GOLDEN YEARS OF AVIATION



Imperial Gift - Australia


Aircraft Qty Engines Qty
Avro35Puma37
DH.928130hp Clerget44
DH.9A30180hp Hisp. Viper1
S.E.535200hp Hisp. Viper41
Liberty63
Total128186

In addition the following aircraft had been allotted to Australia prior to the Imperial Gift award:

Aircraft Qty Qty
Avro (le Rhone)20
BE.2e1
DH.68
FE.2b1
M Farman5
RE.81
Sopwith Pup12
Total48

The Avro 504K from the Imperial Gift of 35 aircraft and prior allotment of 20 aircraft were given RAAF serials from A3-1 to A3-47 inclusive as follows:

H2171 H2172 H2173 H2174 H2175 H2176 H2177 H2178 H2179 H3022 H3023 H3024 H3030 H3031 H3032 H3033 H3036 H3037 H3038 H3039 H3040 H3041 H3043 H3045 H3046 H3047 E3742 E3743 E3744 E3745 E3746 E3749 E3750 H9828 H9834 H9835 H9836 H9837 H9838 H9839 H9840 H9841 H9842 H9843 H9844 H3034 H3042


The following aircraft were not given an RAAF serial:

H2180 E3741 E3747 E3748 H3021 H3025 H3035 H3044


The DH.9 serials were:

D1115 D1119 D1127 D1129 D1187 F1238 D1257 F1295 C1296 D3000 D3017 D3182 D3186 D3187 D3189 D3191 D3195 D3196 D3202 D3207 D3220 H4291 H5592 H5679 H5697 C6241 C6246 C6323

These were given Royal Australian Air Force serials A6-1 to A6-28 respectively.


The DH.9A serials were:

H5 E793 E794 E795 E900 E901 E903 E904 E905 E906 E907 E908 E909 E910 E916 F2776 F2779 H3459 H3460 H3461 H3462 H3463 H3464 H3465 H3502 E8590 E8597 E9692 E9694

These were given Royal Australian Air Force serials A1-1 to A1-29 respectively.

In addition E8616 was supplied without serial. This aircraft crashed in Bass Strait 23.9.20 and a replacement DH.9A was supplied (De Havilland c/n 42) which became A1-30


The SE.5 serials were:

D369 D370 D371 C1916 C1917 E3169 E3170 E3171 D8471 D8473 D8474 D8475 D8476 D8477 D8480 D8482 D8486 D8488 D8490 D8491 D8495 B8567 C8994 C8995 C8996 F9106 F9107 F9110 F9113 F9119 F9122 F9131 F9143 F9144 F9145

These were given Royal Australian Air Force serials A2-1 to A2-35 respectively. A2-2 was later converted to a 2-seat trainer and reserialled A2-36

Ten aircraft were never erected and were destroyed 20th March 1928. These were A2-21 to -23, -27 and -29 to -34


The Sopwith Pups were C521 to C532 inclusive and were given RAAF serials A4-1 to A4-8, unallocated, A4-9 to A4-10, unallocated.