by Steve Mackenzie
Background
The DH.94 Moth Minor in RAAF service has been well covered in this publication in issues 17/4, 18/1 and recently 38/2. A total of 46 operated here at that time, 5 with civil flying clubs (one of which got a RAAF serial when it went to them in 1945) plus 41 which served with the RAAF during the war. The RAAF rejected their use as basic trainers due to very limited civil style instrumentation, plus the inability to do safe aerobatics with two adults on board. They served in small numbers with a diverse range of units as hacks and communication machines (see Geoff Gooddal's site listed in the refs for details).
19 RAAF disposals aircraft plus seven pre-war civil Moth Minors flew locally post 1945. I intend to go through them in registration order giving details of them ( I could not locate images of some to do profiles). So here we go :
VH-AAM - this was a UK built airframe with British CofA issued as VH-AAM (De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney NSW). Registration to Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow aerodrome, Newcastle NSW in 1939 as it was sold to them. It went thru several civil owners in 1943-1951. In 1953 it was owned by Gertude McKenzie at Moorabbin and 'Aspaxadrene' was a spray for the relief of hay fever and asthma. They sponsored Gertie in some air race, thus the text on the fuselage at this stage, it was same font on the airframe without the fancy 'serifs'.
Profile of VH-AAM with the 'Aspaxadrene' advertising. Maroon fuselage with White lettering, Silver flying surfaces (wings, tailplanes etc). Black rego on fin and seen on upper wings in one photo. Refs - photos on Geoff Gooddal's site, and on https://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-AAM.html. The wing drawn is not to the same scale as they are much longer than the fuselage.
Like many of the Moth Minors, VH-AAM had a number of schemes. I drew a 2nd one which had a much simpler scheme of overall Silver with Red fuselage flash. Attached is VH-AAM's certificate of airworthiness.
Profile of VH-AAM Silver fuselage andflying surfaces (wings, tailplanes etc). Black rego on fin and likely on upper wings. Red fuselage flash with the remains of Maroon colouring on nose cone and under nose. Refs - photos on Geoff Goodall's site, and on https://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-AAM.html.
C/n 94006 (previously G-AFRD) was one of the UK airframes impoerted to Australia in 1940 and registered VH-AAQ. It was offered to the RAAF who replied that they were not interested in 2nd hand airframes. It was then exported to NZ where the rego ZK-AHI was applied. There is an image of it carrying a later rego ZK-ALN on Geoff Goodall's website. Similarly c/n 94012 (Registered G-AFON) which was never actually registered here, was sent to NZ in 1940 taking up the rego ZK-AHK (and later ZK-AKM).
Next on the list is VH-ACO. This early arrival is one of two which were given to the Broken Hill Aero Club in 1940 to replace two Club Tiger Moths that had been impressed (the other was VH-ADJ). Initially I thought the fuselage and wing bands may have been Yellow (in line with the RAAF training scheme) but Alan Flett who has been assisting me advised that he believed Red was more likely. The ref photo is on Eddie Coates site at 'https://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-ACO.html'.
Profile of VH-ACO in the simple scheme of Silver overall with Red bands on fuselage and wings. Black rego on fuselage but none on fin or upper wings.
Click on the 'Next' button to go to Page 2 of the article
