DH.9a A1-17 (originally F2779) was from a production order for 170 aircraft placed in April 1918 with F.W.Berwick & Co
(numbers F2733 to F2902) and was completed in April 1919. DH.9a F2779 was one of 30 DH.9a allocated to Australia as part
of 100 aircraft supplied under the Imperial Gift scheme and had arrived down under at the Central Flying School Australian
Air Corps by May 1920. The following month it set an Australian altitude record of 27,000ft. By the time of the formation of
the Australian Air Force on 31 March 1921 it had been renumbered A1-17 and was serving with 1 Flight Training School. The
photo above appears to show DH.9a A1-17 and A1-26 of E Flight 1 FTS in 1922. Note the lack of armament, empty bomb
ribs, dark interplane & cabane struts and unpainted aluminium engine cowlings. DH.9a A1-17 was reconditioned in 1925-
1926 and again in 1928 and continued to serve with 1 FTS until being written off in February 1930.
The photos above show the reconditioned DH.9a A1-17 following one of it's 4 landing accidents during 1929. By this time
A1-17 had been upgraded with leading edge wing slats , oleo undercarriage and cellon window in the fuselage under
the observer's cockpit. It is not entirely certain if the leading edge wing slats were added before the modified fuselage and
oleo undercarriage or at the same time so it is remotely possible that they could be suitable for this model.
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DH.9a A1-17, Berwick built, E Flight, 1 FTS RAAF, Australia, 1922
