Hi Greg,
Don’t know if this helps, but here’s some info obtained from various websites. None of these sites mentions any other modifications.
“The fourth Gipsy Moth built G-AAAH was purchased by Captain Walter Hope as a single seat long range variant to obtain photographs of the British Royal family in Kenya for the Daily Mirror. Afterwards the aircraft logged 35,000 miles with Air Taxi’s LTD.
In 1930 a 22 year old pilot and engineer named Amy Johnson publicly announced her intention to beat Bert Hinkler’s fifteen and a half day record to Australia. Lacking an aircraft and much backing Wally Hope offered to sell G-AAAH to Amy for 600 Pounds, and borrowing 300 Pounds from Lord Wakefield and 300 Pounds from her father Amy Johnson purchased the aircraft.
Re-registered in her own name on April 30th 1930, the engine was overhauled by “Jack” Humphries, long range tanks installed and given a new a new coat of green and silver dope. The aircraft also acquired a new name “Jason” which was a contraction of “Johnson” and was also the trade mark of the family’s fish trauling business in Hull.”
…and a couple of other references:
“The aircraft for her epic flight was delivered only three weeks prior to her planned journey. Johnson acquired a two-year old De Havilland Moth with a Gipsy engine which already had extra fuel tanks, giving it a range of 13 hours flying time. She christened it Jason, the trademark of the Johnson family fish business, and had it painted bottle green with silver lettering.”
“The aircraft, a two year old Gypsy Moth already fitted with long range tanks, was purchased for the sum of £600 a mere two weeks before the flight.”
Here’s some links to photos:
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=G-AAAH&distinct_entry=true
http://libapp.sl.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus/ENQ/PM/FULL1?389708,I
http://www.amyjohnson.info/images/jason_on_the_ground.gif
Regards,
David Eyre
Perth, Western Australia
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