VH-ABY  Percival P.16D Q-Six                                        (c/n  Q35)

                               

                                  The above photograph is courtesy of the Airways Museum and Civil Aviation Historical Society. 
                                  VH-ABY was operated by (the then) Department of Civil Aviation to develop and enhance the
                                  radio range work needed at that time in Australia.    For a full description of this work and a complete
                                  history of this aircraft, go to: 
                                                    http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Percival%20Q6%20VH-ABY.htm
                                  The shot immediately below by Bob Fripp was taken at Geelong's Belmont Common Airfield, circa
                                  1947 soon after its purchase from DCA by wealthy farmer Wallace Stillard of Cobram Vic. After being
                                   imported by DCA in June 1939 to test the new Lorenz radio beam systems, it led an unhappy life as a
                                   Departmental transport throughout the war, and was leased to Ansett Airways during 1943 to maintain
                                   their Melbourne-Hamilton service.   By 1946 it was only being flown 10 hours each year. On 26 August
                                   1947 VH-ABY crashed on a flight from Canberra to Geelong, killing the owner and W. J. Meehan of
                                   Geelong Airways.
                                   The poor, but interesting shot at the foot of the page, from the Allan Betteridge collection, depicts the
                                   aircraft at Adelaide/Parafield in its wartime camouflage.     It carries a national identity fin flash (white
                                   and blue) plus its civil registration in light grey.