REPUBLIC RC-3 SEABEE # 972

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VT-CSU Photo: Phill Camp

VT-CSU
Dinjan Airfield, Assam, India
1956
Photo: © courtesy of Phill Camp

AIRCRAFT DATA

Manufacturer: Republic Aviation Corporation; Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, USA.
Model: Republic RC-3 Seabee
Type Certificate No: A-769
Serial Number: 972
Manufacturing Date: 1947-05-??
Engine: Franklin 6A8-215-B9F (215 HP at 2500 RPM)
Remarks:  
 
Reg. No. Date Remarks
(N6689K) 1947-05-?? Manufacturing Date.
1947-05-?? Test flight.
1947-10-24 Officially delivered from Republic Aviation Corporation to Hindustan Airways Co., Ltd.; Calcutta, India.
   
VT-CSU 1947-??-?? Registered on Indian CAR.
1958-04-01 Gold Coast Pvt. Ltd.; Australia.
1959-??-?? Exported to Australia.
VH-BBJ 1959-10-29 Registered on Australian CAR.
Imported by Gold Coast Holdings; Sydney, together with s/n 973 (VT-CST).  S/n 973 was destroyed in a hangar fire at Bankstown 1960-09-22 before registered on VH-register.
1962-??-?? East Coast Airways; Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia.
1962-06-07 Registration cancelled.
VH-ECZ 1962-06-07 East Coast Airways; Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia.
1962-08-14 J. Edwards; Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia.
1962-11-?? Suffered a heavy landing on the Tweed river, NSW, wherein the hull was holed and the aircraft sank.  Repaired.
1963-09-20 P. Hurn; Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia.
1964-10-02 W. Pearson; Howrah, Tasmania, Australia.
1964-10-07 Withdrawn from use until 1965-01-03. Cancelled from Australian CAR?
1965-09-28 K. E. Olson: Camden, New South Wales, Australia.
1966-01-13 Wrecked during a forced landing on the grounds of a mental hospital in the Sydney suburb of Rydalmere, due to fuel starvation on a flight from Coolangatta to Bankstown.  Fortunately the owner/pilot escaped unhurt.  Wreck trucked to Bankstown, NSW.  It was subsequently struck off the register and the remains of it were noted in a hangar at Tyabb in the new millenium.  Possibly for use as spares for the restoration of  VH-KNA?
????-??-?? Cancelled from Australian CAR.
1990-07-?? Noted stored at Camden, NSW.
2002-??-?? Noted stored at Tyab, Victoria.
  Sources: RAC Seabee Delivery List.
RAC Seabee Export List 1948-11-15.
Air Britain "Archive" 1981 No. 3/4.
Tony Arbon.
Phill Camp.
Bernard Martin.
http://antonakis.co.uk/registers/India.txt 
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BBJ.html 
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/VH-ECZ.html 

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Updated 2011-06-15

 © 2010-2011 Steinar Saevdal