BOAC Solents

[ant]

I'm trying to make a list of BOAC Solents' names, registrations and history. Can anyone help with additions/corrections?

REG TYPE NAME HISTORY
G-AHIL Mk 2 Salisbury Prototype Solent - scrapped Poole ca 1958
G-AHIM Mk 2 ??? Stored Felixstowe - scrapped ca 1954
G-AHIN Mk 2 Southampton Sold to Aquila Airways - scrapped Lisbon 1971
G-AHIO Mk 2 Somerset Sold to Trans-Oceanic Airways/South Pacific-scrapped Ca 1974
G-AHIR Mk 2 Sark Stored Felixstowe - scrapped ca 1954
G-AHIS Mk 2 Scapa (Could also be City of York)
G-AHIT Mk 2 Severn
G-AHIU Mk 2 Solway Demo flight Farnborough 1949 - Scrapped Poole ca 1958
G-AHIV Mk 2 Salcombe Sold to Trans-Oceanic Airways - acc. Brisbane 1951 - w/o
G-AHIW Mk 2 ??? Stored Felixstowe - scrapped ca 1954
G-AHIX Mk 2 ???
G-AHIY Mk 2 ??? Stored Felixstowe - scrapped ca 1954

G-AKNO Mk 3 City of London Sold to Trans-Oceanic Airways - acc Malta 1951 - w/o
G-AKNP Mk 3 City of Cardiff Trans-Oceanic Airways/South Pacific -preserved Oakland Ca
G-AKNR Mk 3 City of Belfast Sold to T.E.A.L. (ZK-AMQ 'Aparimu' ) - scrapped 1957
G-AKNS Mk 3 City of Liverpool Scrapped Poole ca 1958
G-AKNT Mk 3 Singapore Sold to South Pacific Air lines-scrapped Oakland Ca 1974
G-AKNU Mk 3 Sydney Sold to Aquila Airways - crashed Isle of Wight - 1957

[Pondskater]

Looks ok so far. The ones scrapped in Norwich were, of course, broken up at Felixstowe by a Norwich scrap merchant - but you meant that didn't you?
I'll fill in more detail tomorrow when I get back to my files

[ant]

Floated up the Yare on wherry big barges?

Sorry!

[sunderlandnut]

Some info from my database.

Short S45 Solent Flying Boats

(12 built for BOAC) C/n. Reg. Name. Where built. C of A. History
Solent 2 S.1300 G-AHIL Salisbury Rochester 16.6.48 Scrapped Hamworthy 1954
Solent 2 S.1301 G-AHIM Scarborough Rochester 24.5.48 Scrapped Belfast 1952
Solent 2 S.1302 G-AHIN Southampton Rochester 22.4.48 Abandoned Lisbon B/U Dec-58
Solent 2 S.1303 G-AHIO VH-TOD N9945F Somerset Rochester 27.1.49 1953 aquired by Howard Hughes Scrapped 1974
Solent 2 S.1304 G-AHIR Sark Rochester 4.5.48 Scrapped Belfast 1952
Solent 2 S.1305 G-AHIS Scapa Rochester 8.7.48 Scrapped Belfast 1952
Solent 2 S.1306 G-AHIT Severn Rochester 10.11.47 Scrapped Belfast 1952
Solent 2 S.1307 G-AHIU Solway Rochester 2.3.48 Scrapped Hamworthy 1954
Solent 2 S.1308 G-AHIV VH-TOC Salcombe Rochester 18.2.48 VH-TOC "Star of Hobart" Crashed (Brisbane) 28.10.51
Solent 2 S.1309 G-AHIW Stornaway Rochester 25.3.48 Scrapped Belfast 1952
Solent 2 S.1310 G-AHIX Sussex Rochester 20.10.48 W/O Sank at Netley, Southampton Water 1.2.50
Solent 2 S.1311 G-AHIY Southsea Rochester 25.11.48 Scrapped Belfast 1952
Solent 3 S.1293 NJ201 G-ANAJ (ex G-AGWU) City of Funchal Rochester 30.4.54 Wrecked at S. Margherita 29.9.56
Solent 3 S.1294 NJ202 G-AKNO City of London Rochester 1.4.49 Sank off Malta on delivery flight to Australia 28.1.51
Solent 3 S.1295 NJ203 G-AKNP Halycon City of Cardiff Rochester 19.3.49 "Halcyon" Oakland Airport (USA) 1976
Solent 3 S.1296 NJ204 G-AKNR ZK-AMQ/Aparimu City of Belfast Rochester 27.4.49 Scrapped Aukland 1957
Solent 3 S.1297 NJ205 G-AKNS WM759(RAF) City of Liverpool Rochester 24.6.49 Scrapped Hamworthy 1954
Solent 3 S.1298 NJ206 G-AKNT N9947F Singapore Rochester Scrapped Oakland, Cal. 1973?
Solent 3 S.1299 NJ207 G-AKNU Sydney Rochester 12.12.51 Crashed I.o.W 15.11.57 B/U 9.4.58
Solent 4 SH.1556 ZK-AML G-AOBL Aotearoa II Belfast 29.9.49 (Royal tour NZ 1953) Scrapped May-71
Solent 4 SH.1557 ZK-AMM Ararangi Belfast Fire May-54, B/U 1955
Solent 4 SH.1558 ZK-AMN G-ANYI Awatere Belfast 23.10.49 Scrapped Lisbon 1971
Solent 4 SH.1559 ZK-AMO Aranui Belfast Nov-49 MOTAT Museum (Auckland) 1966

Cheers
Richard

[ant]

Richard - that's fantastic - very many thanks. There's just a question with Scapa (G-AHIS). She is mentioned in Flight at the Radlett display in 1947 but without registration, and in one of the pics you sent for Quiz 36 (pic 4) It looks like G-AHIS was also named City of York? The other City of ..s were all G-AKN_ reg. so I don't understand that. I wondered if it was G-ANIS which is mentioned as being at Felixtowe, but according to the CAA records, that reg belongs to an Auster - any thoughts?

