Warbirds

At press time, it was not known whether the RAAF would bring the aircraft back to flying standard though if sold on the local market, the not inconsiderable profit could well be used to support the many aims and objectives of the Museum. Just an idea but worth more than mere contemplation (Ed).

Iroquois B to Raaf Museum

The Point Cook RAAF Museum has recently obtained a B-model Iroquois helicopter to add to its impressive collection.

The Iroquois, A2-384, was the first B model to enter RAAF service in 1962 and has been used in many locations including Vietnam.

All the Bell UH-1B Iroquois were superseded by the new Squirrel helicopters the first of which arrived at RAAF Fairbairn in 1984. Iroquois A2-384 is at present at Canberra.

Canberra Disposals

While Canberra is now out of service with the RAAF, No. 3 Aircraft Depot at RAAF Amberley, Old. still holds several aircraft of the type.

These aircraft and their intended fates are listed below: A84-201 the first Australian built Canberra and destined as a static display aircraft at RAAF Amberley. A84-248 allocated for display at RAAF East Sale. A84-125 held for the National Aviation Museum. A84-203 allocated to PNG. A84-229 to be exchanged for a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura, N159U/VH-SFF, currently about to be delivered to the Point Cook RAAF Museum and lastly A84-242 used for technical training at Amberley.

Other Canberras have been disposed of by surplus sale over the last few years.

Ex-raaf Vampires in the USA

While piston engined Warbirds in the form of trainers, bombers and fighters have been in vogue in Australia for several years, now there has been mixed reaction to the introduction of the first civil Warbird Jet, T. Mk. 35 Vampire, VH-ICP. Some enthusiasts regard it as not the real thing while others simply look on it as the Mustang of the new Warbird era.

When the RAAF T. Mk. 35 Vampires were replaced by the Macchi in the late 1960’s surplus sales saw a small number end up as museum pieces around Australia. Some 14 were however purchased by Westair International of Broomfield, Colorado and shipped to the USA where they were converted and sold as civil aircraft. The ex-RAAF Vampires joined a growing number of Jet Warbirds imported into the USA from a variety of sources. Though a fuel guzzler, the Vampire is not considered as complicated as some of the more sophisticated jet types to rebuild, maintain and fly and the end result is that all the Vampires are understood to still be in existence.

The following is a listing of the RAAF T. Mk. 35 Vampires sold in the USA along with the US civil registration and last known owner.

A79-602/N11920 Westair International, Broomfield, CO. A79-613/N11921 W. G. Dilley, Ogden, UT.

A79-616/N11922 James F. Moody, Atascadero, CA. A79-617/N11923 Firebird Enterprises, Middlefield, OH. A79-618/N11924 John F. Duncan, Miami, FL. A79-624/N11925 Don Bateman, Las Vegas, NV. A79-631/N11926 Charles R. Parnell, Universal City, TX.

A79-635/N11927/N35DS Country Club Invests. , Fairmont, WV. A79-639/N11928 Westair International, Broomfield, CO. A79-644/N11929 Dayton Air Taxi, Dayton, OH.

A79-645. /N11930 Edward Stead, Bedford, NH.

A79-646/N11931 Redding International, Houston, TX. A79-654/N11932 Unknown, Mercer Island, WA. A79-657/N11933 Bradley Air Museum, Windsor Lock, CT.

“A79-645/N11930 is now painted up in an RAF colour scheme similar to that of the Central Flying School and carries ‘serial number’ ES930. This aircraft won the 1986 Oshkosh Best Jet Warbird Category Award.

DC-2 to Be Exported to Holland

The Dutch Dakota Association (ODA) has purchased a DC-2 in Australia and plans to ship it to the Netherlands. It is intended to restore the aircraft to static and possibly flying status, depending on its condition.

The aircraft in question is c/n 1288. Originally NC13738 it was brought to Australia during the war and put into RAAF service in 1941 as A30-14 with callsign (not registration) VH-CRH.

Following disposal, it and several other DC-2’s passed into the hands of Marshall Airways of Sydney. The machine did not fly again and slowly deteriorated. Following the death of Sid Marshall the machine was sold to Ralph Cusack in Queensland.

The DC-2 had been for sale for some time before the ODA approached Ralph and purchased it. Ralph can now concentrate on his Beaufort bomber rebuild project.

Three other DC-2’s survive in Australia. One is on display at Albury, NSW, painted up as the famous ‘Uiver’ while there is one each at Essendon and Bankstown slowly being rebuilt to airworthy condition.

