Built as a Lockheed 414-56 Hudson Mk IIIA / A-29

Allocated U.S. serial number 41-36975

Transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force under the lend / lease scheme

Delivered to R.A.A.F. 1 Aircraft Depot, Laverton - April 2, 1942

Allocated RAAF Serial Number A16-199

Issued to 13 Squadron - June 30, 1942

Received at 5 Aircraft Depot - October 22, 1942

Issued to 13 Squadron - November 30, 1942

Issued to 2 Squadron - April 4, 1943

Issued to 3 Communications Unit for use by the Radiophysics Laboratory - April 16, 1943

Received at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond - August 29, 1944

Withdrawn from use and stored by 2 AD - November 16, 1945

Deemed surplus to requirements and sold to Macquarie Grove Flying School - September 24, 1947

Sale price was quoted as being 150 Pounds

Purchase price - 1,500 Australian Pounds

Accepted by Macquarie Grove Flying School at Richmond - December 1, 1947

Application to register aircraft made by John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney - October 6, 1950

Aircraft was modified to enable the delivery of newspapers to country regions via air drop

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SMM - December 18, 1950

Registered to John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney

Registered to Herald Flying Services, Sydney - August 10, 1951

Withdrawn from service and stored - May 27, 1952

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - March 2, 1953

Application to register aircraft made by John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Sydney - September 21, 1954

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-SMM - October 12, 1954

Leased to Brown & Dureau Ltd for aerial survey work - October 16, 1954

Modified by Brown & Dureau at Moorabbin Airport for aerial survey work

This included installation of oxygen system for crew, camera hatch and mount near rear door

Extra perspex windows fitted in nose section and P&W R-1830-90B engines fitted

Modifications signed off - March 2, 1956

Leased to East West Airlines Pty Ltd, Tamworth - 1957

Returned to John Fairfax & Sons at end of lease - 1958

Leased to Adastra Aerial Surveys Pty Ltd, Sydney - 1959

Registered to Sepal Pty Ltd, Mascot - June 24, 1966

Reregistered as VH-AGJ - December 14, 1966

Aircraft was repainted into the grey-orange livery - 1969

Registered to Adastra Aerial Surverys Pty Ltd, Mascot - October 24, 1969

Withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney Airport - 1971

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 1, 1972

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AGJ - April 11, 1973

Registered to Adastra Aerial Surveys

Sold to M.J. Wittington, Avalon Beach, Sydney t/a Hendon Aeroplane Company - April 16, 1973

Deprated Sydney on delivery flight to Auchterarder, Scotland (Capt L. van Praag) - April 19, 1973

Arrived Auchterarder, Scotland on delivery to the Strathallan Aircraft Collection - May 10, 1973

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - July 30, 1973

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-BEOX - March 25, 1977

Registered to Sir William Roberts

Strathallan Collection closed due to financial problems - 1981

Aircraft sold at auction to the RAF Museum - July 14, 1981

Displayed at RAF Museum, Hendon as A16-199 in RAAF markings

Retains its survey configuration of non-standard nose glazing, metal skinned canopy and no gun turret

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - December 22, 1981

 

VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the all-metal livery at Canberra Airport, date unknown.

VH-AGJ. Adastra Aerial Surveys - in the final livery at Sydney Airport, October 1969.