A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIGER MOTH VH-APB.
VH-APB was first built at Mascot, Sydney, in September 1940. Manufacturers
number 113, and RAAF serial 17-116. She was a trainer aeroplane in the
RAAF at No.7 Elementary Flying Training School in Tasmania and then went
into storage at Pt. Cook. She was subsequently sold at auction to a private
buyer in 1946.
Operated by Super Spread Aviation Pty. Ltd in 1956 and registered as
APB to Queensland Flying Services in 1957, and subsequently bought by Airplanters
of Bundaberg and operated in the Bundaberg region doing seeding and agricultural
work. Withdrawn from Service and registration cancelled 15-3-1966.
She was then stored at Roma for several years and bought by a Mr. Lindenburgh
of Pittsworth near Toowoomba. He owned a museum for old cars and artefacts.
She was inspected and granted a certificate to be flown from Roma to Pittsworth.
The pilot was a Mr. Morris of Sydney University, who tells the following
story about the flight:
“On commencing the flight from Roma to Pittsworth I stowed a spare
5gal. drum of fuel in the hopper. Halfway through the journey I noticed
the oil pressure dropping. I landed in a convenient field and found the
oil level was low. The place was deserted except for an old disused tractor
in one corner, so I drained the oil from the tractor, topped up the Tiger
and continued on to Pittsworth.”
Fifteen years later, APB was bought by Malvin Carr of Brisbane who found
the 5gal. drum of fuel intact and used it in his service station ute for
the next few days.
Malvin Carr started restoring her in 1977, and she flew again in July
1989.
David Julian and Isabel Reed purchased VH-APB in February 1998 and have
been flying her commercially ever since, as well as flying her around Australia
in April 1999.
A couple of Tiger Moth links (but not really related):
Isabella
Tiger Moth
Thomas the
Tank Engine and the Tiger Moth
