VH-XUS
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| Type: | L-18-56 Lodestar C-60A-5-LO |
| MSN: | 18-2388 |
| Previous Identities: | 42-55951 NC17615 N17615 XA-SAX N56LH |
| Subsequent Identities: | ZK-XUS (NTU) |
History:
| 12MAR43 | Delivered to the USAAF as a C-60A-5-LO serial 42-55951. (Source: 1) |
| Allotted Advanced Glider School at Lubbock, Texas. (Source: 1) | |
| Allotted Air Transport Command, Gravely Pt. Washington D.C. (Source: 1) | |
| 30OCT44 | Departed USA. (Source: 1) |
| 16NOV44 | Returned USA. (Source: 1) |
| 02AUG45 | Allotted to Reconstruction Finance Corporation for disposal. (Source: 1) |
| Registered NC17615 to an unknown airline operator in Central America. (Source: 1) | |
| 49 | Converted to executive configuration by Southwest Airmotive Co. (Source: 1) |
| DEC49 | Registered to Ralph E. Fair by this date. (Source: 1) |
| APR54 | Registered to Texas Gulf Sulphur Co Inc as N17615 by this date. (Source: 1) |
| JAN65 | Registered to Air Center Interiors by Wrigley by this date. (Source: 1) |
| JUL65 | Registered to J.W. Williams by this date. (Source: 1) |
| 16MAY66 | Cancelled from US Register. (Source: 1) |
| 16MAY66 | Registered in Mexico as XA-SAX to Transporte Aereo Ernesto Saenz SA. (Source: 1) |
| 78 | Still current as XA-SAX. (Source: 1) |
| Leased to Transporte Aereo Mexicana. (Source: 1) | |
| 10APR80 | Cancelled from Mexico Register. (Source: 1) |
| It is reported that the aircraft became derelict and was used as a chicken coop. | |
| 12FEB85 | Registered N56LH to Atorie Air Inc. (Source: 1) |
| 19APR85 | Registered to Atorie Air Ltd. (Source: 1) |
| 04JUN85 | Registered to Atorie Air Inc. Named Phoenix. (Source: 1) |
| 86 | Converted to a freighter with an enlarged cabin door. (Source: 1) |
| 06JUN89 | Ownership passed to Wings of Yesterday Inc., Santa Fe. (Source: 1) |
| 06JUL89 | Registered to Wings of Yesterday Inc. (Source: 1) |
| Named Rebirth of the Phoenix. | |
| 22JUL91 | Ownership passed to Aus Ex Inc. (Source: 1) |
| 20SEP91 | Registered to Aus Ex Inc. (Source: 1) |
| 14NOV91 | Arrived Brisbane, Australia having been flown across the Pacific on delivery to Bruce Simpson. |
| 15APR92 | Flew Bankstown-Brisbane-Norfolk Island. |
| 16APR92 | En route Norfolk Island to Auckland the starboard engine failed and the aircraft diverted to Kaitaia, NZ. Click here to read a first-hand account written by one of the passengers. |
| 18MAY92 | Departed Ardmore for Auckland, Norfolk Island and Brisbane after repairs. |
| 14SEP92 | Registered to Classic Aviation Pty Ltd. (Source: 1) |
| 21SEP92 | Cancelled from US Register. (Source: 1) |
| 02OCT92 | Registered VH-XUS to Bruce Simpson. (Source: 1) |
| Named Flew the Coop in recognition of its former use! | |
| 19NOV93 | Departed Sydney for Brisbane and Norfolk Island on sale to NZ. |
| 02DEC93 | Arrived Wanaka, NZ on delivery to Gerald Rhodes. The aircraft is currently on static display at Mr Rhodes' transportation museum in Wanaka. |
| Registration ZK-XUS was reserved but not taken up. (Source: 1) |
Further Reading
Engine Failure over the Tasman
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SOURCES
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1
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Peter J. Marson, The Lockheed Twins, Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2001. |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 25FEB24 |
Added
an account of the Engine
Failure over the Tasman in 1992. Thanks to Bob Livingstone.
Also added five recent images of the aircraft at the NTTM Wanaka. |
| 6 | 24FEB23 |
Added
an image of the aircraft landing at
Kaitaia on one engine. Thanks to Bob Livingstone.
|
| 5 | 03APR16 |
Refreshed
page layout with no change to data.
|
| 4 | 21OCT15 |
Added
an image of the peculiar swirl brushed
finish on this aircraft.
|
| 3 | 10AUG11 |
History
greatly expanded from Source 1.
Added an image of N56LH in the US. |
| 2 | 19DEC99 | - |
