Warbirds

Purchased last year by Mike Falls, well know for his Shortstop Jet Charter firm, the SNJ was crated to Australia and reassembled at Toowoomba, Old. Now registered as VH-OVO the SNJ is painted in a 1951 Marine Corps silver colour scheme with the Bu. serial number ‘112330’ on the rear fuselage. The aircraft is up for sale at an advertised price of $250,000.

On the subject of Harvards and SNJs, Harvard N1363R, of BillWaterton of Melbourne, has been taken off the US register and will no doubt carry Australian registration in the near future. This Canadian-built machine was imported some years ago to portray the Lockheed Altair ‘Lady Southern Cross’, VH-USB, in a TV Mini series on the life of Kingsford Smith.

Sea Fury Notes

For the record (3uidoZuccoIi’sIraqiFury VH-HFG is still in Australia and has not been exported to the USA as reported in a recent Warbirds guide book.

The ‘Fury has been modified in the last few months and now sports a second or jump seat behind the pilots seat. The second seat will no doubt be most useful when it comes to the checkout of new ‘Fury pilots. As a result of the installation of the second seat the canopy has been modified to be some 50cm longer. Because the modified canopy is not any higher apparently one has to look carefully to notice the difference.

Darwin Aviation Museum

Construction is underway on an aviation museum at Winnellie in Darwin, NT.

The $2 million Darwin Aviation Museum is situated on land next to Darwin Airport. Expected to open in May this year the museum is soon to receive a Boeing B-52 bomber donated by the USAF to mark its connection with Top End air defence since 1941. The B-52, probably a D model, will come from Guam. The huge aircraft will be flown to Darwin and USAF personnel will assist in moving it into the museum hangar building.

Other aircraft exhibits include a DH Dove, B-25, Mirage and Sabre fighter plus a fine collection of exhibits relating to the air defence of Darwin and the Northern Territory.

Santa Monica Museum of Flying Aircraft Auction

At Santa Monica, California, a new aeronautical museum, the Museum of Flying, has just opened and already some sixteen aircraft are on display.

Situated at historic Santa Monica Airport, the newly built museum has strong links with the Douglas Aircraft Company and this is reflected in the aircraft on display and other exhibits such as the Donald Douglas Library and Archives and the Douglas Aircraft Company board room.

As part of an ongoing promotion of the new museum, May 19 and 20 will see a huge auction of WWII Warbirds, Antique aircraft and aviation collectibles (advertised on p70 Mar 90 AA). The proceeds will provide an ongoing endowment for the museum and create a scholarship fund for young people wanting to pursue a career in aviation. Some 30-40 aircraft are expected to be accepted for auction, each being a prime example of the type. Already confirmed are a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Supermarine Spitfire, P-51 Mustang, Bushmaster trimotor and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.

For those interested in the auction and the aircraft and artifacts to be put under the hammer a 48 page colour catalogue is available for $US12. 00 plus postage. Contact the Museum of Flying Auction on phone number (213) 392-6392 or FAX (213) 452-1933.

Fatal New Zealand Harvard Accident

The New Zealand Warbird movement recently received a serious shock when two T-6 Harvards collided in mid air with tragic results.

During an Airshow at Ardmore Aerodrome in late February four Harvards were making a formation flight across the field when the propeller of one Harvard apparently hit the tail. of the aircraft in front of it. Control of the forward aircraft was lost and it dived into the ground killing the pilot. The second aircraft, although badly damaged, was able to land on the aerodrome.

Ballarat Airshow: Beauty  Mate!

On the weekend of February 24th and 25th Australia’s National Airshow at Ballarat onceagain proved to be a mecca for Warbird enthusiasts.

On its first public display was Col Pay’s just restored Curtiss P-40, VH-KTH. So great was its attraction that crowd control had a problem keeping people back from it. Other noteworthy aircraft were Spitfire VH-HET, Neptune VH-IOY, Fiat VH-LIX, Sabre YH-PCM, Vampire VH-HLF, Wirraway VH-WIR, VH-HVD, -OVO and -SFY, C-47 A65-71, Mustang VH-AGJ plus five Winjeels.

Also of enormous public interest was the debut of the wing walking act. Using Tiger Moth VH-GVA wingwalker Dr Susan Sherlock was flown into the history books by pilot Ray Vuillerman. On both days of the two day show there was an exciting ground attack sequence that had the Vampire ‘strafing’ the ground followed by the Neptune ‘dropping’ a string of bombs. After the act there was a pall of smoke high in the sky. Lots of colour, noise and action.

If you missed the show you can wait two years for the next one or else buy the two hour Hoyts Polygram video that was being filmed there, and which will be on sale soon in Australian Aviation.

Queensland News

Out at Toowoomba Kim Rolph-Smith’s North American T-288 arrived from the USA in early February to be reassembled and put into the air. The big Trojan is reported to be from the same batch as Judy Pay’s Tyabb-based T-28B, VH-NAW.

