DH82A TIGER MOTH VH-BKS
MSN 83118
(AA000060)

 

 

QAM thanks Greg Ackman for this aircraft which was donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.


R5259
    
40
   Built by de Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Hatfield, Herts, UK. Built to RAF order as R5259 (c/n 83118), part of an order for 400 Tiger Moth II (R5236-R5265).The majority were shipped to Australia, New Zealand and Southern Rhodesia under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
40
   R5259 was shipped to Australia in the batch R5256-R5265 plus 31 other Tiger Moths from this order.
19JUL40
   Received by No. 1 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Laverton, Vic.
18AUG40
   Serviceable at 1AD.
26AUG40
   Serviceable at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Essendon, Vic.
23JAN41
   Allotted to 9EFTS, Cunderdin, WA ex 3EFTS.
03FEB41
   Serviceable at 9EFTS.
08JAN43
   Allotted MacRobertson Miller Airlines at Maylands, WA ex 9EFTS for overhaul.
18JAN43
   Issued to MMA.
16APR43
   Allotted to 9EFTS, Cunderdin ex MMA, Maylands.
26APR43
   Received at 9EFTS.
04JAN45
   Allotted to Storage ex Strength 9EFTS.
08JAN45
   Received in storage.
01JUN45
   Allotted No. 86 Operational Base Unit, Cunderdin ex 9EFTS Storage Reserve.
11JUN45
   Transferred to 86OBU.
06DEC45
   Offered for disposal.
10APR46
   To be stored Category C.
01OCT46
   Downgraded to Category D.
02DEC46
   Sold through Commonwealth Disposals Commission to R.G. Mathews, HMAS Australia, c/- GPO Sydney for £60
16JAN47
   Issued to purchaser.
11MAR47
   Mathews advised DCA that he had purchased A17-321 and R5259 and that the pair would soon be ferried from Perth to Sydney. DCA allocated A17-321 as VH-AHR and R5259 as VH-AHS.
47
   Both aircraft were sold unconverted to R.S. Couper, Perth, WA.
23FEB48
   Robert Stephen Couper of Perth applied to register R5259. Overhaul for CofA begun at Maylands by Aero Service Pty. Ltd.
VH-BHK
    
23FEB48
   Added to Register as VH-BHK but a Certificate of Registration was not issued and the aircraft was struck off the Register.
10APR48
   Test flown at Maylands by R.S. Couper after Certificate of Airworthiness overhaul.
VH-BKS
    
