VH-RVX (1)   DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10                                        (c/n  C1/0485)
  
                                                           

                                     In 1954 the Royal Vic purchased three Chipmunks, VH-RVX, -RVY and -RVZ.  When they
                                     first arrived they flew for a few weeks sans tail stripes (the painters had been working overtime
                                     with a slew of "new" Tigers which had also just been acquired).  My shot below shows -RVX
                                     in that utility condition.  Barrie Colledge's color photo above (with Brian Stagg in the cockpit)
                                     shows it with its RVAC stripes as does my No 3 picture below.  It appears that VH-RVX was
                                     never painted into the latter day scheme as shown on VH-RVT), since it crashed at Ferntree
                                     Gully on 6 September 1961 and the photo of its mortal remains, at the foot of the page (courtesy
                                     of the CAHS archives), shows it in a plain aluminium finish (in fact ther tail stripes do not even seem
                                     to be present).