voughtsikorskyos2u3kingfisher

The Polar Star, the aircraft loaded onto HMAS Wyatt Earp for the expedition.

from Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons

• TVL1970 said:

  This is not the "Polar Star," Lincoln Ellsworth's Northrop Gamma 2B (NR-12269; c/n 2). That aircraft was used during Ellsworth's 1934-35 Antarctic expeditions. This aircraft is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-3 Kingfisher, RAAF Serial No. A48-13 (ex- USN BuNo 5977), used for the 1947/48 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) aboard HMAS Wyatt Earp. Originally constructed for use by the Royal Netherlands Navy (and to wear the serial V-12) in the Netherlands East Indies, the aircraft was instead delivered to the RAAF in April 1942 and used for seaplane training through World War II. The airplane was placed into storage in August 1945, soon after the Empire of Japan announced its surrender to the Allies. The aircraft was removed from storage on October 21, 1947, and prepared for use by the ANARE, including the addition of an engine pre-heater and a new high-visibility yellow paint scheme. She'd be taken aboard HMAS Wyatt Earp on December 13, 1947. See: www.adf-serials.com.au/2a48.htm Also: www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/lincoln-polar-star-... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Gamma