australiannationalairways

Health and safety would have a heart attack now.

MORE INFO →DH89 Dragon Rapide ZK ACO "Tainui", The aircraft was named the “Tainui” after one of the canoes in the Maori migration to New Zealand. It carried the first all-through air mail from England to New Zealand, with covers being stamped at Mildenhall, Melbourne and Palmerston North. Squadron Leader J D Hewitt, Flying Officer C E Kay and Frank Steward were the first to fly between Great Britain and New Zealand. The official time for the flight was 12hrs 9min, and the average speed was about 130mph. (Manawatu Heritage)

"... VH-UUB was delivered to Holymans Airways Pty Ltd at Launceston, Tasmania in September of 1935 and named "Loila" (aborigine for "sky"). When ANA took over from Holymans at the end of 1936 this DH 86 was transferred to their asset register. It served them well until the outbreak of war and was then impressed into military service with the RAAF, becoming A31-3. It was destroyed by a fire on 14 April 1942. ..."

From - www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-UUB.html (with more photos including interior)

"The de Havilland Express, also known as the de Havilland D.H.86, was a four-engined passenger aircraft manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company between 1934 and 1937."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Express

Classic beauty.

Super

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Stinson Aircraft Corporation, and we'd love to have this added to the group!