Photographs relating to the forced landing of Vickers Wellesley L2639 in the Australian Outback, December 1938

L2639 was one of three aircraft of the Long Range Development Unit that participated in a world record long distance flight from Egypt to Australia in November 1938.

Having reached Darwin the aircraft were due to fly a tour of Australia, however, L2639 suffered a fractured oil line and force landed in Australian bush approximately 130 miles North East of Derby, Western Australia. The crew were collected by a rescue party from a nearby station. The aircraft was salvaged in 1939 and used as an instructional air frame by the RAAF.