VH-UOJ
Genairco
Cabin
(c/n 18)
The above shot, from the
John Hopton collection, shows the Cabin Genairco at Mascot in its
original configuration. Later, in 1933 -UOJ along with the
Genairco Open Biplane VH-UOH
was operated by
the original Fiji Airways
from Suva in 1933. The photo immediately below,
from the Geoff Goodall
collection shows -UOJ at Suva just after it had been fitted with floats.
It
eventually became VQ-FAD when Fiji was assigned its own
registration series. Both Gen-
aircos
were shipped out from Sydney to Suva, Fiji on the SS Aorangi, departing
2 Feb 1933.
General
Aircraft
Co's J.G. Boehm accompanied them, to assemble the aircraft and fit
their
floats At the foot of the page are three
historic sepia
prints (I shall leave them that way) from
the Ron and Rae Boon
collection, kindly submitted by Greg Weir of
Queensland They show
(left) George Boehm of the
General Aircraft Co Ltd of
Mascot shaking hands with none other
than R.A. (Rab)
Butler. The
inscription on the back of that photo
states; "A Butler record holder
from England, congratulates me in the flying
qualities of my new
aeroplane". (Signed
George).
The final
image shows VH-UOJ
just after it left the factory before the application of its
identity.
The inscription on the reverse of
that print, in the handwriting of Boehm, indicates that
this is his
"latest bus", and makes reference
to the earlier Open Biplane. VH-UOJ was restored to the
Australian register in 1938 as VH-UUK
