Permission & Copyright Dan Lewis.

Permission & Copyright Dan Lewis.

As the prototype Convair 340 MSN 1 the aircraft made its first flight 5 October 1951.

Used for aerial mapping. Withdrawn from use in 1953. Photo from: National Library of Australia

Withdrawn from use in 1958. Photo from: National Library of Australia

Delivered to the RAAF in 1944. Sold to a civilian buyer in 1953 and presumably scrapped. Photo from: National Library of Australia

TG617 struck off charge in 1959. Photo from: National Library of Australia

Seen near the Fleet Air Arm's land base at HMAS Albatross, Nowra. The K tail marking is for the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney. WD937 was sent to the Nowra fire dump in 1962. Australian Fleet Air Arm photo.

RAF serial FR406, used by No 320 (Dutch) squadron. Served in the Dutch navy from 1947 to 1953, consecutively as R-2 (search and rescue aircraft), M-2 and B-2. These serials were painted on as 18-2 (R being the 18th letter of the alphabet), 13-2 and 2-2, indicating a naval aircraft. The Katwijk water tower is seen in the background. Photo from: Jaap de Moor collection

The first production Comet 1 (nearest) first flew on 9 January 1951. It was delivered to BOAC on 13 March 1952 and performed the world's first scheduled jet airliner flight Heathrow-Johannesburg on 2 May 1952. It crashed on 10 January 1954 after structural failure near Elba after take-off from Rome. DH's Comet 1 prototypes G-ALVG and G-ALZK (far) complete the then world-beating formation of this, the most beautiful jetliner built. Each has a slightly different fin scheme. Obtained from DH 50 years ago.

This photo shows a rare one-only version of the DC-6, with four-bladed Curtiss Electric props. They were intended as a replacement for the regular three-bladed Curtiss props on their DC-6s and Convair 240s, which suffered from severe hub cracking problems. However, prior to making a fleet-wide replacement, American decided to switch to the then-new high-activity Hamilton Standard propellers.

"Kutilang" served Garuda from October 1950 until sale to the USA in September 1961. This view when under maintenance clearly shows the clamshell arrangement of the engine cowling. From Garuda 50 years ago.

This Tudor 5 was ex British South American Airways - BSAA still visible on nose. Operated by Dempster from September 1950 until March 1954. Photo obtained 60 years ago.