Warbirds

Aviation Museums’ Association 1990 Conference

Following the success of last years Aviation Museums’ Association (AMA) Conference in Sydney, it has been announced that the 1990 Conference will be held at Wangaratta, Vic. The three day Conference, which begins on November 15th, is to be hosted by the City of Wangaratta which owns and operates Airworld, Australia’s largest aviation museum. This year’s AMA gathering will continue to emphasize the need for professionalism and greater communication between the national, and broader international, aviation museum communities. Workshop demonstrations and limited flight operations are also expected a to take place. Persons wishing to attend the conference or obtain further

details should contact the Conference Secretary, Mr Mark Clayton at PO Box 658, Port Arthur, Tasmania 7128. Tel (002) 50 2363. Fax (002) 50 2494. Conference Registration forms will be circulated in June.

B-52 Arrives for Darwin Aviation Museum

1500 hours at Darwin, NT on March 27th saw a USAF 8-52 touch down on its last flight prior to being included in the Darwin

Aviation Museum (refer May Warbirds). The Boeing B-52G, s/n 59-2596, is a donation from the US Government following the

scaling down of operations by the US Air Forces’ 43rd bombardment wing operating from Anderson Air Force base at Guam.

The 8-52, complete with nose art in the form of a scantly clad lady, is a real coup for the Museum in that donations of retired US military aircraft for overseas museums have usually been on a come and collect basis, whereas this aircraft was delivered right to the front door.

Sleepers to Supersonics

The history of the Government Aircraft Factory is the subject of the Moorabbin Air Museums’ 1990 Harry Hawker Memorial Lecture.

The lecture, to be held on the 4th July in the Roberts Richardson Dining Room of the Monash University Halls of Residence in Normanby Rd, Clayton, will cover the history of the Government Aircraft Factory from its pre-war beginnings in the State Railway Workshops to its final form as Aerospace Technologies of Australia. Much of the film material to be presented has never been seen in public before. The lecture, commencing at 8. 00pm, is open to the public and admission is $2. 00 for adults. From Beaufighters to Hornets; this is a once in a lifetime presentation not to be missed by those who love flying and aeroplanes. Further enquiries: Tel (03) 580 7752.

Awm Aircraft Display Addition

At the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, a new exhibit in the WWII South West Pacific Gallery will interest aviation enthusiasts. Displayed is the rear section of a Zero fighter fuselage complete with fin but no rudder. The letters 08 are visible on the fin. On the port side of the fuselage there is what appears to be sprayed on manufacturers details including the serial or construction number of 4043.

The fuselage section is from a Zero that was one of four Japanese aircraft that were surrendered at the Allied Air Base at

Jacquinot Bay, New Britain, on September 18th, 1945. Due to a lack of interest in the aircraft at the time and the fact that Allied forces soon left the area, the aircraft (three Zeros and one Mitsubishi Dinah) were abandoned. Subsequently one damaged Zero including this fuselage section was recovered by the RAAF in the early 1970s.

The fuselage is of particular note in that one can see the internal construction and also note the number of field patches evident.

National Museum of Australia

While there has been no word on the outcome of the project to establish a National Aviation Museum, it can be advised that the National Museum of Australia holds three aircraft that would go into the NAM collection when it commences.

These three aircraft are Percival Gull G-AERD, Percival Proctor VH-FEP and De Havilland 104 Dove VH-DHK. The Proctor and Dove are in the National Museum’s stores in the ACT while the Gull is held in a Commonwealth Government store in Sydney.

In Brief

• Long forlorn Douglas DC-2 VH-CDZ departed Bankstown Airport by road on April 27th. It is reported that the historic aircraft is now at the Qantas training school at the Sydney suburb of Alexandria where it is to be rebuilt as a practical training aid. The present owner of the DC-2 is unknown, but in August last year it was being advertised for sale by Koomeela Australia.