My rather sad looking Beaver that is in my collection.
GA-LOW was delivered new to Chester from DH Canada in April 1949 and was entered on the UK civil registration list on the 29th April that year.
Copy of the CAA registration entry for G-LOW
The Aircraft appears to have remained in the ownership of De Havilland at Hatfield until it was sold in Southern Rhodesia on the 17th October 1952 to Central African Airways, it was subsequently passed to the Zambian Air Force. Interestingly Frog did not release their model until 1958 using number 384P 30,000 were produced between 1958 and 1964. The model was of a rather odd scale of 1/82.
DH 20 is not correct as this was a proposed biplane of the 1920’s
Frog’s model was moulded in a blue plastic and the alleged colour scheme was also blue, this is most likely incorrect as surviving records show the Aircraft in a smart maroon and polished metal livery. It would be interesting to know what research Frog did to produce this model as the designation DH 20 is not correct as this was a proposed biplane of the 1920’s I am lucky enough to have recently obtained a near mint example for my collection, which was originally sold in South Africa for 2 Rand & 95 Cents. I remember Frog being sold in both Rhodesia and South Africa.
The South African Beaver, together with my example. Note the tube of (long dried up) glue and early type Stand
Sadly it is my belief that the mould was scrapped in Calais in 1964 together with other moulds. The images that follow show the real G-LOW and in it’s later guise as VP-YKA
G-ALOW possibly at Hatfield Photo © Flight
A sister Aircraft VP-YIL gleaming in the sunshine at Mzimba, Nyasaland (Malawi) with Captain Rob Hood, note the beautiful maroon livery
My thanks go to Mitch Stirling for his site on the African Beavers and much more which can be found at Our Rhodesian Heritage
©Frog Model Aircraft Updated 10th April 2021