| Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Registration / Serial: | G-AAXE |
| Aircraft Original Type: | Handley Page HP.42 |
| Aircraft Generic Type: | Handley Page HP.42/HP.45 |
| Aircraft Version: | Handley Page HP.45 |
| C/n (msn): | 42/7 |
| Operator Titles: | Imperial Airways |
| Aircraft Name: | Hengist |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| City / Airport: | London - Croydon (closed)Map |
| Region / Country: | England, United Kingdom |
| Airport Codes: | ICAO: EGGC IATA: - Local: - Other: - |
| Photo Date: | 8 December 1934 |
| Photo from: | Peter de Jong Collection |
| Photo ID: | 303022 |
| Photo Comment |
|---|
|
'First regular airmail service to Australia'. Imperial Airways schedules were always complicated - the HP.45 flew to Karachi and an AW.15 Atalanta continued to Darwin. As there was too much demand for the inaugural flight, the public were fooled: Hengist actually carried mail for India while letters for Australia had been dispatched via the old route to Karachi which involved a train between Paris and Brindisi. Even when transported entirely by air, the mail still took almost two weeks from London to Sydney. This photo was added on 22 November 2020, and has since been viewed 1219 times. |