80 DH89A Domine (Dragon Rapide) G-AIDL / 81 Airspeed Consul

A few poor ones and a few good ones left.

80 DH89A Domine (Dragon Rapide) G-AIDL

No caption. Hurn, on or after 9th April 1952.

Possibly one of the least good photos ever published of “The Wander”, Googling on this aircraft’s registration gives well over 100 good hits.

C/n 6968 built 1946 and registered as TX310 but immediately declared surplus, it was brought by Allied Airways Ltd (as G-AIDL) and used as the personal aircraft of Eric Gandar Dower. By the early 1950’s, it was owned by Goodhew Aviation Limited. Did they operate it in 1952?

After a very long service history (most of which is here: http://www.cct.u-net.com/c:%5CHACHomepage/DH89G-AIDL.html) , its now operated by Air Atlantique and frequently seen out and about.

81 Airspeed Consul

No caption. Any body recognize the livery?

Anybody identify the aircraft in the background (which are sharper than the consul…)?

78 Vickers Viscount 700 G-A???

No caption.

By comparison with 77 (VT-DEO) this photo was taken on 29th August 1952 at London Heathrow. My father did not note any ‘first seen’ Viscounts that day, but in the middle of a selection of numbers for the 29th at Heathrow is G-ALWE, Hurn 28th August 1952 which may mean that he saw this aircraft again next day (or maybe something else reminded him?)

It is not a 600 series prototype from the fuselage length and number of windows. In any case, the first prototype was in bits in Kartoum having suffered a collapsed undercarridge on the 27th.

It might be either 700 series G-AMAV (see http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showpost.php?p=335949&postcount=19) or 701 series G-ALWE or G-ALWF. The latter were built in 1952 but I can’t determine when or if the might have been in BEA colours at Heathrow in late August 1952.

Of course! I’d forgotten

75 DH94 Moth Minor Coupe G-AFOJ

Caption “Moth Minor Coupe Shoreham 2nd August 1952”

G-INFO has this as c/n 9407, first registered 27-Jul-39. Its CoA expired 27-Aug-69 and owner named as RM Long of Romford.

During its life, it was registered as E-1(G) and E-0236(G) according to http://pascal.brugier.free.fr/registre/txt/g-aaaa.txt; I presume Spanish but why the “(G)”’s? AJ Jackson only got three in of this one http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/d9.htm).

It is pictured at Gatwick’s Beehive Terminal in 1956 at http://www.gatwickaviationsociety.org.uk/displayfullimage.asp?pimg=g-afoj&pTitle=The+Beehive+Terminal+Building+1956&pCopy=Mick+Elliott+Collection and otherwise listed at the DH Museum at London Colney (http://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/aircraft.html). It’s not clear what its condition is, but it seems to be on display (must go there) – Bruce?