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Rally Harvard to Stay
One entrant in the recent UK to Australia Air Rally that has attracted the attention of the warbird movement was a Harvard IIA with the wording ‘Spirit of San Francisco’ painted along the fuselage. Flown by Peter McMillan and Keith Clarke, the Harvard, reported to be N4995A, finished the rally and was then quickly flown south from Caboolture, Qld to be included in the aircraft auction held by Monarch Aviation at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, at the end of May. The Harvard, which one source indicated was initially for sale at around $120,000 at the end of the race, achieved the highest bid at the auction, $90,000. It is understood that the sale is subject to approval by the owner, now back in the USA, to accept the offer. Regardless of the outcome of this particular bid it would appear that the rally Harvard will stay in Australia. On the subject of Harvards and that breed, AT-6D N29944, was recently taken off the US register as bound for Australia. This machine is most likely the aircraft being imported from the USA by Mick English of Bathurst, NSW, as it has been learnt that a Harvard has just arrived at Bathurst. These two imports bring to some 21 the number of Harvards/ AT-6s/Texans and SNJs now in Australia.
Duigan Biplane Replica
If there was an award for replica aircraft of the year it would have to go to Ron Lewis of Heathcote, Victoria, for his replica 1910 Duigan Biplane. In 1910 farmer and engineer, John Duigan, designed, built and flew what has since become recognised as the first successful Australian built aircraft. On 16 July 1910 the machine flew from Spring Plains Station at Mia Mia, Victoria. In recent years the original Duigan machine was on display at the Museum of Victoria until put into storage pending the construction of a new Museum. It was while in storage that Ron Lewis, a retired mechanical engineer, studied the Duigan, drew up plans and built the replica. Sunday May 27 saw the official unveiling of the replica at Mangalore Airport where special guest of honour was Mrs Margaret Reece (nee Ferguson) who as an eight year old girl saw the first flight of the original Duigan. The replica, powered by a VW engine, is a faithful copy of the original machine and pilots and engineers at the unveiling commented that although Duigan built his aircraft only seven short years after the Wright Brothers made the first powered controlled flight, the principals of the structure and controls are little changed to what we see today. The workmanship of the replica is first class and the concept and construction of the Ron Lewis Duigan can be summed up in one word: Magnificent!
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Temora Eft S and Tiger Moth Anniversary
The arrival of more than 64 DH Tiger Moth aircraft is one of the key aims of the planned celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the RAAF No 10 EFTS at Temora, NSW, in April 1991. During WWII 2,527 Empire Air Training Scheme trainees completed the elementary flying training course at Temora and contributed much to the RAAF war effort. Now it is planned that the Anzac weekend of Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April will see anniversary celebrations and a reunion as well as an Antique and Warbird aircraft display. During the latter stages of WWII a photo was taken showing 64 DH Tiger Moth training aircraft in neat rows at the Temora RAAF Base. The organisers of the 1991 reunion are keen to see if this number of Tigers on the one aerodrome at the one time can be beaten and have issued an invitation to Australia’s 150 active Tiger Moth owners to plan ahead to be at Temora in April 1991 and be part of the celebrations. As part of the celebrations the Annual National Antique Fly-In of the Antique Aeroplane Association will be held at Temora and the end result will be a large gathering of Moth types and other antiques. Visitors (by Antique aeroplane or driving in) are most welcome and further details can be had by writing to The Secretary, No. 10 EFTS Reunion Committee, PO Box 13 Temora, NSW 2666. Or phone (069) 77 2982 BH, (069) 771 3888 AH.
Piper J-2 Becomes a Taylor J-2 Cub
One of the recent more interesting aircraft to be sighted at Tyabb airport, Victoria, is a J-2 Cub, NC17595. Imported from America in 1988 the aircraft was recently bought by Brian Jones and at last report was undergoing an Australian CofA in the brand new hanger of The Aviation Centre, a new maintenance firm at Tyabb. The J-2 Cub is a Piper J-2 according to its American log books, though from its c/n of 1095 it is possible to work out that it is in fact a Taylor J-2 and would have been built by the Taylor Aircraft Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, in early 1937. It was not until very late in 1937 that the firm changed its name to Piper. Piper went on to build the J-3 Cub and the world has never been the same since. The subject J-2 is powered by a 65hp Continental A65-8 engine with a metal Sensenich prop. Three other Taylor J-2 Cub aircraft were brought into Australia in 1937. Of these, VH-UYT is owned and flown by Don Bunn of Albury, NSV’y, and VH-UYM has recently been rebuilt for owner Roy Raymond of Taree, NSW. The third machine was written off before WWII.
Welcome Howard
One of the bigger sized entrants in the recent UK to Australia Air Rally was the Howard DGA-1SP, N66546.
A relatively unknown type to most aircraft watchers in Australia, the DGA-15P is a high wing machine and from a distance could be confused with a DH Beaver. Both are powered by the P&W R985 radial engine of 450hp.
The rally Howard has been bought by Victorians Clive Phillips and Lochlan McLean and was ferried to Melbourne on Sunday 10th June under the command of Jack McDonald. Flown in the rally by Jim and Les Speyer, the Howard, built in 1944, has c/n 1776 and was previously a US Navy GH-2 utility transport with s/n Bu. 32811.
The DGA-15P has five seats and a gross weight of 4350lb. Some 60 of the type remain active in the United States
Lockheed 10 Memories
Following the item in the Jan/Feb 1990 issue of Warbirds on the restoration of the former Ansett Lockheed 10A, VH-UZO, inserted, retired aircraft engineer Tom McRae Wood of Blackwood, SA has forwarded a photo of the Lockheed in service.
Mr Wood was a junior engineer, aged 18,employed by Guinea Airways during 1939 and regularly serviced the Ansett Lockheeds at Parafield aerodrome. The Lockheeds were then new and highly polished and maintained to a high standard. In those days the Lockheeds travelled to Parafield from Sydney via Leeton and Mildura.
In Brief
• An additional item on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum is former RAN Westland Wessex helicopter N7-202. This machine is apparently one that was written off following a ditching a few years ago.
• A Messerschmitt Bf108 four seat passenger aircraft has arrived in Australia and is now at Bankstown. It is understood that the aircraft came from Canada. More details will be reported as they become available. Another Bf108, VH-UZI, was on the Australian register from May 1937 to May 1940.
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