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  DC-2 "Uiver" Registration Number PH-AJU  
KLM


KLM c1930s

Aircraft History
Built by Douglas as DC-2-115A. Constructors Number 1317. First flight August 16, 1934. Sold to Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) Royal Dutch Airlines as their first DC-2 purchased. Nicknamed "Uiver" (Stork). Operated as a civilian airliner. The nose had "K-L-M" in black block letters. The center fuselage below the windows had "Royal Dutch Airlines" in black block letters and the rear fuselage had PH-AJU in black block letters. The tail and lower side of the nose had a large "44" in black.

During October 1934 KLM entered this DC-2 in the MacRobertson Air Race between London and Melbourne. Out of the 20 entrants, this plane finished second behind only the purpose built de Havilland DH.88 "Grosvenor House". The plane's total race time was 90 hours and 13 minutes with 81 hours, 10 minutes airborne and won the handicap section of the race.

On October 24, 1934 during the night, this DC-2 became lost over Albury, in New South Wales in Australia. With the help of locals lighting an improvised runway, the aircraft force landed safely on the Albury Racecourse, opposite present day Albury Airfield that was not built until 1938.

According to Albury-Wodonga Australia - The Night Albury Saved the Uiver DC-2 and All on Board:
"It was the night of October 24, 1934, when a hopelessly disorientated Dutch entrant in the MacRobertson International Air Race was saved when the city’s entire lighting system was flashed on and off during a torrential storm to signal the word 'Albury' in Morse code. The plane had lost all communications and after circling for hours trying to get its bearings in the pitch-black night, was about to run out of fuel. The sound of the heavy drone of the plane’s engines overhead had alerted the city to its plight and an appeal for cars to go to the Albury Racecourse was broadcast by the local ABC station. At 1.20am with about 80 vehicles assembled in two rows, headlights blazing, the Uiver began an approach to land. It bumped several times on the undulating centre of the racecourse, ran 200 yards and slithered to a halt 100 yards short of the inner fence. Saved were the crew of four and three passengers, who walked from the plane without so much as a scratch to show for their ordeal."

Fatal Crash
On December 20, 1934 in the morning, took off from Schipol on a ferry flight bound for Batavia, and crashed at Rutbah Wells, Iraq killing all seven on board. This was the first loss of a DC-2, and the first fatal incident involving the type.

Memorials
Ex RAAF DC-2 A30-11 is painted in the markings of this aircraft and was previously displayed as part of the Uiver Memorial at the Albury Airport.

Ex RAAF DC-2 A30-9 has, for a time, been painted in the markings of the "Uiver" and is now owned by the Moorabbin Air Museum.

Ex USN R2D-1 Bu No 9993 / NC39165 is in airworthy condition and operated by the Aviodrome, the Netherlands, in the markings of PH-AJU.

References
Albury-Wodonga Australia - The Night Albury Saved the Uiver DC-2 and All on Board
Aviation-Safety.net - DC-2 PH-AJU

Thanks to Daniel Leahy for additional information

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Last Updated
April 26, 2023

 

Tech Info
DC-2
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