Aussie Airliner
C/N SH.113.
"Excalibur VIII"
Manufactured - Shorts Bros / Sunderland MK III July 1944
Royal Air Force - Wing Bay, Stranraer, Scotland as JM715 1944-1947
Flying Boat Modification / Short Bros. & Harland, Belfast - conversion to MK V April1945
Royal New Zealand Air Force - 1953-1963
Ansett Flying Service - Sydney, Australia 1963 - 1974 "Islander"
Antilles Air Boats - U.S.V.I. 1974-1979 reg. N158J
Juliet Flying Boats, Inc. (Edward Hulton) 1979-1993
leased to Ryanair 1989
Kermit Weeks / Fantasy of Flight Museum - Polk, FL 1993- present
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see Historical Time-Line for more information. R.N. Smith and his colleagues at Aussie Airline have done the work of developing the comprehensive history of the Sandringham's as well as many other aircraft that found service in Australia. Their dedication to this history is very much appreciated.
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Keehi Lagoon, - Honolulu, Hawaii
St. Thomas
Honolulu
photo credit Jim Flanagan
N158J final days in San Juan 1979
photo credit Jim Flanagan
photo by Tom Anusewicz
photo by Tom Anusewicz
photo by Tom Anusewicz
photo by Tom Anusewicz
Ed Hulton completed his initial work on N158J in San Juan, P.R. and flew to Christiansted, St. Croix (AAB seaplane ramp) for final preparations for ferry. Charlie Blair's "Excalibur VIII" makes a final fly-over before its journey to the U.K.
A brief role in a movie production....