aeroplanes

So Rain Man told us a lie !!!

The aircraft was an Airco (later de Havilland DH.9C ) a converted World War I light bomber, that stalled on landing approach. "At first stripped DH.9s were used to carry one passenger behind the pilot in the gunner's position, but later versions, designated DH.9B, added a second passenger seat ahead of the pilot. A second seat behind the pilot was added by extending the rear cockpit in the early DH.9C. Later it had this rear position converted to hold two passengers face to face, protected by a faired dorsal canopy or cabin."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airco_DH.9C

List of Qantas fatal accidents
"While Qantas has never had a fatal jet airliner accident, the Australian national airline suffered losses in its early days before the widespread adoption of jets in civilian aviation. These were mainly biplanes or flying boats servicing routes in Queensland and New Guinea."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Qantas_fatal_accidents

Qantas is the oldest continuously operating airline in the world. Qantas founders were World War One airmen who recognized that only aviation could bridge the tyranny of distance that so defined life in the vast, open spaces of our continent. They had a vision for a national airline that connected Australia with the world. But they had to start small. In 1921, they began barnstorming across the outback in a rickety bi-plane. The first medical evacuation was recorded in 1921, and the first scheduled passenger flight came soon after. In 1926, when the first Qantas engineer began work on a new fleet, Qantas became the only airline in the world to build, fly and maintain its own aircraft. Source: www.qanta.

The Qantas DH50. In 1926, Arthur Baird, Qantas’ chief engineer, started building Qantas DH50 aircraft under license at Longreach. We’re one of the few airlines to have built and operated our own aircraft. Source: www.facebook.com/Qantas/photos/a.10157970955437686/101579...

The Avro 504K was the first QANTAS aircraft and was used by the airline for five years. Powered by a 100 h.p. Sunbeam Dyak engine, it was modified to carry up to two passengers as well as the pilot. After higher-capacity aircraft were received, the original Qantas Avro 504K was sold in 1926. This high-quality replica was one of two built by Qantas engineers and apprentices from the original plans and is the central exhibit in Qantas Founders Museum. The other Avro can be viewed at Mascot Airport Domestic Terminal. VH-EBQ, “City of Bunbury”, was the first Qantas aircraft named after a West Australian provincial town to mark the 150th Anniversary of Western Australia and Bunbury being declared a city. VH-EBQ was accepted by Boeing by Qantas on 10th December 1979. During its working life with Qantas, it is estimated the aircraft carried over 5.4 million passengers and flew over 82.54 million kilometers – equivalent to more than 2000 trips around the world or ten round trips to the moon or ten years continuous flying. VH-EBQ is unique in being the only surviving Boeing 747 – 200 with Rolls Royce engines. VH-EBQ was donated to Qantas Founders Museum by Qantas Airways and landed at Longreach on 16th November 2002. Source: qfom.com.au/about/qantas-founders-museum-aircraft-collect...

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use for ab initio training, the Second World War had RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s. Many of the military surplus aircraft subsequently entered into civilian operation. Many nations have used the Tiger Moth in both military and civilian applications, and it remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft. It is still occasionally used as a primary training aircraft, particularly for those pilots wanting to gain experience before moving on to other tailwheel aircraft. Many Tiger Moths are now employed by companies offering trial lesson experiences. The de Havilland Moth club, founded in 1975, is now an owners' association offering a mutual club and technical support. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Tiger_Moth