<p>c/n S.1295.
Built 1946 for the RAF as a Seaford MkI with the serial NJ203. Converted to a Solent III in 1947 and joined BOAC as G-AKNP with the name ‘City of Cardiff’.
Later became VH-TOB and finally N9946F. Stored for the Hughes Corporation between 1959 and 1973. Sold in 1976, she was bought for preservation and a restoration to flying condition was started. Famously appeared in the movie ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, after which she has remained on static display in the care of the Oakland Aviation Museum, Oakland, CA.
5th March 2016
</p><p>The following history is from the museums website:-
</p><p>“Built by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent as a Seaford 1
Delivered to Royal Air Force as NJ203 - October 24, 1946
Issued to No. 201 Squadron
Returned to the U.K. Ministry of Transport &amp; Civil Aviation - 1946
Transferred to Short Bros &amp; Harland as surplus to requirements - September 25, 1947
Converted to Solent Mk III by Short Bros &amp; Harland, Belfast to seat 39 passengers
Registration marks 'G-AKNP' reserved - December 2, 1947
Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AKNP - March 19, 1949
Registered to Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
Leased to British Overseas Airways Corporation - July 31, 1949
Aircraft was named 'City of Cardiff'
Operated final BOAC revenue service Augusta-Southampton - November 2, 1950
Returned to Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
Placed in open storage at Belfast, Ireland
Sold to Trans Oceanic Airways Pty Ltd - 1951
Painted in full Trans Oceanic livery at Belfast prior to acceptance
Accepted by Trans Oceanic Airways - March 23, 1951
Departed Belfast on delivery flight to Australia as G-AKNP - March 24, 1951
Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - April 4, 1951
Operated promotional flight Sydney - Hobart - April 6, 1951
Operated promotional flight Sydney - Grafton - April 9, 1951
Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TOB (CofR 1780) - May 1, 1951
Registered to Trans Oceanic Airways Ltd
Aircraft was named 'Star of Papua'
Certificate of Airworthiness issued (CofA 1808) - May 22, 1951
Entered regular commercial service on Sydney - Hobart service - May 22, 1951
Operated inaugural Sydney - Brisbane - Port Moresby 'Chieftan Service' - May 26, 1951
Flight crew: Captains K. H. Goddard, P. H. Mathieson
Aircraft damaged after colliding with a fruit boat on the Brisbane River (Captain P.G. Taylor) - June 19, 1951
Tempory repairs carried out at Colmslie before being ferried to Sydney for full repairs. Aircraft was out of service for four weeks
Operated first non-stop Sydney - Hobart Solent service - July 25, 1951
Flight crew: Captains P. H. Mathieson, H. F. Broadbent
Lost number 4 propeller and reduction gear over Bass Strait on flight Sydney - Hobart - February 11, 1952
Aircraft continued on to Hobart where a safe landing was made
Repaired and returned to service - February 16, 1952 
Collided with a small cargo vessel whilst taking off from Brisbane River - March 22, 1952 
Aircraft was operating Brisbane-Port Moresby service 
Returned to service four weeks later following completion of repairs 
Withdrawn from service for maintenance - August 19 to October 21, 1952 
Operated final revenue service - April 15/16, 1953 
Trans Oceanic Airways ceased all operations due to bankruptcy - April 1953 
Sold by T.O.A.'s liquidators to Dollar Associates, Inc, Reno, USA - May 1, 1953 
Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - February 12, 1954
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N9946F - May 1, 1954
Departed Sydney on delivery flight to United States (Captain B. Monkton) - May 12, 1954
Delivery route: Sydney - Fiji - Canton Island - Honolulu
Aircraft was to be operated by South Pacific Airlines, Inc on Honolulu - Christmas Island - Tahiti services
Aircraft was named 'Isle of Tahiti'
Refurbished by Transocean Air Lines at Oakland, California for FAA certification - 1955 to 1958
U.S. Certificate of Registration issued - October 29, 1958
Test flown at Oakland, California in full South Pacific Airlines livery - November 13, 1958
Flew proving flight Honolulu - Christmas Island - Papeete return - December 1958
British Government announced thereafter that Christmas Island would be used for atomic bomb testing. This resulted in permission to use Christmas Island as a transit stop being withdrawn. Aircraft did not enter service and was flown back to Oakland (Captain B. Monkton).
Sold to Hughes Tool Company and placed under armed guard at San Francisco Harbour - 1959
Evicted from storage area it was towed to Richmond, California for further storage - 1967
Sold to H &amp; M Airline Services - February 1973
Sold to R &amp; H Gottelli - March 1973
Sold to Rick &amp; Randy Grant who intended to restore it to flying condition - December 1976. This came about following an appeal from an aviation magazine to save the aircraft from being scrapped.
Aircraft renamed 'Halcyon' in 1978 
Restoration commenced with assistance from 'Friends of Halcyon' 
Restoration group renamed 'Seaflite' 
Now a resident of the Oakland Aviation Museum, Oakland International Airport 
Used as a prop in film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' 
Plans to complete aircraft to airworthy condition to be used on flight to Honolulu did not eventuate
</p>
On display outside the Oakland Aviation Museum as 'RAF NJ203' “
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/65001151@N03">Alan Wilson</a> from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK
CC BY-SA 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajw1970/29954786913/">Short Solent III ‘G-AKNP’ “City of Cardiff”</a>