ADF-SERIALS
Australian & New Zealand Military Aircraft Serials & History
RAAF A42 Lockheed Vega DI-1A
| RAAF Serial | c/n | Aircraft History |
| A42-1 | 155 | This machine had a more colourful civil life having
being registered as G-ABGK and flown by Jimmy Woods and
Don Bennett (of RAF Pathfinders fame) in the England to
Australia air race in 1934. It failed to finish and was
shipped to Australia to be registered VH-UVK 23/06/36 to
05/11/41, and in this guise caused a stir in 1936 when
it proved faster than a RAAF Hawker Demon fighter-bomber
in an air race in Western Australia. Impressed for service from its civilian operator MacRobertson Miller Aviation in November, 1941. Ferried from Perth to Laverton 11/11/41. Allocated A42-1 12/11/41. It was painted in camouflage and issued to Northern Area Headquarters and it was delivered in late December 1941. The Vega was ground looped at Cairns on 17 June 1942, with serious wing damage. The aircraft was trucked to Townsville where it was stored by 24 Squadron and later by 33 Squadron. In October 1942, the aircraft was delivered to "Aircrafts Pty Ltd" at Archerfield for repair under contract to the RAAF. With the repairs completed, the Vega was issued to 3 Communications Unit on 24/11/43. On 9 March 1944, the Vega was issued to DCA for disposal having been declared surplus by the RAAF. The aircraft was stored at 3 Communications Unit at Mascot where it remained through October 1944. On 17 September 1945, the Vega was approved for conversion to components and on 12 October 1945, the aircraft was dismantled and trucked to 2 CRD at Richmond for conversion to components. By 15 October 1945, the Vega had been chopped up with axes at the Richmond RAAF Base. It only logged 46 flying hours before being scrapped in October, 1945. |
The Authors of this page are Darren Crick,Steve Mackenzie and Brendan Cowan
Source: RAAF Museum Website, CASA Aircraft Records, RAAF Status Cards.
Emails: John Andrade, Roger Lambert, Gordon Birkett.
Updated 23rd October 2018
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