Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Three-seat cabin monoplane

Power Plant:

(Desoutter II)

One 90 kw (120 hp) de Havilland Gipsy III four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Desoutter series of aircraft was produced in two models by the Desoutter Aircraft Company Ltd at Croydon Aerodrome, South London. The Company was formed in 1929 by Marcel Desoutter to build the Koolhoven FK-41 three-seat monoplane under licence. It is interesting to note one Koolhoven FK-41 operated in this region as VH-ULX (c/n 4103 – ex G-AALI) in western Queensland in the 1930s but has not survived.

The first Desoutters built were originally known as the ‘Desoutter’. Fitted with an ADC Cirrus Hermes I engine, they were built at the former ADC factory, with 28 examples, later known as the Desoutter I, being constructed.

In 1930 an improved version known as the Desoutter II appeared with the 90 kw (120 hp) de Havilland Gipsy III engine, re-designed ailerons and tail surfaces, and wheel brakes. The first machine G-AAZI (c/n D.27) flew in June 1930 and 13 examples were built.

Three Desoutter IIs have appeared on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register. VH-UPS (c/n D.37) was first registered on 22 December 1930 to L C L Murray of East Kilda, VIC but was withdrawn from service 12 months later when the registration expired and it was shipped to Canada where it became CF-ASR.

VH-UPR (c/n D.35) was first registered on 6 December 1930 to Hart Aircraft Sales Ltd, the Australian distributor, ownership being transferred to L Abrahams of Melbourne, VIC in March 1932. It crashed on take-off at Sale, VIC on 3 July 1933, was rebuilt, and was registered to Victorian & Interstate Airways Ltd of Essendon, VIC on 24 August 1937. Subsequent owners included L H Bickerton and L White of Richmond, VIC; J L and F G Roche of Carnegie, VIC; F J Williams of Nhill, VIC; W Campbell-Hicks in March 1951; and L Haworth of Tullibigeal, NSW. It was withdrawn from use in November 1957. It was restored by the Moorabbin Air Museum, VIC for display. In later years it was rebuilt to airworthiness by Nelson Wilson and later went to the National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin. It has since been retired in September 2020 as no longer to be used as an aircraft.

VH-UEE (c/n D.3 – ex EI-ADD, G-ABOM) had a long and interesting history. In 1931 Harold Jeffrey and Harold Jenkins sailed to the United Kingdom where they obtained a Desoutter II G-ABOM to make a tour of Europe. They left Croydon on 31 December and flew to Paris, France, then travelled through Italy, crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Tunis in North Africa, and then flew to Benghazi in Libya, arriving in Cairo, Egypt in January 1932. They continued on to Calcutta in India where they stayed for nine days; then on to Singapore and Koepang in Timor, arriving in Darwin, NT on 10 February 1932. They then flew south to Charleville, QLD, arriving in Sydney, NSW on 10 February 1932.

Afterwards the aircraft was named ‘Miss Flinders’. It was sold to L M Johnson and was used to pioneer routes in Tasmania. Over the years its owners have included Tasmanian Aerial Services Pty Ltd, Holymans Airways, Wollongong & South Coast Aviation Services, South Coast Airways, and Rain Air Taxis Ltd, with which it was named ‘Jeerbin’.

During the 1950s VH-UEE was operated in New South Wales with the registration VH-BQE. In 1966 the aircraft was restored and placed on display at Launceston Airport, TAS . In recent years it has been removed and restored as ‘Miss Flinders’, being placed on display at the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery in Launceston.

A number of Desoutters have been registered in New Zealand over the years, but none has survived. Dominion Airways commenced operations with a Desoutter, flying from Hastings to Gisborne on 22 December 1930.

New Zealand Desoutter Is were: ZK-ABY (c/n D.17) registered in 1930 to G A Nicholls but broken-up in 1937; and ZK-ACJ (c/n D.10 – ex G-AATI – ‘Aorangi’) which was flown to New Zealand by C E Kay and H L Piper, leaving Croydon on 9 February 1930 and arriving in Sydney on 23 March. It was then shipped to New Zealand and operated with the Waikato Aviation Company from December 1930. It was then operated by Blackmores Air Services Ltd in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty areas taking passengers for a view of the Rotorua volcano. It survived in service until damaged beyond repair in an accident at Taneatua on 8 November 1950.

Desoutter IIs were: ZK-ABX (c/n D.21) which was obtained by Bryant House Airways but only survived for a short time, as it was lost in a crash at Rotorua in 1932; and ZK-ACA (c/n D.36) which was imported for Dominion Air Lines but also only survived for a short time, crashing at Wairoa on 8 February 1931.

A few Desoutters have visited this region. A Desoutter II Sports Coupe OY-DOD (c/n D.41) of Det Danske Luftfartselskab was flown in the October 1934 England to Australia MacRobertson Race by Lt Hansen, coming 7th in the handicap section, and finishing the course in a flying time of 129 hrs 47 mins. He then left on the return flight to Denmark on 13 November 1934. The aircraft later operated with the Finnish Air Force, eventually becoming OH-TJA in 1947 but was destroyed in an accident shortly after.

British registered Desoutter I G-AATI (c/n D.10) was flown to Australia. Two New Zealanders, Harold Piper and Cyril Kay, who had served with No 26 Squadron, RAF at Catterick in Yorkshire, decided to return to New Zealand by aircraft, obtaining a Desoutter I. They left the United Kingdom on 9 February 1930, reaching Darwin on 24 March after having suffered a number of forced landings on the way. They then flew on to Sydney, arriving on 30 April 1930. The remainder of the journey to New Zealand was by ship, with the aircraft as cargo. The aircraft, as noted above, later became ZK-ACJ. Kay later went on to serve in the RNZAF, and flew the DH.89 Dragon Rapide ‘Tainui’ in the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race.