Tiger Moth History
Tiger Moth Crop Duster
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 Withdrawn from Service and registration cancelled 15-3-1966.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
 

Tiger Moth at Byron Bay
The Tiger Moth as she is today.
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