This aircraft was built by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent

It was built to the U. K. Ministry of Transport Contract No. 2688 for 8 Sunderland Mk IV aircraft

It was allocated the Royal Air Force servial 'NJ203'

Prior to completion the airframe was redesignated a Seaford Mk I

This airframe was not taken on-charge by the Royal Air Force

It was declared suplus to requirements and was returned to the Ministry of Supply - 1946

Transferred to Short Bros & Harland, Belfast for conversion to a Solent Mk III - September 25, 1947

The aircraft was configured to seat 39 passengers

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AKNP (CofR 12078/1) - December 02, 1947

Registered to Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, London

Leased to British Overseas Airways Corporation as the registered operator - March 18, 1949

Delivered to B.O.A.C. at Hythe - ?

The aircraft was named 'City of Cardiff'

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA 10243) issued - March 19, 1949

Operated the inaugural Southampton - Nairobi (Lake Naivasha) service - May 15, 1949

Operated its final BOAC Solent revenue service Augusta - Southampton - November 02, 1950

The aircraft was withdrawn from use at Southampton

Ferried Southampton - Belfast on return to Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation for storage - November 08, 1950

Sold via W. S. Shackleton Limited to Trans-Oceanic Airways Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia - 1951

This aircraft was acquired to replace the Solent 'VH-TOA' which was destroyed during its delivery flight

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register as 'sold abroad' - February 05, 1951

Returned to the British Aircraft Register as G-AKNP (CofR R-2441/2) - March 20, 1951

Registered to Trans-Oceanic Airways Pty Limited, Sydney, Australia

It was painted into the Trans Oceanic livery at Belfast prior to acceptance

Accepted by Trans Oceanic Airways - March 23, 1951

Departed Belfast on delivery flight to Australia as G-AKNP - March 24, 1951

Arrived Sydney (Rose Bay) on completion of the delivery flight - April 04, 1951

Operated a promotional flight Sydney (Rose Bay) - Hobart - April 06, 1951

Operated a promotional flight Sydney (Rose Bay) - Grafton - April 09, 1951

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TOB (CofR 1780) - May 01, 1951

Registered to Trans-Oceanic Airways Pty Ltd, Sydney

The aircraft was named 'Star of Papua'

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA 1808) issued - May 22, 1951

Entered regular commercial service on the Sydney (Rose Bay) - Hobart service - May 22, 1951

Operated the inaugural Sydney - Brisbane - Port Moresby 'Chieftan Service' - May 26, 1951

Flight crew: Captains K. H. Goddard, P. H. Mathieson

The aircraft was damaged after colliding with a fruit boat on the Brisbane River (Captain P. G. Taylor) - June 19, 1951

Temporary repairs were carried out at Colmslie before it was ferried to Sydney for full repairs

Aircraft was out of service for four weeks

Operated its first non-stop Sydney - Hobart Solent service - July 25, 1951

Flight crew: Captains P. H. Mathieson, H. F. Broadbent

The aircraft lost number 4 propeller and reduction gear over Bass Strait on flight Sydney - Hobart - February 11, 1952

It continued on to Hobart where a safe landing was made

Repaired and returned to service - February 16, 1952

Collided with a small cargo vessel whilst taking off from Brisbane River - March 22, 1952

It was operating the Brisbane - Port Moresby service

Returned to service four weeks later following the completion of repairs

Withdrawn from service for maintenance - August 19 to October 21, 1952

Operated its final revenue service - April 15 - 16, 1953

Trans-Oceanic Airways ceased all operations due to bankruptcy - April 1953

Sold by T.O.A.'s liquidators to Dollar Associates, Inc, Reno, USA - May 01, 1953

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 12, 1954

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N9946F - May 01, 1954

Departed Sydney on the ferry flight to United States (Captain B. Monkton) - May 12, 1954

Ferry route: Sydney - Fiji - Canton Island - Honolulu

The aircraft was to be operated by South Pacific Airlines, Inc on Honolulu - Christmas Island - Tahiti services

It was named 'Isle of Tahiti'

Refurbished by Transocean Air Lines at Oakland, California for FAA certification - 1955 to 1958

The U. S. Certificate of Registration issued - October 29, 1958

Test flown at Oakland, California in the South Pacific Airlines livery - November 13, 1958

Flew proving flight Honolulu - Christmas Island - Papeete return - December 1958

The British Government announced thereafter that Christmas Island would be used for atomic bomb testing

This resulted in permission to use Christmas Island as a transit stop being withdrawn

The aircraft did not enter service and was flown back to Oakland (Captain B. Monkton)

Sold to Hughes Tool Company and placed under armed guard at San Francisco Harbour - 1959

It was stored in the South Pacific Airlines livery

Ownership was reportedly transferred to Howard Hughes' nominees - 1959

It was evicted from the storage area it was moved by barge to Richmond, California for further storage - 1973

Offered to the City of Rochester, Kent, U. K. for preservation if the city paid for its dismantling and shipping

The estimated to cost $US 150,000 to move and re-assemble but this offer was declined

Sold to Virgil Martin trading as H & M Airline Services - February 1973

Sold to R & H Gottelli - March 1973

Sold to Rick & Randy Grant of Richmond, Califoria t/a PREFLITE - December 1976

They intended to restore it to flying condition

This came about following an appeal from an aviation magazine to save the aircraft from being scrapped

The aircraft was renamed 'Halcyon' - 1978

Restoration commenced with assistance from 'Friends of Halcyon'

The restoration group was renamed 'Seaflite'

The first engine run was carried out - April 07, 1981

Shortly thereafter finance for this wothwhile project ran out

It was used as a prop in film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Plans to complete the aircraft to an airworth condition to be used on flights to Honolulu did not eventuate

It was donated to the Western Aerospace Museum, Oakland, California - August 12, 1987

Moved from Richmond to Oakland to reside at the Western Aerospace Museum, Oakland International Airport

Painted in R. A. F. livery with genuine Seaford serial 'NJ203' and displayed as such - November 1988

Observed on display outside the Western Aerospace Museum as 'RAF NJ203' - July 2006

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - June 30, 2012

Currently on display at the Western Aerospace Museum