Twenty-sixth Empire boat to be completed and flown by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent

Order placed by Imperial Airways, London

Completed as a S-23 Empire Class boat having 920 h.p. Bristol Pegasus Xc engines

It had an all-up weight of 40,500 lb, cruised at 164 m.p.h. with a range of 760 miles

Entered onto U.K. Aircraft Register as G-AFBJ - November 25, 1937

First flown as G-AFBJ - November 25, 1937

Certificate of Registration Issued - November 25, 1937

Delivered to Imperial Airways, London - December 3, 1937

Aircraft named 'Carpentaria'

Earmarked for delivery to Qantas Empire Airways from outset

Delivered to Qantas Empire Airways - June 1938

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABA - September 13, 1938

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways, Ltd

Isolated in western sector of Horseshoe Route when Japan occupied Malaya - February 1942

Horseshoe Route connected Sydney and Durban, South Africa via East Africa, India and Malaya

Transferred to British Airways - 1942

Entered onto U.K. Aircraft Register as G-AFBJ

Withdrawn from service - January 19, 1947

Broken up for scrap at Kent - 1947

Aircraft had flown some 14,989 hours

VH-ABA & G-AETY. Qantas & Imperial Airways - at anchor, location & date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-351.)

VH-ABA. Qantas Empire Airways - in the original livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, March 1939.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-225.)

VH-ABA. Qantas Empire Airways - with wartime fin flash at Rose Bay, Sydney, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 2545-226.)

VH-ABA. Qantas Empire Airways - with wartime fin flash at Rose Bay, Sydney, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 2545-356.)

VH-ABA. Qantas Empire Airways - with wartime fin flash at Rose Bay, Sydney, date unknown.

(Qantas Heritage Collection. 2545-366.)