Warbirds

The Hawker Sea Fury was built at the end of World War II in Britain. It was the fastest of the stock piston-engined fighters, with a top speed of around 460 knots.

And if you thought a Mustang is BIG, wait until you see a Sea Fury up close.

Congratulations Guido, on a job well done!

T34B Mentor

At long last a T34 Mentor has arrived in Australia.

Imported late last year from the Philippines by businessman W. H. (Bill) McGhee, the aircraft is in fact the model built in Japan by Fuji Heavy Industries, under licence to Beechcraft of the USA.

The T34 series Mentor is a Tri-gear, two-seat in tandem aerobatic trainer made for the USN and USAF and other air forces in the nineteen sixties. The original models were powered by a 225 hp Continental0-470 and the latest model, the T34C, is turbine-powered.

Fuji produced 140 Mentors for the JASDF plus another 36 for the Philippines Air Force. Bill reports that some nine of these Mentors eventually passed to civil owners as well as a Beech-built model that a Philippines owner imported from the USA.

Currently the Mentor is dismantled and in storage in Melbourne. The basic structure is complete although seats, a windscreen and instruments are needed.

Due to his business interests Bill, who owns a PA24 Comanche, is considering selling the Mentor. Interested parties can contact him at (03) 791 3564 (B/H).

An inexpensive to operate Warbird?

B25 Mitchell Arrives

After a long flightacrossthePacificNorthAmericanB25J, N8196H, arrived in Brisbane just one week before Christmas.

Named the ‘Spirit of Australia’, the twin-engined bomber was flown out by Ansell Airlines Captain, Bruce Andrews. Imported by a group known as Aero Heritage the Mitchell will be displayed across Australia for a period of five years, after which it will become a part of the collection at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

During January the aircraft was having the trans-Pacific ferry tank installation removed by Qantas Airlines at Sydney. American registration will be used until late 1984 when it will take up Australian markings.

One of the shows the Mitchell will be displayed at will be at Mangalore, Vic during April.

This exciting import looks set to be the start of a great year for the Australian Warbird scene.

Auster Fly-In

The annual gathering of the Auster Squadron, held late last year, attracted a record 20 of the type. Held at St Arnaud, Vic. it brought Austers and owners from near and far to fly and talk about their type of aeroplane One of the most interesting machines to attend was the model JSF, VH-ADT, which is painted up in the colours of the Pakistan Air Force. Owned by Bill Baker of Melbourne, this machine had only recently been restored.

Another interesting aircraft was the ex-military Mk Ill, VH-ALS, in full post-war RAAF silver colour scheme.

Held under the auspices of the Antique Aeroplane Association, this was the sixth such gathering of the Auster Squadron and shows the keen interest owners and others have in the type.

Gooney Bird Notes

The fabulous C-47/DC-3 lives on. A! Mackay, Old, VH-SBT is being run by the Mackay Air Museum on Joyrides while at Chinchilla, Old the former Air Charter Centre DC-3 VH-AGU, is now locally owned and will also be used on charter and tourist flights.

In Melbourne DC, VH-AER, once owned by TAA (many owners ago), has been repainted in TAA colours prior to being trucked to Adelaide for use as a McDonald. Biscuit Bomber to Beefburgers!

Meanwhile at Newcastle Rutherford airport derelict DC-3 VH-DAS has been sprayed up in Olive Drab for a starring role in the film ‘Sky Pirates’.

It has been reported that the former Travmar aircraft was going to crash in front of the cameras for a spectacular sequence in the film but that the method proposed was given the thumbs-down by officialdom.

Now the machine, named ‘Miss Fortune’ will be dismantled and trucked to the coast “. ” here it will be put in the sea for underwater filming.

This promises to be an interesting movie.

Demise of a Tiger

Award winning Tiger Moth, VH-KLH, ‘Lorraine’ is no more. During the first week of November, the ‘Moth was having fabric rejuvenation work carried out at The Oaks, near Sydney, NSW when a spark ignited the highly flammable fluid and it was just possible to push the machine outside the hangar where a fierce minutes to reduce the aircraft to charred remains.

This incident only goes to show that you can never be too careful when it comes to aircraft and fire precautions.

Civil Sabre Jet

One of the most graceful aircraft the RAAF has operated since WWII must be the Australian-made CAC CA-27 Sabre. Sleek and fast, it is a pleasure to behold.

Eventually replaced by the Mirage, the Sabre disappeared from the scene save for one aircraft, rescued and restored by RAAF personnel, which now forms the basis of a ‘Historic Flight’.

Now there is more than a chance that a civil CAC Sabre will grace Australian skies.

This civil Sabre project is the latest restoration effort by enthusiast Jeff Trappett of Sale, Vic. Jeff, who is a Squadron Leader in the RAAF, has been gathering the various airframe and Avon engine components together for some time and now has enough to complete one machine.

The project may have to wait a year or so before restoration work can get into top gear at Morwell, Vic. because Jeff is currently based at Amberley AFB, Old, flying F-111s.

Jeff is probably best known as the owner and pilot of Mustang VH-AGJ and with experience on F-111s, Macchi jets, Mirages and Mustang, flying a Sabre should be ‘a piece of cake’.

Jeff is interested in obtaining more Sabre engine and airframe parts so if any reader can help, drop him a line at C/O Gippsland Aeronautics, Aerodrome, Morwell, Vic 3840.

South Australian Aircobra

A little-known, but interesting, project is that of Bob Jarrett of Salisbury, South Australia, who is rebuilding a Bell P-39K Aircobra.

Parts of three aircraft, the forward fuselage of serial number 42-4312, the tail of 42-4368 and the rear fuselage of yet another and unknown machine are being used in the rebuild.

Obtained some two years ago from Papua New Guinea, Bob plans to build up a complete machine to static display standard.

Although a long-term restoration project, Bob Jarrett has been tracking down parts and data in Australia and overseas. At Parkes, NSW, he managed to obtain a nil hours Allison engine, still in its original crate, from a speed boat buff who found it too large to use and put it aside. Just goes to prove these finds are around!

During the war, the RAAF had 22 D & F model Aircobras. These unique fighters had a nose wheel and the engine was mounted behind the pilot and drove a forward-positioned propeller via a transmission shaft.