VH-UHP  de Havilland D.H.60X Moth                     (c/n  877)

                                

                                    Photos of -UHP have proven to be elusive.  The above shot from Phil Colbourn was in his
                                    grandfather's album.  His mum remembers it as having landed at Coonable by Nancy Bird
                                    Walton, circa 1935.  This photo was taken circa 1935, indicating that stripes were prevalent
                                    on Civil Aviation (Dept of Defence) registered machines prior to the introduction of the
                                    commissioned "Royal" club status on 16 August 1937.   -UHP also appears in the shot I
                                    used for -UHS (below).  The head-on one at the foot of the page came from the Frank
                                    Smith collection.  All were probably taken at Essendon..
                                    -UHP had several interesting accidents.   On 29 July 1935 it was involved in a mid-air
                                    collision with the Moth VH-UAS resulting in a broken propellor.     In another mid-air
                                    collision on 2 February 1936 its top wing was severely damaged when it collided with
                                    VH-UII (another Moth).  Finally, on 5 June 1937 it collided with yet another Moth,
                                    VH-ULB  (no details on this one).    Despite its propensity  for banging into things
                                     it was, nevertheless, impressed into RAAF service during WW II and was assigned
                                     the serial A7-100.    However, and perhaps fortunately for the local intake of student
                                     pilots at Essendon, it was  it was reduced to produce a couple of months afterwards
                                     ( in September 1940),