VH-EAC Harry Hawker
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| Type: | L-749-79-31
Constellation L-749A-79 Constellation (converted) |
| MSN: | 2572 |
| Subsequent Identities: | XA-LIO |
History:
| 47 | Built as L-749-79-31. |
| 10MAR47 | Registered to Qantas Empire Airways as VH-EAC. CofR No 1977. |
| 10OCT47 | Export CofA No E-14758 issued. |
| 13OCT47 | Accepted by Qantas as VH-EAC "Harry Hawker". (Harry Hawker was an Australian who became famous as a test pilot and designer with Sopwith in the U.K. He later gave his name to the famous Hawker aircraft company). |
| 22OCT47 | Departed Burbank on delivery to Australia. |
| 26OCT47 | Arrived in Sydney. Captains Jackson, Howse and Yates. |
| 30OCT47 | Entered service. |
| 20MAR50 | Departed London on the first Qantas service to Sydney via Colombo and Bombay. Capt R.J. Ritchie. |
| 20DEC50 | Visited Christchurch, New Zealand to commemorate the opening of the new airport. Capt Jackson. |
| 10FEB51 | Wing tip damaged in collision with BOAC L-749 G-ALAK. |
| 25SEP51 | Fuselage painted with white top and red cheatline. |
| 30SEP51 | Repaint completed. |
| 24MAR52 | Withdrawn from service for conversion to L-749A-79 with higher all up weight. |
| 29APR52 | Returned to service. |
| 21OCT52 | Operated the first Qantas service from Frankfurt to Sydney. |
| 02DEC52 | Departed Sydney on its first South African service. |
| 14NOV53 | Departed Sydney on its first service to London via Bangkok. Capt Pollock. |
| 29MAR54 | Departed Sydney on its first Tourist service to London. |
| 03NOV54 | Departed Sydney on the inaugural Qantas L-749 service to Tokyo via Darwin, Manila and Iwakuni. |
| 22SEP55 | A Qantas memo of this date states: "VH-EAC Planned departure 1/10 at 1000L EM732.035D In command Captain E Robinson, Captain M Bamman, Captain B Fawcett, N/O J Newton, R/O H Hocking, E/O P Allan, E/O B Haylock. Paxing, Ground Engineer E Harris." (Source: Qantas Heritage Collection via Colin Lock) |
| 08OCT55 | Sold to Aerovias Guest SA (Mexico) as XA-LIO. Total Time: 19,820. Departed Sydney on delivery to Mexico City via Nadi, Canton Island, Honolulu and San Francisco. Speedpak fitted. Captains E. Robinson, M. Bamman and B. Fawcett. |
| 13OCT55 | Cancelled from Australian Register. |
| . | Sold to California Airmotive Corp. |
| 63 | Stripped for parts at Burbank. |
| JUL63 | Broken up by this date. Nose survived in a Burbank junk yard for some time afterwards. |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 20JAN25 |
Added
an image of VH-EAC believed to be
at Laverton. Thanks to the John Hopton Collection via CAHS.
|
| 8 | 18OCT21 | |
| 7 | 26SEP19 |
Added
an image by Gus Grulke.
|
| 6 | 25FEB16 |
Revised
presentation of types.
|
| 5 | 29DEC15 |
Added
a reference to the delivery flight to Aerovias Guest. Thanks
to Colin Lock.
|
| 4 | 26DEC15 |
Added
4 images from the Qantas Heritage Collection.
|
| 3 | 20AUG15 |
Added
a colour image thanks to Peter Gates.
|
| 2 | 17SEP00 | - |
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