15APR48
   Added to the Register as VH-BKS and CofA issued same day.
31MAY48
   Change of ownership to Daniel S. Hunt, Perth, WA.
JUN48
   Hunt was using VH-BKS and VH-BKN (ex A17-321) for fish-spotting along the coast in the vicinity of Albany and Esperance and also for occasional private flying. Hunt is the operator of Hunt's Canning Co. which also owns Esperance Canning Co. and King Sound Products. The company pilot is R.S. Couper.
15JUL48
   A fish survey flight from Albany by Couper was investigated by DCA due to the length of time over the water.
JAN49
   VH-BKS was fitted with a long range fuel tank and radio for fish-spotting purposes.
14APR49
   VH-BKS CofA lapsed and not renewed. VH-BKN will continue alone on spotting work.
04JUL51
   VH-BKS was struck off the Register.
JUN52
   CofA renewal was begun at Maylands by Stan Doggett.
01JUL52
   Test flown at Maylands after overhaul.
08JUL52
   Returned to the Register as VH-BKS to Aero Spray Pty. Ltd., Perth. Aero Spray was a new company formed by Max Taylor who had been the first pilot for David Gray & Co. when they entered the aerial agriculture field in WA in 1951.
09JUL52
   Test flown at Maylands with new crop-spraying equipment fitted. Subsequently trials were conducted by Max Taylor at Caversham Airfield 6 miles north of Maylands.
11JUL52
   CofA was renewed. The aircraft flew the 1952 agricultural season flown by Max Taylor.
10JUL53
   The CofA expired and was not renewed.
53
   Taylor sold VH-BKS with expired CofA to Edwin John & Winnie Elizabeth Fry, trading as WA Produce Co., Perth. The sale was not finalised due to a financial dispute between the Frys and Taylor.
23SEP53
   Struck off the Register.
05MAY54
   Change of ownership to David Gray & Co. Ltd., Perth. Company History
MAY54
   Overhauled by Aero Service Pty. Ltd. at Maylands for CofA renewal. Aircraft in crop-spraying configuration.
11JUN54
   Test flown at Maylands by Jim Pekin and returned to Register same day.
08MAY57
   Annual CofA renewal at Maylands. Test flown by A. Egerton-Green.
01AUG58
   Annual CofA renewal at Maylands. Test flown by R. Currell.
JUL59
   During annual CofA overhaul at Maylands, the aircraft was resprayed silver overall. (Source: DCA inspection during the CofA overhaul)
05JAN60
   The Department of Civil Aviation issued Drawing Number HH3692 titled "Installation & Details Roll-Over Truss" to mandate the fitment of roll-over protection to all Tiger Moths used in agricultural operations. The drawing also defined the pilot's safety harness attachment points.
JUN60
   During annual CofA overhaul the aircraft was painted with a red fuselage and yellow wings. (Source: DCA inspection during the CofA overhaul)
30JUN60
   Hit power lines and suffered minor damage while landing near Yerecoin. Pilot Digby Bull.
01JUL60
   While taking off from the same paddock on a test flight after field repairs, Bull struck the same power line, again causing minor damage.
JUN62
   Change of ownership to Wilhelmus Michels, Perenjori, WA. Michels operated the store in the main street of Perenjori. He had entered into a business partnership with Max Taylor who would operate VH-BKS on crop-spraying in the Mingenew/Morawa district.
10JUL62
   Official date of change of ownership to Michels.
17AUG62
   VH-BKS was involved in an unspecified air safety incident on a flight from Maylands to Three Springs.
62
   "In the latter part of 1962, the then Minister for Civil Aviation, Senator Paltridge, outlined the agreement reached between his Department and the industry to phase out the Tiger Moth from aerial agricultural operations, as follows:

"Each operator's DH82 fleet will be reduced by about one-third in each of the next three years; no DH82 will be permitted to do aerial agricultural work after December 31, 1965; to promote training in the industry DCA will allow operators to continue to use dual-equipped DH82s for aerial agricultural training until December 31, 1964.

"The decision to end the use of the DH82 for agricultural operations was taken because of their high accident rate and the availability of more modern aircraft. The Tiger Moth had served the industry well when there were few suitable alternatives." (Source: Aerial Agriculture in Australia by Derrick Rolland, Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia Ltd., 1996)
FEB63
   Badly damaged on the farm of Edgar Gooch, "Bunderrie" at Three Springs. Taylor had been spraying on this property two months earlier and had left VH-BKS tied down near the farm house. During the night in late February, a storm blew the aircraft from its moorings and left it upside down against a nearby machinery shed. The aircraft was very badly damaged. Gooch had not seen Taylor since he parked the aircraft.

