VH-CMB  Fairchild 24W-41A Argus          (c/n  360)

                              

                                    I have a plethora of photographs of this Fairchild.  My shot (above) was taken at Bankstown in
                                    1954 just after it had been first registered.   Formerly a Lend Lease Argus (FK351), this aircraft
                                    was civilianized as G-AJXA prior to being exported to Australia.  It was a participant in the 1964
                                    R.M. Ansett Brisbane to Adelaide Air Race as seen at Parafield after the event by Geoff Goodall
                                    in March 1964 (2).   Geoff saw it again at Bankstown a year later (Sept 1965) with almost the
                                    same livery, sans the titling of its race sponsor (3).    In 1978 it was repainted as an RAF Argus II
                                    in WW II SEAC markings bearing its correct serial and is seen at Moorabbin in December 1978
                                    by Dave Prosser (4 - via Geoff Goodall).    It is still current on the register and is now dressed up
                                    in (of all things) US Navy colors, even though that branch of the forces never operated the Warner
                                    Super Scarab powered model (the Coast Guard had a couple).   Phil Vabre took a contemporary
                                    shot of it (5) at the Temora Air Pageant in April 2008 in these fake markings.
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