BEAGLE AIREDALES & BEAGLE 206s IN AUSTRALIA - 1960s

British Executive and General Aircraft Ltd (BEAGLE) took over Auster Aircraft Ltd in 1960 and commenced production of
a series of new designs - the first being the 4 seater Beagle A.109 Airedale, built at the Auster works at Rearsby.

South Australian Auster agents Aviation Services (SA) Ltd imported the first two new Airedales to Australia. The pair, G-ASBZ and
G-ASCA left England on 12 October 1962 on board the SS Hector, arriving at Port Adelaide on 15 November to become VH-UEP and VH-UEH respectively.  First assembled was VH-UEP in red, white and silver and was flying at Parafield in December 1962.  Here it is outside the Aviation Services hangar.

VH-UEP was on the Royal Aero Club of SA flight line at Parafield in January 1963 while being evaluated by the club. 



The second Airedale VH-UEH was test flown at Parafield in February 1963 after assembly. It was finished in the Beagle house
colours of Beagle Bronze, white and silver.  This picture was taken at an airshow at Horsham, Victoria in March 1965. The two
distinctive large tube exhausts for the 180hp Lycoming O-360 can be clearly seen.

A third Airedale for Aviation Services at Parafield was G-ASBI, flown out from England by Beagle representatives Charles
Masefield and Lord Trefgarne,  arriving on 17 July 1963. Here it is under inspection in the Aviation Services hangar during
Ausguyt 1963,  painted dark blue and white with Union Jack on the rudder and "England-Australia" on the fuselage.

G-ASBI was registered VH-UEM in August 1963.  It revisited Parafield in January 1967, wearing the same paint scheme.

Allied Aviation Pty Ltd, Sydney was appointed Beagle agents for the Australian east coast in 1962 and imported three new
Airdales. They were shipped out and assembled at Bankstown in early 1963 as VH-DCR, DCR & DCS.  The dark blue and
white VH-DCR was in a hangar at Bankstown in January 1964 in good company, a Beech Staggerwing and Republic Seabee.



Bob Neate took this nice study of sister Airedale VH-DCP at Condobolin NSW in April 1964.
BEAGLE B.206

Beagle's attempt to break into the US dominated light twin market A total of 46 aircraft were built for civil sales
plus 20 for RAF which named them Beagle Bassets.

G-ASOF was one of two Beagle 206s flown to Australia in 1964 on demonstration tours.  Flown by Charles Masefield, it
departed London on 10 October and was demonstrated in the Middle East and Singapore enroute. Seen at Adelaide Airport
on 5 December 1964, blue and white paint scheme. This was a Series 1 model, whereas those sold in Australia were Series 2
with more powerful Rolls Royce Continental engines, large freight door and additional cabin windows.

The RFDS (NSW Section) at Broken Hill purchased two Beagle 206s to replace their two DHA-3 Drovers.  Here's VH-FDA
at Broken Hill in October 1967, the spacious cabin fitted for two stretcher cases, a doctor and nurse.  Yellow and white.

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