Fokker F.27 VH-CAT

The photo above shows both Department of Transport, Air Transport Group, airways survey F.27s VH-CAT and, behind, VH-CAV on a wet Essendon apron on 4 November 1975. Note that the DCA Flying Unit logo has been removed from the nose and fin of both aircraft, but they do not carry the DOT logo. Both aircraft have also been fitted with weather radar in a modified nose.

Click here to see a colour photo of VH-CAT

(Photos: Top-Geoff Goodall; Bottom-George Canciani)

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Fokker F.27 Friendship VH-CAT

DCA ordered two brand new Fokker F.27 Mk 1 Friendship 100s during 1959 so that the regulator had experience on the same airliner type that was being purchased in numbers at that time by Australian airlines such as TAA, East West Airlines, MacRobertson Miller Airlines, Ansett-ANA and its subsidiaries Airlines of NSW, Airlines of SA and Queensland Airlines. VH-CAT & VH-CAV were delivered from the Fokker factory in Netherlands to Australia in September 1959. VH-CAT was built by Fokker at Schipol, Netherlands, (c/n 10132) and originally registered PH-FAZ. Both Friendships were based at Melbourne/Essendon and used for a variety of roles, including radio navigation aid calibration work throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea. VH-CAT is seen above at Adelaide/West Beach in August 1962. It has the original metal nose, which was later replaced by a radome covering a weather radar antenna.

The photo above shows both Department of Transport, Air Transport Group, airways survey F.27s VH-CAT and, behind, VH-CAV on a wet Essendon apron on 4 November 1975. Note that the DCA Flying Unit logo has been removed from the nose and fin of both aircraft, but they do not carry the DOT logo. Both aircraft have also been fitted with weather radar in a modified nose. Click here to see a colour photo of VH-CAT (Photos: Top-Geoff Goodall; Bottom-George Canciani) Back to Departmental Aircraft index page If this page appears without menu bars at top or left, click here