Production of this Ae-45 began in 1951 but was not completed till 1956. Initially it served the Regional Aeroclub Ostrava as an air taxi. By the time of this photo, a glider tow hook had been fitted and on one occasion - possibly the reason for this Customs stop at Southend - it came to England to tow gliders 1,400kms back to Czechoslovakia. In 1978 it was transferred to the Slovacky Aeroclub in Kunovice but was de-registered in 1980. Now preserved at the Letecké Muzeum Kunovice.

Withdrawn from use at RAF Honington in 1972 and sold to Shackleton Aviation on 4th May that year and delivered to Baginton the same day. Remained parked on the airfield and sold for scrap when Shackleton Aviation moved to Hurn. Airframe temporarily rescued by Hawker Siddeley Aviation and believed earmarked for the Confederate Air Force, but sale fell through because the engines were time expired. Efforts to find a purchaser who would preserve the aircraft properly failed and during January 1975 it was finally cut up for scrap. (Thanks to www.thegrowler.org.uk for much of the above).

British Air Ferries ATL.98 Carvair G-ASDC "Pont Du Rhin" unloading flower boxes after a flight from Jersey at Baginton Airport, Coventry, on 18 May 1972; note Midland Air Cargo Bristol Freighter Mk.32 G-APAU parked in the background. The 500,000th image on AirHistory.net!

Originally N7442 with Capital Airlines and later with United Airlines and Northeast Airlines. Sadly, this smart aircraft was broken up in situ at Coventry in March the following year.

[Yashica D]

Written off in Tampere 13-Jan-1974. In bad weather crashed near airport in Peltolammi

Written off in Imatra 29-Jul-1972