VH-UUS  de Havilland D.H.83 Fox Moth            (c/n  4044)

                              

                                  Two photographs of this interesting Fox Moth from the Geoff Goodall collection.  The one above
                                  was taken at Mt. Isa, Queensland around 1949 when the aircraft was owned by C.W. Lanham. 
                                  It had been  imported from the UK (ex G-ACCS) in 1937 for Mandated Airlines Ltd of Salamaua,
                                  New Guinea.  It was sold to Qantas in 1942 and was a late impressment into the RAAF, this event
                                  not occurring until August of 1943, wherein it became A41-9.   Released after the war, it was owned
                                  by the Federal Methodist Inland Mission, headquartered in Key, Victoria.   Lanham acquired it in
                                  1947.  In 1955 it was registered to Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (later 'Sir' and Premier of Queensland).
                                  who, in those days, ran a crop dusting operation out of Kingaroy.  (He also had some Tigers and an
                                  Anson).  I assume he modified the Fox Moth to put the hopper in the passenger cabin.  VH-UUS
                                  was purchased  by Cropcair Aviation Pty Ltd in 1960, and the shot below, taken at Toowoomba,
                                  Queensland in 1961 by Darryl Connell, shows it in its duster configuration.  Note external lever to
                                  open the hopper for the seed spreader attachment on the belly (like a 1920s sports car hand brake).
                                  The Fox Moth was re-registered  VH-CCH in 1964, finally being written off in a crash at Barney
                                  View, Queensland in December 1965.