VH-EAF Horace Brinsmead

 

Type: L-749-79-35 Constellation
L-749A-79 Constellation (converted)
MSN: 2504
Previous Identities: NC86521 (NTU)
VT-CQS
Subsequent Identities: G-ANTF
N9816F
G-ANTF

History:

47 Built as L649-79-21 for TWA (was to become NC86521) but order cancelled. Completed as L-749-79-35 for Air India.
30JAN48 Accepted by Air India as VT-CQS "Mogul Princess". Export CofA No E-14769 issued same day.
17FEB48 Registered VT-CQS to Air India. CofR No 1132.
23FEB48 Departed Burbank on delivery.
16MAR48 Arrived in Bombay.
08JUN48 Departed Bombay for London via Cairo and Geneva on Air India's inaugural L-749 service.
20APR51 Sold to Qantas for £333,000. Total Time: 480:13.
27APR51 Registered to Qantas Empire Airways as VH-EAF. Named "Horace Brinsmead". CofR No 1782 issued. (Horace Brinsmead was Australia's first Controller of Civil Aviation).
27APR51 Arrived in Sydney on delivery.
04MAY51 Departed Sydney on its first Qantas service (to N.Z.).
07JUN51 Withdrawn from service for standardisation and tank sealing.
24AUG51 Test flown.
51 Converted to L-749A-79 with higher all up weight.
08MAR54 Used for six Royal flights by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh during their tour of Australia. Capt Don McMaster.
08-09MAR Melbourne-Brisbane
11-12MAR Brisbane-Townsville
16-17MAR Brisbane-Broken Hill
25-27MAR Brisbane-Adelaide-Kalgoorlie-Perth
13JUL54 Departed Sydney on its last Qantas service (to the U.K.).
22JUL54 Returned to Sydney.
23JUL54 Departed Sydney on sale to BOAC. Total Time: 8,188.
26JUL54 Arrived London.
28JUL54 Cancelled from the Australian Register.
16AUG54 Re-registered G-ANTF.
15SEP54 U.K. CofA issued.
27SEP54 Entered service with BOAC named "Berkeley".
01OCT54 Arrived in Sydney on its first BOAC service.
03MAR57 Last service with BOAC. Stored at London Heathrow.
09DEC57 Departed London on delivery to The Babb Co as N9816F.
03JAN58 Leased to Transocean Airlines.
JUN59 Returned to The Babb Co.
JUL59 Leased to Capitol Airways by mid JUL59.
31JUL59 Repossessed by BOAC and stored at Oakland, CA.
60 Transferred to International Aircraft Services and converted to a freighter with a rear cargo door, probably at Bradley Field, Conn.
JUN61 BOAC were negotiating a lease to Alaska Airlines around this date but nothing eventuated.
SEP62 Stored at Bradley Field until JAN64.
23JAN64 Re-registered to BOAC as G-ANTF.
21FEB64 Leased to ACE Freighters.
23FEB64 Delivered Newark to Gatwick.
06MAY64 Entered service with ACE Freighters.
01MAR66 Sold to ACE Freighters.
08MAR66 Made perfect wheels up landing at Aden while on a Ministry of Defence contract flight. The crew feathered all four propellers and positioned them with the starters to avoid ground contact. Fire broke out in the nosewheel area but was quickly extinguished. After temporary repairs the aircraft returned to the U.K. and was soon back in service.
14SEP66 Stored at Baginton-Coventry after ACE ceased operations on this date.
DEC66 Sold by tender to unknown purchaser but remained in storage at Baginton.
04DEC67 Cancelled from U.K. Register as sold in the U.S.A. but never delivered.
01FEB70 The deteriorated aircraft was set on fire at Baginton, destroying most of the fuselage.
71 The burned out remains were scrapped at Baginton in late 71.


Issue Date Remarks
5 25FEB16
Revised presentation of type.
4 29DEC15
Added an image of the aircraft as N9816F with Transocean Airlines. Thanks to Dean Straw.
3 26DEC15
Added an image from the Qantas Heritage Collection.
2 18SEP00
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