What was this Avro 504?

[Dave Homewood]

I have tried to work out which Avro 504 visited Cambridge in 1921. It was apparently the first ever aircraft to land here.

See the story and a poor photo.
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Walsh%20Bros%20Avro.htm

The photo you see there is scanned from a bad photocopy, the print that had been copied had seemingly disappeared from the local museum. However the negative was recently found and I have looked at it with a magnifier. I hope to get a new print made to scan and replace this poor quality one, but even looking at the negative i could see a number on the tail which looked like either "56" or "96".

Looking at Ivan's adf.serials page i can't see any numbers ending in either number relating to an Avro 504 serial.

So, does anyone know? Which Avro was this? The Walsh Brothers can't have used too many with a number ending in 6 on the tail, could they?

[Peter Lewis]

504 K H2986/NZFS'M' ?

Arrived NZ 1920, to NZ Flying School Ltd., Kohimaramara, coverted three-seater. Capsized on t/off (as a floatplane?) Kohimaramara 21Feb23, WFU. Sold NZ Government 30Aug24. Stored North Head 1925-26. Burnt on foreshore at Torpedo Bay, North Head, 22Apr26.

The only other one that might fit was H1966, but this was an NZ Aero Transport machine based at Timaru.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Peter. That first one is the one I was thinking might be likely, but the negative didn't look like a 66. It probably is that one but I'll wait till we get a print made before confirming. I wonder if Upham's log book survives anywhere.

[Peter Lewis]

Did you ever get this sorted Dave?

[Peter Lewis]

Did you ever get this sorted Dave?

[Dave Homewood]

Sadly, no.

[McFly]

Might be some interesting tidbits in this article on Avro aircraft in the Paeroa area? Not Cambridge but in the wider area..

Aviation and Paeroa Go Back 80 Years