Desoutter II s/n D.35 VH-UPR
The Desoutter Aircraft Company was formed in Britain by Marcel Desoutter in 1929. The company produced the Dutch designed Koolhaven FK41 aircraft under license and marketed as Desoutter 1 and 11. The aircraft was a three seat high wing cabin machine of wooden construction and fabric covering with a fixed tail wheel undercarriage. The Desoutter 1 was powered by the 105hp Cirrus Hermes engine, with twenty eight being built. In 1930 thirteen examples of an improved variant, the Desoutter11 powered by the 120hp de Havilland Gipsy111 engine were built.
Three Desoutter 11s were imported into Australia by Hart Aviation Services of Essendon Airport, arriving from August 1930, and were entered into the Australian Register of Aircraft as VH-UPS, VH-UPR. and VH-UEE.
VH-UPS was later struck off the Aircraft Register and exported to Canada in May 1931.
The Museum's Desoutter VH-UPR remained with Hart Aviation Services until 1937. In company with VH-UPS it participated in the Snowy Mountains search for the missing Smith and Ulm's Australian National Airways (ANA) Avro10 aircraft "Southern Cloud" in 1931, and it also participated in the 1934 Bass Strait search for Holyman Airways, the precursor of the 1936 Australian National Airways, missing de Havilland DH 86 "Miss Hobart".
VH-UPR was sold to Victorian and Interstate Airlines that took over Hart Aviation Services in 1937, and operated on charter flying with them until sold with Government approval in 1943, and after a further four changes of ownership it was finally struck off the Register of Aircraft in 1960, after which it went into storage at Parkes New South Wales until donated to the Museum in 1968. It has since been completely restored by Museum member Nelson Wilson and returned to the Museum in February 2014, and put on display.
VH-UPR is currently on loan to the Nhill Air Museum in country Victoria.
VH-UEE was purchased by Mr Laurence Johnson in 1931 who christened it "Miss Flinders" and established the first air service between Launceston and Flinders Island in May 1932. The restored VH-UEE is currently on display in the Flinders Island airport terminal.
TECHNICAL DATA
Crew : 1 pilot.
Passengers : 2
Power plant : 1 x 120hp de Havilland Gipsy111, 4 cylinder inline engine.
Length : 25'10'' (7.9m) Wingspan : 35'09'' (10.9m) Height : 6'11'' ( 2.1m)
Weights : empty - 1,180lbs (535kg) maximum - 1,900lbs (862kg)
Speeds : maximum - 104kt (125mph) (201km/hr) cruise - 83kt (100mph) (161km/hr)
Range : 500miles (800km)