As we went to press, advice was received that Kim RolphSmith has managed to find and purchase four North American built Mustangs in India. These aircraft are now on their way to Australia with one allocated for Kim, one for Guido Zuccoli and the other two for as yet unknown buyers. Big news indeed and we await further details with interest.

Kim Rolph-Smith has for some time had an incomplete North American built Mustang in Australia. Obtained in South East Asia, the aircraft is in need of a fair bit of work to put it back into the air. His new Mustang may not need as much work to make it airworthy.

Moorabbin Air Museum News

At Melbourne’s Moorabbin Airport the Moorabbin Air Museum continues to live up to its aim of actively preserving Australian aviation heritage with the arrival of two Australian built aircraft.

The first aircraft is a partly built pre WWII Mignet Flying Flea homebuilt that was about to be put on the tip. The second is a single seat Ultralight aircraft called the Wombat. This Australian designed and built aircraft was recently recovered from Western Australia where it had at one stage been used by Western Mining Company in conjunction with its overland survey expeditions. Designed by the SA firm of Ultra Light Aircraft Industries of Goolwa, the machine was known as the Wombat if fitted with a nose wheel and the Bunyip if with a tailwheel. A total of 54 were built before production ceased in 1985 due to a change in (then) Dept of Aviation regulations.

The Museum’s Wombat was one of several built under licence in Western Australia and only differs from the South Australian-built aircraft in having a metal covered tailplane.

The machine is complete except for an engine and propeller hub and the Museum is keen to acquire an unserviceable exam -pie of a Fuji Robin 440, Rotax 447 or 503 or Huntington Field engine and a split hub for a three blade Ultra Prop airscrew. Can any reader help?

On Monday July 4th the MAM will be holding its annual Harry Hawker Memorial lecture. This year the lecture will be about the history of the Government Aircraft Factory and will be held at the Monash University Halls of Residence. For further details telephone the Museum on (03) 580-7752.

Yet More Migs Arrive

At Bankstown Airport, NSW, the hangar of Classic Aviation has come to resemble that of a Communist bloc country with no less than five MiGs’ in and around it.

The MiGs’ are all new arrivals and are in addition to those already in Melbourne. The aircraft comprises three MiG-15UTI two seaters and two MiG-17 single seaters. One MiG-15 is understood to be owned by Gordon Glynn while the other machines are owned by Hockey Treloar. Gordon is known as the

part owner of Neptune VH-IOY and Hockey is the owner of Spitfire VH-XVI and Mustang A68-187, both at Toowoomba, Old.

All the MiGs’ are painted silver except for one model 17 which is light grey and sand with blue undersur faces. The MiGs’ have all come from Poland.

There are now more MiGs in Australia than some third world countries but the question on everyone’s lips is when will the first one fly?

Of Catalinas And Blister Turre Ts

Sometimes your prayers are answered on a Sunday! Late last year the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, Vic held an open day, in part to launch the National Aviation Museum project and in part to launch an appeal to ensure adequate funds for the purchase of Catalina VH-EXG. One thing that the ‘Cat was missing was a set of rear fuselage blister turrets, that is until part way through the Sunday open day when a gent drove up with a covered trailer and asked to see someone from the Museum.

Once he had found a Museum Officer the visitor revealed that the items in the trailer were much needed ‘Cat blisters and was the Museum interested in them? You can guess the answer. The Museum still requires a nose turret. Can any reader help?

In Brief

• At Hamilton, Vic. land has been purchased for the establishment of a memorial museum to the late Sir Reginald Ansett. As a young man Reg Ansett ran his vehicle passenger service from there and on February 17, 1936 he commenced passenger aircraft operations when Fokker Universal VH-UTO flew from Hamilton to Melbourne. The original 60′ x 40′ Ansett hanger was moved into town for use as a motor vehicle engine overhaul work shop when the aerodrome was relocated. This building still exists and is to be used if the museum goes ahead.

• If you happen to be at Addison, Texas, USA, do not think that you are in a time warp if you spot a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk in RAN colour scheme complete with kangaroo roundel and ‘NAVY ‘ on the fuselage. The jet aircraft, N21NB, is one of the few US civil registered Skyhawks and is owned by David Strait of Sierra Hotel Inc. This Skyhawk would be an interesting aircraft on the Australian airshow circuit but for the problem of getting it here.

• It has been reported that the replica Southern Cross, VH-USU, is to fly to New Zealand for a goodwill tour of the land of the long white cloud. In the 1930’s Charles Kingsford Smith flew the original Southern Cross, VH-USU, on several trans-Tasman flights and was warmly welcomed by the New Zealanders. One report suggests that the replica may stay in NZ at the end of the tour and be put on permanent display. • Question: Did you ever wonder why Guido Zuccoli’s Italian built Fiat G. 59-48 has the registration VH-LIX? Answer: LIX are the Roman numerals for 59!