VH-UOG  General Aircraft Genairco                                (c/n 16)

                              

                               The General Aircraft Company Ltd was formed in the late 1920s at Mascot, NSW for the
                               purpose of manufacturing light aircraft of Australian design   Two designs were produced,
                               the Genairco Cabin and the Genairco Open, also known as the Genairco Moth.  This latter
                               was a conventional single-bay biplane with the fuselage based on the D.H.60 Moth and the
                               wings based on those of the Avro Avian.  The fuselage, however, was wider than that of the
                               Moth and allowed for two side by side passengers in the front.  Only 10 Genaircos were built
                               - 11 if you include the seaplane completed by Tugan.     VH-UOG was delivered on 2 June
                               1930 with a 105 hp Harkness Hornet engine, which was replaced five months later with a
                               130 hp Gipsy Major Mk. II.  Immediately below is a photo from the Geoff Goodall collection
                                showing VH-UOG in western NSW during the1950s.       The image at the foot of the page,
                                taken from an article appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald for 21 November 1930, shows
                                well the wider forward fuselage. The caption indicates that the Governor of NSW was handing
                                over this 'First Australian-built Moth to the Aero Club'   Not true on two counts.  The first
                                Genairco was VH-UNC and VH-UOG never did see service with the NSW Aero Club.
                                However, for ribbon cutting purposes this, clearly, was near enough!    Actually, -UOG was
                                Goya Henry's well known aircraft when his legal actions against the Commonwealth resulted
                                in a complete change in administering the rules of the air in Australia.     By 1956 this aircraft
                                was owned by Oscar Roche of Tottenham NSW, who also had Genairco VH-UOD, and he
                                flew it until it was retired in 1964.    It was  then stored at Tottenham until acquired by Joe
                                Drage who transported it to his newly established Drage's Historic Aircraft Collection on a
                                farm at Wodonga Vic.     When the Wangaratta City Council, or forefathers, or whatever,
                                elected to sell off this historic collection of aircraft, VH-UOG was sold to Roy Fox in NSW
                                who, hopefully, will have it restored to health one of these days!

                        

                                 

                        









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