The same month, DCA wrote to Michels asking his intentions with the aircraft. In a long reply written in poor English, Michels advised DCA that he was not aware of the damage to the aircraft, that Tailor (sic) had hidden the Tiger Moth from him since the beginning of their partnership and asked DCA to help him find Taylor. (Taylor was a well-known local ag pilot with some 15,000 hours. He operated each new ag season with a different aircraft, financed by a new partner.)
01MAR63
   Struck off Register.
63
   Michels had the wreckage trucked from Three Springs to Perenjori where it was put up for sale. Its condition was said to be fair except for wing damage.
63
   The remains of VH-BKS were sold "as is" to P.J. Cull & B. Cochrain of Perth, who, in partnership with one other person, intended to rebuild the aircraft. The third member of the partnership owned a garage at Ballidu where the aircraft was taken for rebuilding. The wreckage had been purchased from Michels for £150 and it had suffered further minor damage when trucked from Perenjori to Ballidu.
JAN64
   An attempt to purchase wings from Bob Couper & Co. at Cunderdin brought the rebuild to the attention of DCA.
FEB64
   Because a restoration to full DCA airworthiness standards was now required, and given that this was not the original intention of the owners, the project was abandoned because of the additional cost. Subsequently, Messrs Cochrain and Cull trucked the aircraft from Ballidu to Perth where it was initially stored at Cull's home at 28 Riley Road, Tuart Hill. Later, the fuselage and some parts were moved to Cochrain's house at 145 Duke Street, Scarborough. The Gipsy Major engine, two props and cowlings were left at Cull's house.
09DEC71
   The fuselage of VH-BKS was inspected at Scarborough by AFA-AHG members and found to be in the open and in a badly deteriorated condition.
28DEC71
   The fuselage was inspected in detail by AFA-AHG members.
08FEB72
   All remains of VH-BKS were purchased from Mr Cull by Geoff Goodall of Perth and donated to the RAAF Association Museum.
10FEB72
   The fuselage was moved from Duke Street to 98 Westview Street, Scarborough for storage.
12FEB72
   Geoff Goodall visited Adelaide to discuss the restoration of VH-BKS with Mr John Boden of 14 Hooper Street, Salisbury, SA. Mr Boden had been rebuilding Tiger Moth A17-255 for some years and had built up a large spares collection. Mr Boden agreed to commence rebuild work on VH-BKS.
09JUN72
   The fuselage was moved from Scarborough to RAAF Base Pearce, WA.
18JUN72
   Flown from Pearce to RAAF Base Edinburgh by RAAF C-130 courtesy of the CO RAAF Pearce.
JUN72
   The fuselage was moved by trailer from RAAF Base Edinburgh to John Boden's residence where a slow rebuild was commenced. Subsequently, other Tiger Moth parts were sent to John Boden to assist in the rebuild. These included the rudder from VH-TSG.
16APR80
   The fuselage was moved from John Boden's residence to RAAF Base Edinburgh.
17APR80
   The fuselage was flown in RAAF C-130E A97-167 from Edinburgh to RAAF Base Richmond, NSW where it was transferred to another C-130.
18APR80
   The fuselage was flown from Richmond to Pearce by RAAF C-130.
30APR80
   Collected at Pearce by AFA members and taken to Bateman for storage.
    The history to this point was compiled by Geoff Goodall from official sources.
87/88
   The aircraft underwent further refurbishment at the RAAF Association Museum at Bull Creek.
11SEP07
   Purchased from Aviation Heritage Museum, WA by Greg Ackman.
23SEP07
   Loaned to QAM by Greg Ackman.
22OCT07
   Two QAM members departed Brisbane for Perth to pack the aircraft into a container for transportation to Caloundra.
25OCT07
   QAM recovery crew returned to Brisbane. The aircraft to follow by road.
01NOV07
   The aircraft arrived at Caloundra and reassembly began immediately. The cost of transportation from Perth to Caloundra was donated by QAM member, Les Boughen. QAM has given a commitment to the donor that the aeroplane will be conserved in its agricultural configuration.
22MAY09
   Formally donated to QAM by Greg Ackman.

 

This aeroplane represents every museum's dream - an aeroplane which once belonged to an aviation historian! QAM thanks Geoff Goodall for saving the aeroplane in the first instance and for documenting its history so thoroughly.

 

Compiled by Ron Cuskelly

 



 

ISSUE
DATE
REMARKS
11
18SEP23
 Added an image of the restored and repainted fuselage.
10
28JAN23
 Added an account of the recovery.
9
 11SEP21 Added a history of David Gray & Co. Ltd. thanks to Geoff Goodall.
8
07SEP21
 Expanded on the use and withdrawal of agricultural Tiger Moths.
7
25MAY17
 Added two recent images thanks to Angelo Calleja. Image 1 Image 2
6
03AUG09
 Corrected the date of purchase by Greg Ackman and added the date of formal donation to QAM.
5
14MAR09
 Added an image of the aircraft on display at Bull Creek. Thanks to David Eyre.
4
17NOV07
 Added an image of the reassembled aircraft at Caloundra thanks to Nick Sayer. Also recorded the fact that Les Boughen sponsored the transportation from Perth.
3
03NOV07
 Added arrival date at Caloundra.
2
30OCT07
 Added details and images of the refurbishment in 1987/88.
1
21SEP07
 Original issue.