied by Lockheed with the last two digits derived from the MSN 1873. The significance to Lockheed of the 2 is unknown but it may represent a modification state within the first RAAF order for 50 Hudsons.
04APR40
 Issued to 14 Sqn RAAF.
24FEB42
 Allotted to 1 Operational Training Unit.
28AUG43
 Fitted with dual controls.
22SEP43
 Allotted to 1 Aircraft Depot ex 1 OTU for fitment of passenger seats.
09AUG45
 Allotted to Commonwealth Disposals Commission for disposal.
05MAR46
 Delivered to Guinea Airways who used the aircraft for parts to support their L-14 VH-AEW. The aircraft had been in a dismantled state as it was being overhauled by ANA at Parafield. The overhaul had been abandoned as the war situation improved.
46
 Sold to Mr Harry Parrott, Belair SA for five pounds. It was intended that the fuselage would be used as a hut on undeveloped land in the Adelaide Hills between Belair and Blackwood. However, during unloading, the fuselage rolled down a hill into a gully where it was abandoned.
12NOV72

The fuselage was trucked from Blackwood to Warbirds Aviation Museum, Mildura VIC.

From this point, following Adastra's retirement of the Hudson, work began to restore several of their aircraft to their wartime configuration. The fuselage of A16-22 was passed around amongst the main players in the Hudson's resurgence as a warbird. These warbird Hudsons are included in this chronology to provide an overview of the ensuing movements of A16-22.
26MAR76
 VH-AGS arrived at Point Cook from Tamworth.
06FEB77
 The damaged Adastra Hudson VH-AGX was acquired from Horn Island by Bob Eastgate, shipped to Melbourne and trucked to Point Cook where it arrived on this date.
JUN78
 Bob Eastgate acquired the nose section from Hudson A16-244 which had been abandoned at Kalumburu (RAAF Drysdale River) WA after the war. It was intended that the nose section from A16-244 would be grafted on to VH-AGX which had a severely damaged nose after an abandoned take-off accident at Horn Island.
83
 A16-22 was sold to Malcolm J. Long, Melbourne VIC and transported from Mildura to Moorabbin. Internal mounting frames and surrounding structure were removed to facilitate the fitment of a turret to VH-KOY (formerly VH-AGS/A16-112). The remainder of the fuselage of A16-22 was subsequently gifted to Bob Eastgate.
DEC83
 VH-AGS was flown from Point Cook to Moorabbin.
c.87
 The fuselage of A16-22 was photographed in Ron Lee's hangar at Moorabbin.
NOV91
 The fuselage of A16-22 was trucked from Moorabbin to Point Cook.
29NOV96
 The fuselage of A16-22 was acquired (along with the damaged VH-AGX and the nose from A16-244) by the RAAF Museum, Point Cook.
  It has been claimed that the first batch of 50 RAAF Hudsons were not flush (countersunk) riveted whereas subsequent aircraft were. Available photographic evidence suggests that A16-22 has round head rivets. This being the case, that would make A16-22 unique as the only survivor from the first batch. Confirmation from a physical inspection would be appreciated. Webmaster


Issue Date Remarks
5 24NOV23
Corrected a typo in the first line of the chronology to show 2AD at Richmond, not Laverton.
4 15OCT21
Expanded the chronology of A16-22.
Added an image of the fuselage thanks to Geoff Goodall.
Added an image of the turret aperture thanks to Dave Vincent.
Added a colour image of the fuselage at Blackwood thanks to Neil Follett.
Added an image of the fuselage at Moorabbin thanks to Andrew Carlile.
Added an image of the aircraft in RAAF service thanks to David Anderson.
3 09JAN16
Added an image thanks to Geoff Goodall.
Added an image thanks to Dave Vincent.
2 27NOV97
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