LV-POJ

June 1962 - March 1964
CAMAIR ARGENTINA
Argentina

• Used as a company demonstrator.

Photo courtesy of Col Gary Khun, Facebook

Photo courtesy of Toda la Aviación's Photos, Facebook

(translation by Wesley Minuano)

Although in the foreground we see FAArgentina's Gloster Meteor, one can see on the left upper corner of the picture Argentina's one and only Camair 480 LV-JFX, which is a twin engined Navion. Delivered in flight to Argentina with the temporary registration LV-POJ in June 1962. Flew some time as a demonstrator, registered as LV-DMN, and finally registered LV-JFX on 15 March, 1968 to Alberto Martinez.

Operated for some time for YPF (Yacimentos Petroliferos Fiscales). Then registered to Eduardo Peterk on 14 February, 1971.

Unfortunately had an accident in Salta in February 1971 while being delivered from Tartagal to Santiago del Estero. It is said that the plane was then removed to a fuel station, where it remained for years on top of some oil tanks (?). Then sold and removed to Santa Rosa, where it remained a few more years.

It was finally removed to an unknown location in mid Argentina, probably the city of Cordoba. It is unknown if it is still flyable, but the last owner was Jorge Omar Sabena. (translation by Wesley Minuano)

Follows an excerpt from a report about the Navions, written by Francisco Halbritter - LV magazine #23 (2208), and relates to Camair LV-JFX: (translation by C. Fortner)

"In 1961 our Aeronautical Industry Council began to subside the development of aircraft plants in Argentina, financial help that was also appliable to any foreign company that had interest in Argentina. [The] Camair board of directors knew at least 30 Navions flew in Argentina, and felt it could be profitable to convert many of them into twins, especially so with government money.

By end of 1961 Camair Argentina Sociedad Anónima was formally constituted, and in a short time imported one 480C unit, equipped with 2 x 240HP Continental O-470-3. This plane arrived in Argentina on 21 August, 1962, with the delivery registration LV-POJ. The next 5 years saw her fly somewhat irregularly, 2 years with the delivery registration until 24 March, 1964 when it received the demonstrator registration LV-DMN for 3 more years, while she was being operated by the state oil company YPF.

The project CAMAIR ARGENTINA planned was so low-volume that building a plant was not justifiable. CAMAIR ARGENTINA then associated with AEROTALLERES BAHIA BLANCA S.R.L. in order to use their facilities to do the necessary modifications on the Navions. Although by 1963 AEROTALLERES had all the necessary tooling, the project busted financially and technically, because of the never ending certification bureaucracy and the declining business perspectives.

CAMAIR ARGENTINA closed its doors by end of 1967, and put the plane for sale. Alberto Martinez bought and registered her as LV-JFX on 15 March, 1968. Then sold and registered to Eduardo Peterek on 14 January, 1971, destroyed exactly 1 month after, on 14 February, 1971 near Los Horcones, Provincia de Salta."

LV-DMN

March 1964 - 1967
Yacimentos Petroliferos Fiscales
Argentina

• Continued to be used as a demonstrator.

LV-JFX

1967 - March 1968
Yacimentos Petroliferos Fiscales
Argentina

March 1968 - January 1971
Alberto Martinez
Argentina

January 1971 - February 1971
Eduardo Peterek
Argentina

• February 14, 1971 - Aircraft crashed and destroyed near Los Horcones, Provincia de Salta.
  

• Remains were reported to have been moved to a gas station.