Warbirds

The Ventura is being swapped for an airworthy ex-RAAF Canberra bomber and will eventually go to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. It is planned to maintain the machine in airworthy condition.

Nowra Naval Airshow

The Royal Australian Navy is holding a major Airshow at the Nowra Naval Air Station on Monday 6 October. In addition to a wide range of Australian Defence Force aircraft, it is hoped that nations participating in the RAN Fleet Review in Sydney on Saturday 4 October would provide some spectacular additions to the airshow programme.

A further highlight of the airshow is expected to stem from the gathering of the largest contingent of Warbirds yet seen in Australia, a visit will be a must for the Warbird enthusiast. The intention is to ensure that each of the Warbird participants shall have a slot in the display programme. This alone would provide a spectacle to bring tears to the eyes.

Commercial, general and sport aviation aircraft will also be featured, the Fleet Air Arm Museum will be open to visitors as usual and is well worth inspecting.

1986 is the 75th Anniversay of the Royal Australian Navy.

Catalina Update

Catalina PBY-5 VH-EXG is reported to be at Tennant Creek, NT with mechanical problems and will not be put back into the air until more work for the machine is assured. The amphibian is normally used on Aerial Survey work.

Bankstown, Sydney saw the arrival of the late Sir Gordon Taylor’s PB2B-2 Catalina, VH-ASA, in early June. The Catalina was trucked in and is to be restored to static display standard for the Power House Museum by Hawker Pacific before the end of the year. The machine, which last flew in 1954, has been completely gutted and vandalised over the years she was in store and will need a lot of TLC.

T-6 up and Away

Of all the Harvards imported from New Zealand some years ago not all were imported in an airworthy condition.

One of these imports was NZ1006 owned by Randy McFarlane. For a while the machine was at Albury before moving to Sydney. Here it was rebuilt at Bankstown by Winrye Aviation where it was also painted up into a very colourful US Navy colour scheme to represent a US Navy SNJ based in Cuba. The end result is a great looking aircraft.

On May 10, the Harvard, now VH-TEX, took to the air again under the control of well known Warbirds pilot and Airline check Captain, Bruce Andrews.

Boomerang Rebuilds

The Boomerang may have been a stop gap fighter but today bar one at the AWM and 2 or 3 under rebuild to static display standard, the breed has almost gone. Almost!

The last few months has seen a resurgence of interest in the CAC Boomerang and not as a museum piece but as rebuilds to fly.

In Sydney Peter Sledge of Spitfire fame has started gathering up parts for a Boomerang rebuild meanwhile Matt Denning of Holland Park, Old and Gregg Batts of Eight Mile Plains have fuselages and other parts they are restoring to airworthy condition. Wings and centre sections have proved to be such a problem that Cere’s outer wings are proposed for Matt’s aircraft.

Meanwhile overseas, Dennis Sanders of California has obtained sections of a Boomerang to rebuild. Aerobatic Ace Kermit Weeks of Florida has obtained a hulk of a Boomerang rescued in some years ago by New Zealander Charles Darby. It is understood that both American rebuilds will be more Boomerang in name and general outline only and that most of the two aircraft will be converted T-6 components. Considering the amount of money Americans seem to pump into projects such as this, it may not be long before we read about ‘Boomerang’ flying in the USA.

Sabre Display

There are not many complete Sabres on display around Australia and only one flying.

At Beetles Park, Raymond Terrace, NSW, Avon Sabre A94- 958 is mounted on a pylon in a right bank with the gear down. The machine is in good condition and carries a silver colour scheme with red trim. The number 76 Squadron insignia in a circle is carried on the fin and rudder while a Black Panther is painted on the fuselage side. RAAF Williamtown Air Base is nearby.

The only Avon Sabre flying in Australia, A94-983, has been the star performer at some 25 air displays since it was put back in the air by the RAAF in March 1981.

Drover Rebuilt

The last of the DHA-3 Drovers’ built, VH-PAB, made its first flight on June 6 following a lengthy restoration. The Australian built Tri-motor has been made airworthy by Hawker de Havilland as part of their ‘Vintage Flight’ of examples of aircraft built by the company. VH-PAB was obtained in Victoria several years ago.

Two other Drovers are under rebuild, at Moorabbin Airport Vic, and at Morwell Vic, while another, VH-AZS, flies with the Drage Airworld at Wangaratta, Vic. Recent research has disclosed that had VH-PAB not been the last Drover built the next three machines were destined for the RAN.

Wirraway Restoration

When one considers that over 700 CAC Wirraways were built and that the type was operated by the RAAF until the late 1950’s, it makes you ask where are they all now?

With only one Wirraway flying, Malcolm Long’s VH-BFF at Drage Airworld Wangaratta, Vic. , plus two others under active rebuild, it comes as no surprise that someone wants to put another Wirraway into the air.

In Melbourne Borg Sorensen has commenced gathering the parts needed to make up a Wirraway and so far has an engine and fuselage. As Borg overhauls engines, including aircraft engines and has several aircraft rebuild projects to his credit it is only time and parts that slow down his quest to fly his own Wirraway.

The major parts he needs are wings, centre section, tailplane assy and undercart. If any Warbirds reader can assist with or knows where these items can be obtained could they contact Borg Sorensen at (03) 544 6176 BH or (03) 560 3160 AH.

Awm News

The Australian War Memorial has obtained a Tiger Moth to complement its growing collection of aircraft. The Moth was originally from Tasmania and will be displayed in genuine World War II trainer yellow colour scheme and the markings of an aircraft that was used by number 8 EFTS at Narrandera, NSW. The biplane is at present being restored in Sydney.

Got a spare MiG-15? One aircraft that the AWM would like to obtain is the MiG-15. These Russian built swept wing fighters were operated against the Mustangs and Meteors of the RAAF during the Korean War. While none were captured by the RAAF the type has been and still is operated by a number of Third World and Eastern Block countries. The end result is that a small number have been obtained by Air Museums in America in the last few years. As the type is still around in reasonable numbers there is a chance that we could see one eventually at the AWM.

Overseas News

In the UK the Warbird scene has attracted a lot of attention recently with a fatal mid-air collision by two vintage RAF jet fighters and the crash landing of a visiting American Catalina.

The Catalina, N999AR, had just crossed the Atlantic as part of the celebrations to mark the 1919 crossing of a Navy NC-4 flying boat. As it touched down on the Solent at Southhampton directional control was lost and it hit a large steel marker before performing a classic water loop. The Cat sank up to the cabin roof before it could be beached. One crew member suffered minor injuries.

In the other accident, a pair of vintage RAFjet fighters, a Meteor and a Vampire collided during recovery from a manoeuvre at an airshow at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. The crew of the Meteor were killed when their aircraft crashed but the crew of the Vampire parachuted to safety.

Snippets

A gathering of Warbirds is being held at Scone, NSW on Sunday October 5th by the Scone Aero Club. Some 20 or more Warbirds are expected to appear.

Bristol Freighter VH-ADL was transported by road from Essendon Airport to Deniliquin at the end of June. The machine will eventually go into the aircraft museum of Murray Griffiths who has a number of historic aircraft projects on the go.