DH.89 DRAGON RAPIDE 6250 Prototype Dragon Six ... - Ab-ix.com

Camouson 16.8.43; arr Bombay 23.9.43. Regd VT-ARK 13.10.43 to Government of India and
operated by Air India. Impressed as MA963 12.43. Regn cld 30.5.45. Reportedly submerged in
water and soc 31.2.46 [sic].
6650 Toc as HG651 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 3.6.43. Shipped to India on Fort
Camouson 16.8.43; arr Bombay 23.9.43. Regd VT-ARL 13.10.43 to Government of India and
operated by Air India, Bombay. Impressed as MA964 12.43. Allocated to be brought back into
RAF use [12.45] to replace returned lend-lease aircraft. Regd VT-ARL 4.46 to Government of
India. Regd 9.4.47 to Air Services of India Ltd, Bombay. Regd 19.10.49 to Varadaraja Airways
Ltd, Madras. Regd 27.8.57 to Madras Presidency Airways Ltd, Madras. Regn cld [78/84].
6651 Toc as HG652 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 12.6.43. Shipped to India on
Fort Camouson 16.8.43; arr Bombay 23.9.43. Regd VT-ARM 13.10.43 to Government of India
and operated by Air India. Impressed as MA965 12.43. Allocated to be brought back into RAF
use [12.45] to replace returned lend-lease aircraft.
6652 Toc as HG653 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 23.6.43. Shipped to India on
Fort Camouson 16.8.43; arr Bombay 23.9.43. Regd VT-ARN 13.10.43 to Government of India
and operated by Air India. Impressed as MA966 12.43. Allocated to be brought back into RAF
use [12.45] to replace returned lend-lease aircraft. Regd VT-ARN 4.46. Regd 29.3.47 to Bengal
Government, Calcutta. Regn cld .52 (or 24.2.48) as scrapped.
*Note: There remains some uncertainty of the tie-up's for the above four. The RAF record cards
indicate that all four were sent to India 16.8.43; HG650 was soc 31.2.46(sic) and the other three
were sold Director General of Disposals 27/3-24/4 (year indecipherable) and the cards were
annotated as follows:-
HG650 VT-ARL RAF No.MA964
HG651 VT-ARM MA965
HG652 VT-ARN MA966
HG653 VT-ARK MA963
6653 Toc as HG654 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 3.7.43. Shipped to Auckland,
New Zealand on LS732 26.8.43; arr 6.10.43. To RNZAF as NZ525 and toc Hobsolville 13.10.43.
Operated by 24 Squadron. Regd ZK-AKY 12.8.46 to New Zealand National Airways
Corporation, Wellington; named "Tui". Regd 19.5.64 to Ritchie Air Services Ltd, Te Anau. Regd
12.64 to NZ Tourist Air Travel Ltd, Queenstown. Regd 1.68 to Mount Cook Airlines Ltd,
Christchurch/Queenstown. Wfu Queenstown. Regd 28.3.78 to Tom C Williams, Masterton for
rebuild. Rebuilt 83/86, restored in NAC c/s "Tui" and operated [.86] on joyflights by White Island
Airways, Rotorua. Also wore pseudo RNZAF c/s as NZ525 in 80s. Wfu with woodworm
infestation [6.82] at Masterton; reflown .86. To Gerald Grocott, Mandeville. Regd 1.2.93 to
Croydon Aircraft Co Ltd, Mandeville. To Sir Tim Wallis, Wanaka .94. Regd 2.10.95 to Biplane
Adventures Ltd, Wanaka. Regd 18.12.97 to Croydon Air Services, c/o Croydon Aircraft Co Ltd,
Mandevile. For sale [late .98] by Ian Tulloch/Tulloch Transport, Southland. Regd 14.2.01 to
Croydon Aircraft Co Ltd, Mandeville. Sold to Michael Worthington, Cessnock, Australia [05] but
export prohibited.
6654 Toc as HG655 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 22.7.43. Shipped to Auckland,
New Zealand on LS732 26.8.43; arr 6.10.43. To RNZAF as NZ526 and toc Hobsonville
13.10.43. To 1 Squadron. Sold 8.4.52. Regd ZK-BAU 28.4.52 to Auckland Aero Club; named
"City of Auckland". CofA issued 14.5.52. Regd 1.3.56 to Southern Scenic Air Services Ltd,
Queenstown. Crashed on take off Milford Sound 22.4.64 and rts Queenstown .64.
6655 Toc as HG656 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 26.7.43. Shipped to Auckland,
New Zealand on LS732 26.8.43; arr 6.10.43. To RNZAF as NZ527 and toc Hobsonville
13.10.43. To 42 Squadron. Regd ZK-ALB 30.8.46 to New Zealand National Airways
Corporation, Wellington; named "Tikaka". Badly damaged taxying Whenuapai 24.5.56; repaired.
Regd 22.7.57 to Trans-Island Airways Ltd, Oamaru. Leased 7.58 by Coastal Airways Ltd. Regd
2.6.59 to Marlborough Aero Club, Blenheim. Regd 2.7.61 to Ritchie Air Services Ltd, Te Anau.
Leased 3.62 to Canterbury Aero Club, Christchurch. Regd 12.64 to Tourist Air Travel Ltd,
Queenstown. Regd 1.68 to Mount Cook & Southern Lakes Tourist Ltd. Wfu 4.11.71. Sold
11.73 to Bill Waterton, Australia, overhauled by Southair and ferried to Melbourne 15-17.6.74 via
Norfolk Island. Regn cld 10.7.74. Regd VH-IAN 2.8.74 to C Tracey & Co Pty Ltd,
Melbourne/Essendon. Regd 8.9.74 to Ken E Orrman, Shepparton, Victoria; CofA lapsed 94.
Sold [late .98] to Sydney syndicate; overhauled and reflown early .99 and ferried Bankstown to
Sydney 5.99 for Roy Fox. Regd VH-UTV 4.6.99 to Ken E Orrman. Regd 26.4.05 (or 11.6.99) to
Dr Robert Fox, Kellyville, NSW.
6656 Toc as HG657 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 76 MU 8.43. Shipped to Karachi 12.43.
Regd VT-ART 15.3.44 to Indian Air Survey & Transport Co Ltd, Dum Dum. Loaned [12.45] to
Tata Airlines, Bombay. Operated by Indian National Airways, Calcutta [8.46]. Crashed & dbf