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The
above table shows the planned registrations and names for
Qantas' second order for Super Constellations. These names
and registrations were published in Qantas News of
October 1954 which also reported that the delivery of these
six aircraft would be delayed to facilitate the incorporation
of modifications prompted by Qantas' operational experience
with its first four aircraft (VH-EAG, H, I & J).
When
these six aircraft were delivered to Australia, their names
and registrations varied significantly from what was planned.
The reason for the change to the registration pattern is
that the delivery deferment permitted the re-allocation
of registrations VH-EAA, EAB, EAE and EAF from four L-749
Constellations which had been sold to BOAC in the interim.
(The registrations VH-EAM, EAN, EAO and EAP were taken up
by later Super Constellations.) The reason for the change
of names is not so clear cut however, but it does account
for persistent reports that VH-EAK carried both names Southern
Moon and Southern Mist and VH-EAA carried both
names Southern Mist and Southern Sea.
A
possible explanation can be found in a series of photographs
taken by Lockheed and supplied to Qantas as a record of
the production of these six aeroplanes. The following observations
were recorded in a letter dated 4th January 1974 from Qantas
Museum and Research Officer, Brian Reed, to Gordon Reid
who kindly made the letter available to The Lockheed
File.
A
photo taken on 3rd November 1954 shows msn 4573 VH-EAK carrying
the name Southern Moon. However, another photo taken
on 14th January 1955, prior to the departure of the delivery
flight, shows the aircraft as Southern Mist. (The
aeroplane carried the name Southern Mist on its final
flight to the breaker's yard.)
A
photo taken on 19th November 1954 shows msn 4578 VH-EAE
also carrying the name Southern Moon.
Thus
it appears that during November 1954 it emerged that Lockheed
had TWO Southern Moons on the line! (The similarity
of msns 4573 and 4578 if poorly hand-written might account
for the error.) Obviously one had to be changed and possibly
it was more convenient to change VH-EAE than it was for
VH-EAK to revert to its assigned name. It would appear that
the list of names has been applied in the same sequence
but commencing at VH-EAE instead of at VH-EAK. The two "SEQ"
columns in the above table attempt to illustrate this hypothesis.
Several
photos of msn 4580 VH-EAA on the production line show the
aeroplane as Southern Sea from the outset.
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