WALTER VAN TILBORG MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 3003. Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes 4 (G-ALDA c/n H.P.81/2) Air Links
Photographed by Peter Keating

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes 4

03/31/2007. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This aircraft was delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) registered G-ALDA on May 5, 1951 and named "Hecuba". It was withdrawn from use and placed in storage at Radlett, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1951. Converted to a Mk.4A with more powerful Hercules 773 engines in July 1952, this was one of four Hermes leased to Airwork Ltd. and used on behalf of the Ministry of Defence as troop transports to Kenya and the Suez Canal; for these missions, it was assigned the RAF serial number WZ838. Airwork purchased the aircraft on December 31, 1956 and had it converted back to a Mk. 4 with the original Hercules 763 engines in May 1957. In 1958, Airwork merged with Transair to form a new airline.

On October 1, 1959, this Hermes was sold to the British charter airline Falcon Airways Ltd of Southend Airport, Essex, England, and then sold to Air Safaris on October 12, 1960 and was used for both scheduled and charter services. Air Safaris ceased operations in 1962 but this aircraft had been repossessed by a credit company on November 24, 1961. It was leased to Skyways Ltd. from November 26, 1961 to January 1962 and to Air Links from November 1962 until it was withdrawn from use and stored at Southend Airport in December 1964. The aircraft was scrapped in 1965."


Created October 14, 2003