de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover 1

de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover 1

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Built at Bankstown, and registered as VH-DHA, this prototype made its first flight in the hands of company test pilot Brian 'Blackjack' Walker on January 23, 1948. Between October 28, 1948 and June 23, 1949 it was loaned to the RAAF and tested by the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) at Laverton, Victoria.
It was acquired by the Department of Civil Aviation (DoCA) on October 13, 1949 and was to be re-registered as VH-CAU, however VH-CAU was never taken up. In full Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) colours and named 'Clifford Peel' VH-DHA was leased to the airline in November 1950 for evalution of freight services between Melbourne and Sydney. Thereafter the aircraft was based with the DoCA in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

On April 16, 1952, while on a DoCA flight from Wewak to Momote at Manus Island, a part of a propeller blade from the port engine penetrated the cockpit. The pilot, Captain C.R. (Clarrie) Hibbert (Acting Regional Director of DoCA Papua-New Guinea) was knocked unconscious. One of the two passengers, Tom Drury (Lae Airport Manager) took over the controls and ditched the aircraft in the Bismarck Sea, 90 miles (145 km) from its destination. After floating around in a dinghy for ten hours the three men were rescued by a RAAF crash launch. VH-DHA sank in deep water and was struck from the register on June 5, 1952.


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Built at Bankstown, and registered as VH-DHA, this prototype made its first flight in the hands of company test pilot Brian 'Blackjack' Walker on January 23, 1948. Between October 28, 1948 and June 23, 1949 it was loaned to the RAAF and tested by the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) at Laverton, Victoria. It was acquired by the Department of Civil Aviation (DoCA) on October 13, 1949 and was to be re-registered as VH-CAU, however VH-CAU was never taken up. In full Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) colours and named 'Clifford Peel' VH-DHA was leased to the airline in November 1950 for evalution of freight services between Melbourne and Sydney. Thereafter the aircraft was based with the DoCA in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. On April 16, 1952, while on a DoCA flight from Wewak to Momote at Manus Island, a part of a propeller blade from the port engine penetrated the cockpit. The pilot, Captain C.R. (Clarrie) Hibbert (Acting Regional Director of DoCA Papua-New Guinea) was knocked unconscious. One of the two passengers, Tom Drury (Lae Airport Manager) took over the controls and ditched the aircraft in the Bismarck Sea, 90 miles (145 km) from its destination. After floating around in a dinghy for ten hours the three men were rescued by a RAAF crash launch. VH-DHA sank in deep water and was struck from the register on June 5, 1952.