Old Lockheeds Soldier On and On. . .

Sunday, November 8th saw the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first flight of Lockheed 12A Electra Junior, VH-ABH. The Lockheed, better known as ‘Silver City’ is now owned by Airworld of Wangaratta, Vic. and was put on public display first at Essendon Airport, in company with several other historic aircraft including a DC-2 and Beaufort bomber, both under rebuild. In the afternoon it flew to Moorabbin Airport where in company with a Beech 18 it was again put on display.

A former Australian Lockheed 1OA Electra has recently been given a new lease of life in the United States. The old Lockheed, originally VH-ABV and later VH-MMD, was built in 1938 as one of two for an order by MacRobertson Miller Aviation of Perth, WA. After a full and interesting career with the company, and more than 20,000 hours flying time, the machine was sold in America in 1954. As the Lockheed, now N19HL, aged and became superseded by more modern aircraft, its future looked in doubt until recently when it was purchased by the Valiant Air Command of Titusville, Florida.

The VAC is an organisation which is dedicated to flying and preserving WWII aircraft and claims to have over 600 and some 250 aircraft on its books. The ex-MMA machine will no doubt be used as a support aircraft, a role it carried out in Australia during WWII.

Another Lockheed 12A has been registered in Australia. The aircraft, now VH-HID, was originally constructed in early 1939 as a C-40A, serial number 38-545, for the US Army Air Corps.

After the war it was sold as surplus and converted to model 12A standard. Over the years it had several registrations and a number of owners, mainly in the states of Illinois, Oklahoma and Washington.

In 1982 the machine was purchased by Ray Piggott of Mareeba, Old. for a proposed charter, air safari operation from Cairns. The trans-Pacific ferry flight was eventful with the aircraft being shot at and an engine failing at Nauru. The charter operation did not eventuate and the Lockheed, then N712FM, languished at Mareeba until recently purchased by Geoff Rundle of Norcape Mining, Perth, WA.

Warbirds Special Feature:

Hoh Vic. Historical Projects Group

While most aviation manufacturing companies take little interest in their history one Australian organisation has an active Historical Section.

The company in question is Hawker de Havilland Victoria Ltd (HdHV) which in 1985 took over the well known concern of Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC).

Within HdHV, which is the local arm of HdH NSW, there is a Historical Projects Group (HPG) headed by Project Manager and Engineer Dennis Baker. At present the HPG is operating on a part time basis but has the approval of and has to report to management regarding its activities. The activities of the HPG are indeed widespread. It seeks to ensure that valuable company records, drawings and photos are sorted and both held in a growing archive and professionally indexed. Later this index will be placed on computer.

As the former CAC started in 1936 there is a lot of ground to cover. CAC is known as a builder of aircraft and to a lesser extent as an aero engine manufacturer. CAC however has been involved in many other activities including the manufacture of buses, pressure cookers, kitchen utensils, houses, baths, firetenders and even concrete trucks. The prototype pressure cooker has been discovered and is now held by the HPG. The role of the HPG is to document all of these activities.

One of the aims and aspirations of the Group is to obtain and perhaps eventually display samples of the aircraft manufactured by CAC. To date Wirraway A20-651 has been obtained on a year-to-year loan basis from the Museum of Victoria and now stands on display at one end of the factory. The machine performs the task of being a morale booster and reminds the employees that they are in fact dealing with aircraft even if the runways outside the factory have long disappeared under the approach ramp to the Westgate Bridge.

Elsewhere on the premises is the part-restored fuselage of a Boomerang obtained for HdHV by HdH NSW which has had a similar Historic Projects Group, and flyable aircraft, running for a number of years. The Boomerang is without wings but it is proposed to restore the fuselage first and then worry about the wings rather than dive into a total rebuild and run out of drive part way through the project.

Project Manager Dennis Baker indicated the rebuild would probably be undertaken by supervised apprentices but that he would be pleased to hear from retired company employees and even keen volunteers.

The HPG is located in a section of the final acceptance or American hanger as it was known. It was here that the CA-15, a locally designed and built fighter that looked like the Mustang but had superior all round performance, was completed.

Another activity of the HPG is to handle requests from outside the company. If the request is a simple question often the Public Relations Manager can handle it. However technical and engineering requests are channelled through the HPG resulting in a saving of manpower and by retaining a copy of the data requested a like question asked at a later date can be promptly answered.

