The Lockheed flight line at Burbank showing RAAF P-3Bs A9-292 to A9-295 (right to left). It is likely that the aircraft at extreme left is the ill-fated A9-296. This photograph accompanied a Lockheed press release which was embargoed until 18 April 1968 (exactly one week after A9-296 crashed) but clearly the photo was taken much earlier. A9-292 was delivered from Burbank to Moffett Field on 23 January 1968 so its presence in the photo suggests that it was taken in the interval between 23 January and 10 January when A9-291 was delivered to Moffett Field. Curiously, the fin and rudder of A9-294 and A9-295 have been "cropped" in this photo which also appears in printed sources complete with the same anomaly. The Constellation in the background has been identified by Constellation specialist Peter Marson as L-749 N107A (msn 2524) which was last operated by Admiral Airways but was broken up at Burbank in 1969. The DC-7 is believed to be N6318C (msn 44282) of Vance International Airways. This aircraft later served with Butler Aircraft Services as Tanker 67 until broken up at Redmond, Oregon in May 2007.
Picture: Lockheed