I would agree its unlikely to be mfrs s/n 3312 given the physical differences and unexplained travel from South America to the Philippine's before import to the USA.
Particularly as its recorded as being written off in a crash in 1947 and I cant imagine its parts being recovered and set overseas for use in any rebuild in those days.
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=136709Quote:
Date: 18-DEC-1947
Time:
Type: Silhouette image of generic DH82 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth
Owner/operator: Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya (FAU)
Registration: 600
C/n / msn: 3312
Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Mazangano - Uruguay
Phase:
Nature: Military
Given its slats, and its Asia/Pacific recovery location, its far more likely to be an ex RAAF example escaped from Australia (or RAF example from Singapore) with a corrupted or fictitious serial number.
Ie if the first number is an 8 rather than a 3 etc
As an example these are UK built RAAF examples
Quote:
R5262
83121 Served with RAAF, retained RAF serial.
R5263
83122 Served with RAAF, retained RAF serial.
R5264
83123
T140 Served with RAAF, retained RAF serial.
Registered VH-BCB 22/05/47 to 02/04/55.
Registered VH-PCI from 02/04/55.
R5265
83124 Served with RAAF, retained RAF serial.
Registered VH-BUZ 30/06/49 to 06/05/60.
Registered VH-WFW 06/05/60 to 29/05/63.
Withdrawn from use.
Registered VH-WFW from 17/03/99.
T5360
83127 Served with RAAF, retained RAF serial.
T5361
83128 Served with RAAF, retained RAF serial.
Registered VH-AQL 03/04/46 to 20/10/47, 11/04/48 to 10/04/49, 25/06/49 to 14/12/60.
Withdrawn from use.
Registered VH-AQL 10/11/66 to 08/09/72.
Lost without a trace over Bass Strait 08/09/72.
But it could equally be a local DHA built example with any strange part number mistaken as the serial number?
Regards
Mark Pilkington