The original CAC negative file and index has been found as has the microfiche drawings but without a full index. Requests for data involving such things as photographs and drawings are being handled on a cost charge basis.

Already the records held by the HPG are proving invaluable with researchers being able to sight original CAC records and even the notes of CAC Chief Lawrence Wackett. It was during the examination of these notes that the original name proposed for the company came to light, that of Australasian Aircraft Development Company Limited. Hawker de Havilland Victoria Ltd. is to be congratulated on its approach to dealing with its company history. This approach must surely have positive benefits both in terms of staff morale and thus the products it produces as well as the image it conveys to the public and end user at large.

Footnote: Historical Projects Group Manager Dennis Baker noted in the discussion that the HPG was interested in obtaining some material from the USA on a swap basis, the item requested by the Americans being a left hand seat for the cockpit of a DC-2 under rebuild in California. Can any reader help? Dennis Baker can be contacted at Hawker de Havilland Victoria Ltd. Port Melbourne, Ph: (03) 647 6111.

Raaf East Sale Aircraft Display

At the East Sale RAAF Base plans are well advanced for the setting up of a static aircraft display park.

Not to be confused with an Aero Museum such as the likes of the Point Cook RAAF Museum, the display park will contain examples of aircraft that have operated from RAAF East Sale. The park will also contain picnic BBQ facilities where members of the public can enjoy the area and inspect the aircraft and read their histories.

Following restoration, Winjeel A85-405 will be in the park by February 1988 which will be opened in conjunction with a planned Base open day. Vampire A79-827 is also held for display after restoration. Negotiations are in train for Vampires A79-666 and A79-623 presently held at RAAF Wagga. An Avro Anson had been obtained from a farmer’s property at nearby Denison but is basically unrepairable for display. It is also hoped that a C-47 Dakota can be added to the collection in due course.

At Amberley, Old. Canberra A84-248, has been allocated for the East Sale display park.

Sir Francis Chichester Documentary Film

A documentary film on the life and achievements of famed aviator and sailor, Francis Chichester, is being made.

Produced by Sadako Films Pty. Ltd. of Melbourne the film will use archival footage, interviews, scene reconstructions and narrative from his unique writings to portray not a biography of a great man but a study of a greater spirit.

The film, to be titled ‘By the wings of the Moth’, will document his early attempts to circumnavigate the globe alone in Gipsy Moth, ZK-AKK. The Moth was written off in an accident in Japan and Chichester was badly injured.

His interests changed. At the age of 54 he defied death of another kind-lung cancer, to turn to sail and race the Atlantic single handed. All his yachts were named Gipsy Moth.

Sadako Films have done much research in the UK but are still seeking material in Australia and New Zealand where he worked for a number of years. The producers of the film, Robert Phillips and Richard Keddie, are keen to contact anyone who has photographs or movie footage, letters, memorabilia, direct recollections and of course contact with the late Sir Francis during his flying days. Can readers help?

Sadako Films Pty Ltd can be contacted at Osbourne House, Osbourne St. Williamstown, Vic. 3016. Ph: (03) 397 2459

Spitfire Wreckology

From the Yesterday file we note that in early January 1947 the remains of a WWII Spitfire was found near Point Slaze, some 70 miles from Darwin, NT.

The Spitfire had apparently come down during the war and its location was unknown until 1947. The skeleton of the pilot was near the remains of the machine.

Given the interest in recent years in both Wreckology and Spitfires one wonders how much of the machine remained and is it still there today. Readers, over to you.

In Brief

• At Chino in California, USA work is continuing on the conversion of a T-6 airframe to a CAC CA-12 Boomerang fighter. It is understood that the machine, being built up by Dennis Sanders, is for well known Australian Warbirds pilot, Guido Zuccoli of Darwin, NT.

• The surviving members of the crew of an RAAF B-24 Liberator want to rebuild one of the aircraft, the type they flew on 58 bombing raids in the South Pacific during WWII. Recently seven of the crew of eleven held a reunion at RAAF Air Base Laverton, Vic. A few of them had not seen each other for 43 years. At the reunion it was announced that they were hoping to shortly begin the task of gathering together bits and pieces to build up a Liberator for posterity. They hope to have RAAF help in The project. No complete Consolidated B-24 Liberator exists today in Australia

•The tenth annual Auster Rally brought together 24 of the British-built classics, a third of the type flying in Australia. The Rally, which was organised by the Antique Aeroplane Association, was held in November at St. Arnaud, Vic