Cfs Dh6 Aircraft, Can anyone help fill the gaps?

[Brendan Cowan]

Hi Folks,

While preparing an update for the CFS page which we will publish soon I ran into a couple of stumbling blocks in relation to the Airco DH6 aircraft operated by that establishment.

My problems at the moment are:

1) I have not been able to tie up the CFS allocated Serial numbers for these airframes with their RFC/RAF Serial numbers and C/N's.

2) I haven't been able to tie up which of these airframes went on to the G-AU/VH register when they we demobbed. (Except for C9375 which became G-AUBW)

Here are my research notes so far:

Eight DH-6's were ordered for the CFS on 20 March 1918 and alloted the serials CFS21 - CFS28.

Two of these were lost at sea en route, and so a further two were sent despite AFC attempts to cancel them.

An additional aircraft is thought to have been built from spares and it together with six surviving CFS aircraft, were sold after their military service to civilian operators.

CFS No RAF No C/N Civil Reg

? B2801 ? "Built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, with a 90 hp RAF engine.
Sold to the Aerial Co Ltd (ex CFS Point Cook)
Ferried to Sydney by PG Taylor MC (later Sir Gordon Taylor, see his book 'The Sky Beyond' for an account), 9 1/2 hours flying time between 31 March 1920 and 8 April 1920"

? B2802 ? "Built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, with a 90 hp RAF engine
Sold to the Aerial Co Ltd, and was ferried to Sydney by Flt Lt RF Oakes, 9 1/2 hours flying time between 31 March 1920 and 8 April 1920 (ex Point Cook)"

? B2803 ? Built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, with a 90 hp RAF engine

? B2804 ? Built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, with a 90 hp RAF engine

? C9372 ? Built by Gloucestershire Aircraft

? C9373 ? Built by Gloucestershire Aircraft

? C9375 ? G-AUBW "Built by Gloucestershire Aircraft
Aircraft flown by Lt CV Ryne from Richmond to Bathurst on 6 August 1920
C of A issued 28 June 1921 as G-AUBW.
Flying in 1928 with Ross Shaw Engineering and Aviation Co Ltd.
Burned in hangar fire, Melbourne, 7 August 1931 along with 3 other aircraft."

? ? Reports indicate that an additional DH6 was built from spares by the CFS. (can anyone confirm that?)

Other Civil DH6 Aircraft operated in Australia
C7625 ? G-AUEA "Built by Grahame White (imported direct for civilian use?) but recorded also as erected from spares by CD Pratt.
C of A issued 28 December 1921.
Crashed at Mooroopna, Victoria, 25 October 1930."

C1972 ? G-AUDO "Built by Grahame White (imported direct for civilian use?).
C of A issued to CD Pratt, Geelong, Victoria.
Struck off register 29 September 1928"

? 3204 G-AUBH "Imported June 1921, used by Shaw-Ross Aviation (has been identified as B3204, but this was an Avro 504A).
C of A issued 28 June 1921 to W Robinson, Grafton, NSW.
Struck off register 27 June 1922"

? 642 G-AUBO "C of A issued 28 June 1921 to FT O'Dea, Bathurst, NSW.
Owned by FT O'Dea and PA Moody from 1921(ex CFS Point Cook or direct import?).
Crashed Maroochydore 27 January 1927"

? 3858 G-AUDS "C of A issued to J Linn, Orange, NSW, 27 July 1922.
Crashed at orange 29 April 1925 (imported direct for civilian use ?)"

? 3202 G-AUDW "C of A issued 29 March 1923 to Air Transport Ltd, Perth WA.
Crashed 19 November 1923. (imported direct for civil use ?)"

? ? ? Aircraft flown by Captain RW McKenzie MC to Hamilton, Victoria, for joyriding (ex Point Cook ?),

? ? ? Along with another (ex Point Cook ?) flown by Captain SG Brearley DFC (later Sir Norman Brearley, see his book 'Australian Aviator' for account).

? ? ? Aircraft flown to Bendigo by Lt H Treloar AFC for joyriding (ex Point Cook ?).

Any tips or leads would be appreciated.

