VH-AEW Darwin

Type: L-14-WF62 Super Electra
MSN: 1497
Previous Identities: EI-ABV
VH-ADW
Subsequent Identities: Nil

History:

05MAY39 Export CofA No E-5047 issued.
09MAY39 Construction completed at Burbank.
15MAY39 Delivered to Aer Lingus Teoranta.
23JUN39 Added to the Irish Register as EI-ABV.
10NOV39 Irish CofA issued.
20MAR40 Australian Ministerial approval granted for Guinea Airways Ltd to import two Lockheed 14s. Approval was also given for the aircraft to carry Australian markings on their delivery flights to expedite diplomatic clearances. Aircraft were to be purchased through W.S. Shackleton Ltd of London.
13APR40 Registration application from Guinea Airways Ltd. Subsequently VH-ADW was allocated.
17APR40 GAL pilots departed Adelaide to collect the aircraft.
15MAY40 Added to the Australian Register as VH-ADW.
25MAY40 Struck off the Irish Register on sale to Australia.
29MAY40 The two L-14s departed Dublin on delivery to Australia. The aircraft were painted in camouflage with black Australian registrations underlined with blue/white/red stripes. Note the date conflict with the following entry.
28MAY40 Arrived at Luqa, Malta from Heston via Marseilles and Tunis at 19:15 hours, departing for Alexandria at 11:35 hours the following day. (Source: 1) Note the date conflict with the previous entry.
09JUN40 Both L-14s arrived at Parafield in the record flying time of 65.5 hours.
40 The aircraft entered service on the Adelaide-Darwin courier run named "Darwin".
27AUG40 Re-registered VH-AEW at the request of GAL to prevent confusion with MMA's Electra VH-ABW as both aircraft regularly operated into Darwin.
12DEC41 The port undercarriage collapsed at Alice Springs.
06NOV42 The aircraft was landed wheels up 1.5 miles from Alice Springs. The damage was quickly repaired.
43 The aircraft suffered many forced landings without damage while engaged on the Adelaide-Darwin courier run.
08MAY44 While operating a scheduled Guinea Airways flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln, the aircraft diverted to Cleve, S.A. owing to a storm and rain at its destination. Capt J. Chapman and F/O L.E. Schubert. (NAA via G. Goodall)
08OCT45 The aircraft had an accident at Darwin. No further details known.
02JAN46 Leased to Australian National Airways for Brisbane-Cairns services for a time.
16APR47 CofA expired. To be renewed later for charter use by by Guinea Airways.
22SEP49 CofA lapsed and aircraft withdrawn from service at Parafield.
19JUL50 East-West Airlines, Tamworth wrote to the Regional Director, NSW Region, Department of Civil Aviation, Mascot to enquire about the availability and serviceability of Guinea Airways' VH-AEW which was parked at Parafield. Would the Department approve a flight to Sydney, Tamworth or Brisbane for a CofA inspection and possible engine changes? (Source: NAA files on EWA inspected by Chris O'Neill)
27JUL50 DCA Adelaide advised NSW Region that the CofA for VH-AEW expired in September 1949 and that the previous CofA inspection had been carried out by ANA at Parafield 22 months ago. The aircraft was parked in the open but the engines had been inhibited. The starboard fin and rudder had been damaged but repairs would be covered by insurance. The radio had been removed and was not immediately replaceable. DCA estimated the total work excluding radio to ready the aircraft for ferry at approximately one week. (Source: NAA files on EWA inspected by Chris O'Neill)
AUG50 The above information was passed to East-West Airlines by J.A. Collopy on behalf of the Regional Director, NSW Region. The precise date of this letter is illegible but could be 16AUG50. (Source: NAA files on EWA inspected by Chris O'Neill)
03JUL51 Noted stored behind the Department of Aircraft Production hangars at Parafield.
06AUG51 Struck off the Register.
SEP51 Sold to Browns Scrap Metal, Croydon, Adelaide and broken up in their yard.


SOURCES
1


Issue Date Remarks
7 13DEC20
Added a reference at 28MAY40 from Source: 1.
6 15MAR17
Added a reference to an expression of interest from East-West Airlines in JUL/AUG50. Belated thanks to the late Chris O'Neill.
5 03APR16
Refreshed page layout with no change to data.
4 26AUG15
Added three new images thanks to the CAHS. Image 1 Image 2 Image 3
3 06MAR06
Added reference to an incident on 08MAY44.
2 29MAR02
Amended date on to Irish register from 23AUG38 to 23JUN39.




Return to the Electra Menu



Return to the Lockheed File