Avro A-29 Soekamiskin 1922

[LVA-40]

Beste mensen,

De foto die ik in deze topic plaats is een oudje, waarschijnlijk gemaakt in 1922. In februari 1922 bestond de luchtvloot in Nederlands-Indië uit 35 vliegklare toestellen, waar deze Avro ongetwijfeld bij hoorde.

Ik ben echter zeer benieuwd of iemand mij kan vertellen:
1) of dit inderdaad Soekamiskin is
2) wie de personen voor het vliegtuig zijn
3) wat de betekenis van het cijfer 12 op de "hangaar" achter de Avro is.

In deze serie horen nog twee foto's van de Avro, waarop te zien is dat er een start wordt gemaakt en dat de kist is opgestegen. Ik denk daarom dat het een luchtdoop van iemand is. Maar wie is dus onbekend.

Alvast bedankt!

Hartelijke groet,
Jan Grisnich

[yudi supri]

Hi Jan,

For the first question I believe this is Soekamiskin.
Between 1919-1922 Vickers Ltd sent Avro 504K with Clerget (130 hp) engine for LA-KNIL. These aircrafts delivered in 3 batches (each of12aircraft) registration registrasi A-21—A-56 and used at Soekamiskin aerodrome. Here technicians from Technische Dienst (TD) LA-KNIL began making the prototype modification of Avro 504K. Aircraft finished 1924 with registration AL-57. LA-KNIL also build some Avro for annual replacement, but taking registrations A (A-60-A-63). In 1924, the airfieldwas movedtoAndir(now HuseinSastranegara), and in this place LA-KNIL continue make Avro 504K by the local timber supply. Between 1928-1929, LA-KNIL build 10 Avro 504K with registration AL-64--AL-73.

Regards,
Yudi

[Leon44]

Beste Jan

S C H I T T E R E N D.

Dank je wel voor het delen van deze foto.

Leon

[LVA-40]

Thanks for providing an answer.
About the Avro story there is no many information left. This picture belongs to a batch of photo's of the early twenties (1922) with Avro, Havilland and pilots. I will scan them and publish, maybe we can help each other.

[yudi supri]

OK Jan,
I'll see what I can do for you.
Yudi

[Jos Heyman]

Allow me to add my information to that provided by Yudi Supri:

The first batch of 12 Avro 504K trainers for the NEI was ordered in May 1919. The first aircraft flew on 13 August 1919. Subsequent orders in December 1919 (12 aircraft) and November 1922 (12 aircraft) brought the number of aircraft to 36 and they received serials A-21/56.
In the following years the LA-KNIL’s Technische Dienst gained substantial experience in rebuilding Avro 504Ks, including the manufacture of new parts. With this experience, the LA-KNIL’s Technische Dienst rebuilt one of the aircraft in 1924 and it received serial AL-57 although, for a short period, it carried the unofficial serial LA-1. It was evaluated against the Fokker S-IV and the Morane Saulnier MS-35.
This was followed by another batch of 15 aircraft which were serialed AL-60/74 (of which AL-74 has not been confirmed) and of which the last one was delivered in 1929. It has been suggested in an early reference source that these aircraft were fitted with a Le Rhone engine (hence the ‘L’ in AL), as opposed to a later conversion with a Siddeley Mongoose engine and a serial starting with AM with one aircraft identified with serial AM-62 and another with AM-63. Subsequent references have suggested that the AL stood for Avro Luchtvaartafdeling and that the aircraft were only fitted with Siddeley Mongoose engines.
The fates of the individual aircraft are not known except for A-26 (crashed at Kalidjati on 8 February 1921), A-37 (crashed at Kalidjati on 15 January 1926), AL-64 (crashed 30 August 1934 at Andir), AM-62 or AL-62 (crashed on 27 January 1937 at Andir) whilst another two unidentified aircraft crashed on 13 March 1964 and 18 December 1936. The remaining aircraft were withdrawn from use with the last one, AL-68, destroyed in target practice on 16 February 1938.