Cheers

BC

CFS DH6 Aircraft

[Joe Barr]

Hi Brendan
Bruce Robertson's 'British Military Aircraft Serials 1878-1987' states that the second three DH6s sent to Australia were C9372 to 9374 (not 9375) of which C9374 became G-AUBW. Bert Cookson's 'The Historic Aircraft Register of Australia' agrees that G-AUBW was ex C9374.

Cookson also suggests that B2803 became G-AUBO and B2804 became G-AUBH. He says that G-AUBH crashed into a fence on 31.12.22 and was badly damaged (possibly while giving joy rides as it had been hired to T.H. Barkell of Sydney without a C of A and was "used for joy riding during the Christmas holiday")

Both Robertson and Cookson say that C1972 became G-AUDO. The latter says that it was registered by a C.D. Pratt of Geelong on 28.12.21 and after passing through three other owners was eventually struck off the register on 30.9.28.

Cookson links G-AUDS with B3858 but this was a Sopwith Camel serial.

I don't have a copy of Brearley's book but could the aircraft he flew have been G-AUDW which was in Perth from 1923-1925?

Other possibilities include a DH.6 which Cookson says was reserved as G-AUBU but without a previous identity. This evidently crashed at Neutral Bay,NSW, before it could be registered. Also G-AUEA, a DH6 which he records (without previous identity) was registered to Geelong Air Service 5.4.23 sold to K.R. Brown of Bendigo 3.4.29, sold again to T.B. Sissons, also of Bendigo, 11.6.30. Re-registered VH-UEA on 31.8.30 and crashed at Mooroopna, Vic 25.10.30 being struck off 2.12.30 - possibly the last DH6 in Australia!

Hope that mess all helps.

Joe

[Brendan Cowan]

Many thanks Joe,

This helps round things out a little more.

I think I'll need to broaden my NAA Search a little too, I've based most of my research on existing published works so far, and have not been able to locate any original source documents yet.

We'll get there - or at least get closer!

Cheers

BC

[Brendan Cowan]

Hi again,

Does anyone have any photos of Australian DH6's that we can publish?

Anything would help:

AFC Service
AAC Service
AAF
RAAF
Austalian G-AU or VH- registered (and even the "unregistered ones)

Thanks

Brendan

[mikemirk]

Brendan,
Have photos of one DH6 in the museum's collection, will add to the image gallery on Tuesday.
Mike M. ^_^

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks again Mike,

You're a star!

Cheers

BC

[batman]

Brandan

I do have some details on the D.H.6 - will email you.

[mikemirk]

Hi all.
As promised photo of D.H.6 C9373 at Point Cook, c.1918, and have added it to the image gallery.
Mike M. :D

Attached Image

[Rod Farquhar]

Early aircraft recognition is not my strong point so when BC asked for a pic of an Airco Dh6 I went looking and found one of the RFC's.
Now Mike has posted his pic I am confused, although they look almost the same I note the following.
The rudder profile is different
There are skids under the outer wings
The exhaust stacks point upwards
One has a four bladed prop the other appears to be two

Help!!! :huh:

Attached Image

[Joe Barr]

There were quite a few variations to early aircraft, Rod. Your photo looks like the photo of the first prototype in the Putnam book on de Havilland Aircraft since 1912 by A.J. Jackson. Only the first two prototypes had that fin and later photos show aircraft with enlarged fins as in Mike's picture. They also show aircraft with two and four blade props and with and without skids. The DH.6 also flew with Renault and Curtiss engines which did not have the vertical exhausts of the original 90 hp R.A.F.1a engine. In later aircraft even the stagger of the wings was varied as was the camber of the wings while the chord of the tailplane was reduced by up to 40% in one trial!

Joe

[Rod Farquhar]

Thanks Joe, it sounds like it is all a rather complicated field but I guess given the rapid evolution of flying machines in those days it is understandable.
Rod.

[Brendan Cowan]

Hi,

Thanks for the shots guys.

Production contracts for many RFC/RAF types were farmed out to manufacturers well beyond the original designers. Also, the powerplants could vary from order to order, and then RFC depots often remunufacted damaged or worn out aircraft introducing their own modifications.

That is of course on top of the normal (and often very short) design evolutions of aircraft of the period.

In other words, variation was enevitable.

These photos are very nice examples of this with the Airco D.H.6.

Cheers

BC