Warbirds

The Malcolm Long Historic aircraft collection was at one stage on display at the Chewing Gum Field Museum, ‘Wings of Yesterday’ but shortly, after the opening of the Drage Airworld at Wangaratta, Vic it was announced that the Long collection would move south to be at Airworld.

One advertisement for the Douglas collection has been noted overseas but as yet no advertisements have appeared locally. Some of the aircraft in the collection will attract keen overseas interest.

Anr 108A Aerobatic Approvals: Dofa Replies

In the January issue of Warbirds brief mention was made that it had been reported that a number of aircraft certificated under ANR 1OBA, that were designed to be aerobated, were having their aerobatic approval status deleted from the Permit to Fly as it was being issued or renewed. The reason for the deletion was at that stage unknown.

The Central Office Airworthiness Branch of the Department of Aviation noted the paragraph and with a view to minimising the apprehension that Warbird participants and supporters may be under has written the following letter:

Dear Sir, As you are aware, Historic and ex-Military aircraft do not meet civil airworthiness standards and operate under a tailor-made Permit to Fly for specific purposes, I have enclosed a blank Permit form. You will note that the last sentence of sub-para (b) on page 2 states that “Aerobatic manoeuvres shall not be performed”. This prohibition has always been included in the Permit and thus the view from some quarters that all aircraft of this category which were initially cleared in their service life for aerobatics should not be restrained from carrying out aerobatics under the conditions of the permit, is not correct.

In the last few years, waivers of this prohibition have been applied where applications for such have been specifically made for individual aircraft and have been granted if the type involved had an aerobatics clearance and data reflected in the Flight Manual/Pilot’s Notes.

However, the following factors have necessitated a review of this policy:

a. The Permit does not limit the aircraft to a maximum number of hours in any year which may be utilised for aerobatic demonstrations and training for such.

b. The marked effect that aerobatics have on the fatigue life of certain vital structural components.

c. The lack of fatigue surveillance programmes for the aircraft involved.

The majority of aircraft types involved, whilst in Military service, were subject to fatigue surveillance programmes of one kind or another and the effects of aerobatics on the fatigue lives were generally well understood and monitored. As private ex-military aircraft, no guarantee as to continued structural integrity of the type can be given.

It was therefore decided that waivers of the aerobatics prohibition would only be granted after the applicant provided a substantiation as to how engagement in aerobatics would not affect the long-term structural integrity of the individual aircraft. The substantiation could be as simple as showing the total hours on the aircraft involved are less than the total hours of the lead aircraft which was shown to be clear of fatigue damage when the aircraft type was in service under an engineering surveillance programme of some kind or another.

Waivers currently reflected in the Permits have not been automatically withdrawn. However, substantiation, as described above, is to be provided by all applicants for the next re-validation of existing Permits if waivers are to be retained.

I hope this makes the position clear. Certainly, there was never the intention to ‘ground’ the aircraft as some press articles indicated, nor was there any intention to cease processing applications for waivers of the aerobatics prohibition. M. D, Dunn, Assistant Secretary, Airworthiness Branch.

Wwi ‘German Fighter’ in the Movie

When is a German fighter not a German fighter? When it is part of a film production! The Hawker district of South Australia in late

1986 was the location for the making of the film ‘The Light Horseman’.

The film about the exploits of the Australian Light Horse in the Middle East during WWI, has a German Albatros bombing and strafing the horse-mounted Australian in an effort to try and frighten the horses and remove the advantage the highly mobile Australians had over the Turkish infantry.

The aircraft used is in fact Albert Murrell’s Avro Avian, VH-uvx. It is the same aircraft and pilot; Nick Daniels of Melbourne, that starred in the movie The Lancaster Miller Affair. It is understood that the film people wanted a biplane that had straight wings, no stagger and an upright engine. These requirements ruled out using a Tiger Moth. Photographs show that the Avian, suitably decked out for its part in the film, looks quite like a German Albatros.

The film is due for theatre release later this year and will once again show that antique aircraft can be more than just museum pieces.

For Export?

Ralph Cusack of Brisbane has applied to the Department of Aviation for permission to export his DC-2, A30-14. This historic machine, one of only half a dozen still in existence, had a long association with the RAAF and ANA. A European buyer is believed to be involved with the purchase. A DC-2 is on display at Albury while at both Essendon and Bankstown a DC-2 is under rebuild to airworthy condition.

Ken Ormann of Blairgowrie, Vic has also applied for permission to export part of his collection of historic aircraft. Export permits have been sought in relation to Fairchild F24W VH-ALF, Avro Cadet VH-AVR and either or both DH60 VH-SSC and a part built DH83 Fox Moth that Mr Ormann obtained in New Zealand as a newly built wooden fuselage.

Mustang Fuel Problems

Mustang VH-BOB had a major in-flight emergency recently when it suffered engine problems as a result of being run on Avtur (turbine aircraft fuel).

It is understood that one tank of the aircraft was accidentally filled with Avtur. Following takeoff, the pilot switched over to that tank and then the Merlin engine ran very rough. The Mustang was just able to limp a short distance to Point Cook RAAF Base. No estimate on engine damage is available.

Other civil aircraft at Point Cook are also reported to have been topped up with Avtur.

DC-3/C-47 News

From Qld, the Sunshine State, we learn that the Mackay Air Museum DC-3 has been sold and looks like going to America. The machine was sold by tender and the successful bidder was an as-yet-unnamed American organisation. Coals to Newcastle or is it just a case of a favourable exchange rate.