Tony

[sunderlandnut]

Hello Tony

Solent-2 G-AHIS “Scapa” was converted to Solent-3 as G-AHIS “City of York” at Belfast in 1950.



Cheers
Richard

[ant]

Excellent - IOU a drink. You'll have to come and collect it though!!

[sunderlandnut]

I'd love to, but doubt if I will ever get the chance.
Thanks for the offer anyway.
If you're ever in London you may have the chance then.

[ant]

That's a deal!! - thanks again.

[Pondskater]

Hi,

Richard, if I may, I've made some amendments and corrections to your list. From a variety of sources but particular thanks to Norman Hull for some info he has sent to me recently. I've shown adds/changes in red.

(12 built for BOAC) C/n. Reg. Name. Where built. C of A. History
Solent 2 S.1300 G-AHIL Salisbury later City of Salisbury Rochester 16.6.48 Scrapped Hamworthy 1958 *
Solent 2 S.1301 G-AHIM Scarborough Rochester 24.5.48 Scrapped Felixstowe 1956
Solent 2 S.1302 G-AHIN Southampton Rochester 22.4.48 Abandoned Lisbon B/U Dec-58
Solent 2 S.1303 G-AHIO VH-TOD N9945F Somerset later Star of Australia Rochester 27.1.49 30-10-51 Trans Oceanic Airways (VH-TOD) then 1956 to South Pacific Airlines aquired by Howard Hughes Scrapped 1974
Solent 2 S.1304 G-AHIR Sark Rochester 4.5.48 Scrapped Felixstowe 1956
Solent 2 S.1305 G-AHIS Scapa City of York from 26-9-50 Rochester 8.7.48 Scrapped Felixstowe 1956
Solent 2 S.1306 G-AHIT Severn Rochester 10.11.47 Scrapped Belfast 1956 NB Belfast is correct location
Solent 2 S.1307 G-AHIU Solway Rochester 2.3.48 Scrapped Hamworthy 1959? after abortive attempt to convert it into a cafe *
Solent 2 S.1308 G-AHIV VH-TOC Salcombe Rochester 18.2.48 To Trans Oceanic Airways 22-6-51 VH-TOC "Star of Hobart" Crashed (Brisbane) 28.10.51
Solent 2 S.1309 G-AHIW Stornaway Rochester 25.3.48 Scrapped Felixstowe 1956
Solent 2 S.1310 G-AHIX Sussex Later City of Edinburgh Rochester 20.10.48 W/O Sank at Netley, Southampton Water 1.2.50 ?I have accident 5-4-50?
Solent 2 S.1311 G-AHIY Southsea Rochester 25.11.48 Scrapped Felixstowe 1956
Solent 3 (Originally Solent 1) S.1293 NJ201 G-ANAJ (ex G-AGWU) City of Funchal Rochester 30.4.54 Wrecked at S. Margherita 29.9.56
Solent 3 S.1294 NJ202 G-AKNO Seaforth later City of London Rochester 1.4.49 Sank off Malta on delivery flight to Australia 28.1.51 Being delivered to Trans Oceanic Airways and assigned VH-TOA
Solent 3 S.1295 NJ203 G-AKNP Sutherland later City of Cardiff, Halcyon Star of Papua, Isle of Tahiti Rochester 19.3.49 Trans Oceanic Airways as VH-TOB 20-3-51 then South Pacific Airlines 6-56 Currently preserved as "City of Cardiff" at Oakland Aviation Museum(USA)
Solent 3 S.1296 NJ204 G-AKNR ZK-AMQ/Aparimu Selkirk later City of Belfast Rochester 27.4.49 to TEAL 4-7-51 Scrapped Aukland 1957
Solent 3 S.1297 NJ205 G-AKNS WM759(RAF) Sheerness later City of Liverpool Rochester 24.6.49 Scrapped Hamworthy 1959? after abortive attempt to convert it into a cafe *
Solent 3 S.1298 NJ206 G-AKNT N9947F Singapore Rochester to South Pacific Airlines 1955 Scrapped Oakland, Cal. 1975 ?
Solent 3 S.1299 NJ207 G-AKNU Sydney Rochester 12.12.51 Crashed I.o.W 15.11.57 B/U 9.4.58
Solent 4 SH.1556 ZK-AML G-AOBL Aotearoa II Belfast 29.9.49 (Royal tour NZ 1953) Scrapped May-71
Solent 4 SH.1557 ZK-AMM Ararangi Belfast Fire May-54, B/U 1955
Solent 4 SH.1558 ZK-AMN G-ANYI Awatere Belfast 23.10.49 Scrapped Lisbon 1971
Solent 4 SH.1559 ZK-AMO Aranui Belfast Nov-49 MOTAT Museum (Auckland) 1966

* Two sources might be of interest. First mention of G-AHIL being broken up at Hamworthy June 1958 (Some information in the letter is wrong but we can assume the date and state of G-AHIL at that time is right):
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/ ... 00861.html

And the attempt to convert two hulks into a cafe:
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/ ... 00913.html

There are some questions that I still have.

I've recorded a couple of name changes to "City of . . ." which implies and upgrade to Solent 3.
So, what was the difference and what was converted to make the change?
Also, some notes I have about the numbers of Solent 3s scrapped don't match even this list so I suspect there may have been even one or two more conversions from 2 to 3. Any ideas anybody?
And there is the question of G-ANAJ - it was converted by Aquila but was it still a Solent 1 or was the work "deep" enough to make it a Solent 3?

I've more questions but that will do for now.

AllanK