The one and only Viastra I, powered by three Lynx engines. Photo published in Flight in September 1930, before the first flight on 1 October. The aircraft was built by Supermarine in Woolston and barged to Hamble North, where the photo must have been taken. The same airframe was converted to twin-engine Viastra III with Jaguar and then to trimotor Viastra VIII with Jupiter engines. Photo from: Finnish Aviation Museum

Written off after a forced landing at Redcliffe in Perth on October 11, 1933. Photo likely towards the beginning of the date range. The word AIRWAYS was not on the nose when it crashed. The unreliability of the engines fitted had seen WAA fit different versions of the Jupiter and different propellers, often on one side only. Photo from: State Library of Western Australia

The first of two Viastras for WAA. They were used on the Perth to Adelaide route via three intermediate stops for fuel - Kalgoorlie, Forrest and Ceduna, the last mentioned in South Australia. Photo from: State Library of Western Australia

Written off at Redcliffe, Western Australia, on October 11, 1933 following an engine failure after take-off from Maylands forced it down in a market garden. No one harmed. Photo from: National Library of Australia

Single-engined freighter variant of the Viastra airliner, flown with the test registrations N-1 and O-6: N for Supermarine, which built the Viastra, and O for Vickers. Later G-ABVM. Aircraft never delivered to West Australian Airways and broken up at Brooklands. Note: BAE Systems Heritage say that O-6 was a second airframe but this appears to be incorrect.

Incorporating Wibault construction techniques, the Viastra twelve-passenger airliner first flew in 1930. A small number were built, with one, two or three engines. The single Viastra X with two Pegasus radials and a seven-seat interior was built for the Prince of Wales. Still unpainted here, it was later red and gold. Replaced by the red and blue Dragon Rapide G-ADDD, G-ACCC ended up with the RAF as L6102 and was broken up in 1937. Also reported as c/n 1. Photo from: Dan Shumaker collection