At Camden, NSW, T-6 owner George Markey, has purchased DC-3, VH-ANR and intends restoring her back to airworthy condition. With c/n 1944 the DC-3, which was built in 1937, is one of the oldest in the world. Following military use in WWII the aircraft was owned by Ansett from 1946 until 1987 although she had been retired in 1974. The old Douglas is powered by Wright Cyclone engines.

Queensland Air Museum Opens

Saturday April 4th, 1987, saw the official opening of the Queensland Air Museum, situated at the Caloundra Airport, on the coast north from Brisbane. The Caloundra site was selected with help from the Landsborough Shire Council and the Lions Club. The two organisations further assisted the QAM by donating a $50,000 hangar for use as an Air Museum. Included in the QAM collection are a number of interesting aircraft; Canberra, Meteor, Vampire, Sea Venom, Drover, Anson and Dove as well as a number of engines etc.

The QAM, which was established by the Aviation Historical Society of Australia (Qld branch) in 1974, has previously been at Kuraby, Cribb Island (both in Brisbane) and Eagle Farm Airport, Brisbane. The new permanent home at Caloundra will allow the Museum to consolidate and later expand.

Another Staggering Into the Air

For a number of years Beech 17 Staggerwing, VH-BBL, owned by Joe Drage of Drage Airworld, Wangaratta, Vic has been the only one of its type to be seen in Australian skies. Now it has been joined by another of this unique type.

The second Staggerwing, so named because of the reverse stagger of the top wing, is VH-UXP. The yellow and red painted machine had not flown since 1974 and was recently noted for sale at $75,000 as part of a deceased estate.

Purchased by Albury dentist, Mike Priestly, the Staggerwing made a ferry flight in late 1986 from Bankstown to Albury with Joe Drage as pilot. Classic Airplanes at Albury is carrying out a major inspection of the fast prewar Beech.

Vampire Jet for Sale

Warbird enthusiasts were surprised to read that DH Vampire Mk. 35 VH-ICP/A79-649 had been put up for sale by tender. The Vampire, the first airworthy privately owned jet fighter in Australia, has a cruise speed in excess of 200kts and a top speed of 40Qkts at 35,000ft.

Tenders closed on 30th April and it was advised that no tender would necessarily be accepted obviously if tenders lodged are not considered high enough. It is understood that once the Vampire is sold restoration work will commence on the second of the type, A79-637, owned by Jecani Pty Ltd.

Twenty Two Years Later. . .

In the January Warbirds, Vic Coote of Mudgeeraba, Qld asked reader help in locating Flt. Lt. R. C. Moore, the last pilot to fly CAC Sabre A94-914 which Vic had obtained for his Gold Coast War

Museum.

We are pleased to advise that as a result of the request Vic has been able to make contact with Richard Moore, now of Paddington, NSW. Richard has advised that he flew Sabre A94-914 whilst serving in No. 76 Squadron at Williamtown AFB, NSW in the period 1964/65.

Mosquito Rebuild Needs Scarce Skills

The Australian War Memorial’s DH Mosquito, being rebuilt at Bankstown, NSW, needs the skills of an experienced wooden airframe tradesperson.

The Mosquito, a model PR. 41, was acquired by the AWM in 1979 and transported to Hawker de Havilland’s Technical Training Centre. For the last few years extensive and highly skilled restoration work has been carried out by instructors and apprentices at the centre. The engines, undercarriage, propellers, control surfaces, fuselage and tailplane have been rebuilt but no further progress – particularly on the vital wings – can be made without the skills of plywood tradespeople. The wings of the Mosquito were constructed of Balsa sandwiched between plywood.

A total of 7,781 Mosquitos were built during the war, including those built in Australia. Today only 28 remain worldwiqe including two in Australia.

Hawker de Havilland’s Technical Training officer, John Chadwick, is keen to recruit a person f1:1miliar with the techniques required to continue the Mosquito’s rebuild so that it may take its place as one of the most significant aircraft in the AWM’s collection.

In Brief

• Further to the report in the March Warbrids, on the Spitfire exported, it is understood that the composite Spitfire RR232 was sold in the UK to Charles Church. Church has several other Spitfires as well as a Lancaster – ex-Strathallan Collection – together with a Fairey Battle.

• Not strictly Warbirds but definitely Air Force. The last few months has seen the RAAF’s Jet Aerobatic Team, the Roulettes, (commanded by Sqn. Ldr. Jeff Trappett) at Airshows and while awaiting the cue to get airborne the team members have been noted wearing broad-brimmed hats, no less than the Australian made Akubra ‘Snowy River’ model.

It seems that the team have found it uncomfortable waiting in the hot sun for their slot in the programme and the decision was made to obtain protective headgear (Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world). It is understood that each team member purchased his own Akul.

The Roulettes may not have the same sponsorship that Akubra-wearing star golfer Greg Norman has but they are certainly comfortable and displaying good sense. Full marks chaps.

• Jeff Milne of Albury, one of the group who own both Wirraway VH-WIR and Mustang A68-674/VH-CVA, has stated that the Mustang now being rebuilt in the USA will be back in Australia and flying before the end of the year.

• From Scone, NSW, we learn that Col Pay’s Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, N96045, is now being worked on full time and is expected to be in the air before the end of the year. However, the Nakajima Oscar WWII Japanese fighter that Col has is not expected to be complete for a couple of years. Considering its background one could expect more work to be required on this aircraft to get it to airworthy standards.