Established 1998

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ADF-SERIALS
Australian, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea
Military Aircraft Serials & History
 This site is devoted to providing as complete a record as possible of aircraft operated by the ADF, NZDF & PNGDF.
Included where known are brief summaries of the history and current status of aircraft employed in Australian New Zealand & PNG Military Service.

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Australia:    CFS (1909-1918)     AFC (1916-1919)     RAAF Series 1 (1921-1934)     RAAF Series 2 (1934-1961)    RAAF Series 3 (1961-Current)     
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RAN  Supermarine Sea Otter
     

Sea Otter aboard HMAS Melbourne Photo via Mark Clayton
 

Sea Otter Image Gallery
 
 
Aircraft Serial Aircraft History
JN200 On loan to HMAS Sydney 27.2.47; 723 Sqn, Nowra;
Returned to Saunders Roe 21.7.47 for conversion to Mark II;
Ready for collection 3.10.47;
Loaned to HMAS Sydney;
Transferred to RAN 1949;
Sold 1954 to Air Research, Sydney,.
On civil register as VH-BQI from 22.12.54.
Aircraft was holed during test flying and beached at RAAF Rathmines.
Cancelled as withdrawn from use 19.10.56.
Towed to a farm at Awaba NSW where it deteriorated until 1972 when it was scrapped.
Nose section saved by Bill Hitchcock of the Royal Newcastle Aero Club and held in their hangar for some years until presented to the Naval Aviation Museum Nowra NSW.
This is believed to be the only section of a Sea Otter in existence in the world.

Sea Otter JN200 as VH-BQI Photo via exbirdy  Sea Otter JN200 as VH-BQI Photo Geoff Goodall  Sea Otter JN200 FAA Museum, Nowra Photo Martin Edwards
RD914 On loan from RN to HMAS Sydney 7.10.50;
Transferred to RAN 8.54; 723 Sqn.
Probably withdrawn from use in 1954 and later scrapped

Supermarine Sea Otter RD914 723 Squadron, HMAS Albatross, Nowra, c.1952 via Mike Mirkovic.
RD917 On loan from RN to RAN for HMAS Sydney 7.10.49; 723 Sqn;
Returned to RN in HMAS Sydney 24.7.50
 
     

Sea Otter RD91? Nowra Photo by Bernie Delaney via Kim Dunstan  Sea Otter aboard HMAS Melbourne Photo via Mark Clayton
     

The Author of this page is Joe Barr.

Sources: Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft Since 1946 by Ray Sturtivant, Mick Burrow and Lee Howard. The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia VH-BAA to VH-BZZ by Tony Arbon and David Sparrow, Martin Edwards, Brendan Cowan.

Converted to CMS 15th September 2025

Updated 24th July 2013