G-AFCZ Short S-30C Empire Boat

This aircraft was the thirty-eighth Empire boat to be completed and flown by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent

The order was placed by Imperial Airways, London on behalf of Qantas Empire Airways - October 21, 1937

It was taken over during construction and allocated to TEAL as 'ZK-AMB - Australia'

It was completed as an S-30 Empire Class boat with 890 h.p. Bristol Perseus XII engines

The standard fuel capacity was increased from 650 gallons in the S-23s to 1,500 gallons

Had an all-up weight of 48,000 lb (21,780 kg) later increased to 53,000 lb (24,200 kg)

Cruised at 164 m.p.h. with a range of 1,300 miles / 2,000 km

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AFCZ (CofR 8210) - November 15, 1937

Launched on the Medway at Rochester - April 1939

First flown as G-AFCZ - April 05, 1939

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) Issued - April 06, 1939

Delivered to Imperial Airways, London - April 24, 1939

The aircraft was named 'Australia'

It was not taken up by Tasman Empire Airways Limited

Test flown by Imperial Airways on the Southampton - Karachi route - ?

It was badly damaged when it ran aground on a sandbank whist taxiing at high speed at Basra - August 09, 1939

The nose section was pushed back to Frame 8 with the hull ripped open on the port side

Floatation devices were attached to the fuselage to maintain bouyancy

Once recovered from the water salvage work commenced with the nose section being removed

A new nose section was fabricated on site with repairs to the keel plate and hull being required as well

Ferried Basra - Rochester for further repairs - ?

Returned to service with Imperial Airways - October 01, 1939

Imperial Airways merged to form British Overseas Airways Corporation - April 01, 1940

Ownership was officially transferred to British Airways - August 22, 1940

The aircraft was destroyed by fire at Bathurst, South Africa - September 24, 1942