History[]
Built by British Electrical Engineering Company Ltd,[1] the aircraft was taken on charge as NR786 at 18 MU on 29 March 1945. To CRD at Lancashire Aircraft Corporation Ltd 8 July. Sold on 28 March 1946 to Lancashire Aircraft Corporation Ltd, and registered to them as G-AHGD on 1 April, with C of A 7646 issued on 17 May. Re-registered to Universal Flying Services Ltd, Kidlington [later Fairoaks], on 17 October. Re-registered to North Sea Air Transport Ltd, Hanworth [later Brough] on 31 October 1949. Re-registered to Leonard H Riddell, Sherburn (later Yeadon/Teesside) on 6 April 1951.
Re-registered to Lowe & Oliver Ltd, Booker on 22 December 1970. Re-registered to Michael R.L. Astor, Booker on 1 May 1975, and repainted as Z7258 "Women of the Empire" in 1980, passing to Old Warden in 1987. During it's time at Old Wadren, the aircraft featured in episode 2 of the Miniseries, in the guise of Z7258, delivering a group of journalists to the airfield in France.[N 1]
Sold on 15 April 1991 at Robert Brooks Duxford auction, and re-registered on 28 May 1991 to Paul A Wood & Andrew Wood, who loaned the aircraft to the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden. The aircraft was destroyed in crash following stall turn at Audley End, near Saffron Walden, Essex on 30 June 1991, killing pilot Pete Treadaway. [N 2]
The registration was cancelled 9 October 1991. Re-registered on 27 November 1991 to Ralph Jones, Membury (for rebuild, or as use spares for G-AHAG), and on 27 January 2006 to Stephen G Jones, Hungerford [stored at Membury]. Registration G-AGHD cancelled again on 26 July 2013 as "Permanently withdrawn from use"[2]
The Real Z7258[]
Built as c/n 6434, this aircraft was one of those acquired by Airwork Ltd at Heston on 9 December 1938, becoming G-AFMH. Later impressed into RAF service, the aircraft was struck off Charge on 25 July 1945.[3]