ADASTRA AERIAL SURVEYS

VH-AGJ

Type: L-414-56 Hudson Mk IIIA/A-29
Later: L-414-08 Hudson Mk IV
Msn: 6464
Previous Identities:

41-36975
FH174
A16-199
VH-SMM

Subsequent Identity:

G-BEOX

Owner: RAF Museum.
Base: Hendon, U.K.

History:

02APR42	Received 1 AD Laverton ex USA.
30JUN42	Received 13 Sqn ex 1 AD.
22OCT42	Received 5 AD ex 13 Sqn via 1 AD.
30NOV42	Received 13 Sqn ex 5 AD via 1 AD.
04APR43	Received 2 Sqn ex 13 Sqn.
16APR43	Received 3 CU for use by Radiophysics Laboratory.
29AUG44	Received 2 AD Richmond ex 3 CU.
16NOV45	Stored at 2 AD.
24SEP47	Sold to Macquarie Grove Flying School for £150.
01DEC47	Collected by purchaser.
06OCT50	Registration application from John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney.
18DEC50	Added to Register as VH-SMM and test flown same day.
10AUG51	Change of ownership to Herald Flying Services, Sydney.
27MAY52	Withdrawn from service.
02MAR53	Struck off Register.
21SEP54	Herald Flying Services applied to DCA for a CofA and CofR.
23SEP54	A Fixed Equipment List signed by G. Davies of Herald Flying Services indicates that the aircraft is fitted with only two seats (in the cockpit) and a "folding box chute over dropping doors".
12OCT54	Returned to Register as VH-SMM.
16OCT54	Departed for Essendon for engine modifications by T.A.A. On charter to Brown & Dureau Ltd., Aerial Survey Division. During its stay at Essendon, tradesmen from Brown & Dureau carried out minor airframe work on the nose window and newspaper chute. This work was incomplete when the aircraft departed for Moorabbin.
24NOV54	Departed for Moorabbin on completion of engine work by T.A.A. Entered Brown & Dureau hangar at Moorabbin for completion of aerial survey modifications: Installation of an oxygen system. Installation of a camera hatch and camera mount near the rear door. Installation of two additional perspex windows in the nose section.
16DEC54	Application to DCA for approval to fit R-1830-90B engines. These are R-1830-S1C3G engines converted by the addition of two speed superchargers in order to carry out aerial photography at altitudes up to 25,000 feet. The work was performed by TAA at Essendon.
10JAN55	Provisional approval for fitment of R-1830-90B engines.
18JAN55	DCA Head Office requested DCA Sydney to forward CofA for endorsement of following modifications: Engine mods (R-1830-S1C3G to R-1830-90B) Provision of oxygen equipment for the crew. Installation of camera hatch and camera mountings near the rear door. Installation of two additional perspex windows in the nose section.
02MAR56	A Fixed Equipment List signed by G. Davies of Herald Flying Services indicates that the aircraft is fitted with two seats in the cockpit and one seat on the rear platform aft of the cabin door. A main oxygen bottle assembly is fitted aft of the main spar on the right hand cabin floor.
57	Leased to East-West Airlines, Tamworth.
58	Returned to John Fairfax & Sons.
13MAR59	A Fixed Equipment List signed by G. Davies of Herald Flying Services indicates that the aircraft is fitted with two seats in the cockpit, one camera operator's seat on the rear platform aft of the cabin door, one seat in the nose and one engineer's seat aft of the main spar. A main oxygen cylinder is fitted at an unspecified location with five outlets and regulators (1 nose, 1 cockpit, 2 cabin & 1 camera operator station). An Aldis sight is fitted at the camera location.
59	Leased to Adastra Aerial Surveys, Sydney.
03JUN60	Struck power transmission cables at Humpty Doo, N.T. The cockpit roof and upper aerials were demolished but the aircraft was safely landed at Darwin.
11AUG60	Adastra applied to DCA for confirmation of approval to test-fly VH-SMM after repairs. An earlier written application dated 03AUG60 states that the repairs "conform to recommended repair scheme in Lockheed Lodestar Manual." (Given that VH-SMM had a sheet metal cockpit roof, it was in this respect more a Lodestar than a Hudson).
12AUG60	Verbal approval granted for test flight.
07MAY63	A Fixed Equipment List prepared by Herald Flying Services indicates that the aircraft is fitted with one engineer's seat in the cabin, one navigator's seat in the nose, one navigators seat in the cabin, one spare crew seat in the cabin and one camera operator's seat aft of the main door. (The pilot's seat is not listed!) The main oxygen bottle is fitted at station 219 but it is not stated if this is in the cabin or the bomb bay.
24JUN66	Change of ownership to Sepal Pty Ltd, Mascot (an Adastra company).
14DEC66	Re-registered VH-AGJ.
JAN67	Overhauled by Adastra. By this time the aircraft had a camera hatch installed in the nose compartment and its non-standard nose transparency had been replaced by a conventional unit.
20FEB67	Log Book signed off by Jack McDonald. In addition to a routine overhaul, the following were incorporated: Partitions built in at station 188 (over main spar) and station 378 (aft of cabin door). Bulkhead built into nose section at station 92� (forward of windshield apex). Seat manufactured and attached to bulkhead at station 92�. "Nose section fitted with standard Lockheed perspex nose sections." (As the nose windows were decidedly non-standard, this probably refers to the replacement of the nose transparency). A new oxygen system was installed in the bomb bay (3 cylinders in port rack and 3 cylinders in starboard rack). The nose section was lined with sound proofing and covered with ¹/₈ ply covering.
19DEC67	A Fixed Equipment List prepared by Adastra indicates that the aircraft is fitted with one pilot's seat, one navigator's seat in the nose, one camera operator's seat in the nose and five seats in the cabin. A co-pilot's seat can be fitted when required. The oxygen system comprises six bottles in the bomb bay.
69	Repainted in Adastra's grey/orange livery.
24OCT69	Change of ownership from Sepal to Adastra Aerial Surveys Pty. Ltd., Mascot.
21AUG70	Log Book signed off by Clive Nosworthy. In addition to routine overhaul, the bomb doors were modified for A.P.R. installation.
01FEB72	Struck off Register at owner's request and stored in Adastra hangar at Mascot.
16APR73	Change of ownership to M.J. Whittington (t/a Hendon Aeroplane Company) Avalon Beach, Sydney.
19APR73	Departed Sydney on delivery to the Strathallan Aircraft Collection, Auchterarder, Scotland. Flown by Lionel Van Praag.
10MAY73	Arrived at Strathallan.
25MAR77	Re-registered G-BEOX to Sir William Roberts.
14JUL81	Purchased by the RAF Museum at the auction of the Strathallan Collection. Displayed at Hendon in RAAF markings as A16-199. Aircraft still retains its survey configuration i.e. non-standard nose glazing, metal skinned canopy and no turret.
22DEC81	Cancelled from UK Register as withdrawn from use.

See: Mike Mike's Enigmatic Proboscis

Flight Simmers, you can download a Flight Simulator instrument panel for VH-AGJ.
Note that this link will take you to another website;
The Lockheed File
www.lockheed.adastron.com

Issue	Date	Remarks
5	22APR03	Added the date of arrival at Strathallan (10MAY73).
4	28MAR03	Added reference to wire strike incident and subsequent repairs. Thanks to Jim Hilferty, I have added four images of the repairs. Also added greater detail of initial aerial survey mods. Fixed Equipment Lists are taken from the aircraft file (NAA C3905/8).