The Hastings, the miitary version of the Hermes civilian plane differed in that it had a rear wheel instead of the tricycle undercarriage of the Hermes. In those days all the passenger seats in military aircraft faced backwards, but this safety feature never caught on with civilian planes. According to some members of the 367 Association, trooping flights to Hong Kong in Hastings planes often seemed to be disrupted by mechanical faults - sometimes enabling the passengers to enjoy unscheduled stopovers in Singapore or Manilla.
Date picture taken
1952
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