Warbirds

Three benefits from the issue of a CofA would be the legal carriage of passengers that are not required flight crew, the deletion of restrictions as to operations over built up areas and last, but not least, the possibility of commercial operations if so desired.

It is understood that one recently imported American type, previously only eligible for a Permit to Fly, is being put up for a CofA under what is known as the Yates report. The aviation industry has overwhelmingly supported the report. If the test case of CofA vs Permit to Fly is successful this could then result in retrospective issuing of CofAs to a number of aircraft now being flown on Permits to Fly.

Imported types that come to mind as possibly being eligible are Cessna 120/140s, Luscombes, Stinsons, Piper J4 & J5s, Ryan PT-22 and even the Boeing Stearman Kaydet which has American FAA type certification. It is to be pointed out that not all CAR134 type aircraft have been certificated overseas for a standard Certificate of Airworthiness, eg the NA Harvard, and thus would not be eligible for commercial operations in the sense of flying training or joy ride work.

Brisbane Warbird Airshow

September 23 will see a spectacular airshow, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, held at Archerfield Airport. A series of static displays will also cover the history of the famous air battle. The Australian Warbirds organisation has indicated that it will hold its annual general meeting at Archerfield over the air show weekend. A good number of aircraft operated by members of Australian Warbirds will attend the AGM as well as appear in the actual air show.

Organisers have advised that types such as the F-111, F-18 and a Black Hawk helicopter will attend as well as a Spitfire, Kittyhawk, Mustang, Sea Fury, Fiat, Harvard, Ventura, Winjeels, Vampire and Sabre.

For those wanting to take in a major Warbird Airshow, Brisbane in September would appear to be the target not to be missed.

Australian Beaufighters in USA

Over the years a small number of Australian aircraft have gone overseas to aviation museums in Canada, England, Sweden, America and New Zealand.

One such example is one of the least known being the departure of one and a half Beaufighters that eventually ended up with the USAF Museum at Dayton, Ohio.

In 1988 the Moorabbin Air Museum sold incomplete and disassembled Bristol Beaufighter Mk1c, A19-43 (ex T5049) to a Roger Cloy from America. The Moorabbin Air Museum already had its own complete Beaufighter, A8-328, on display and A 19-43 was surplus to requirements. Along with A 19-43 went the unfinished fuselage of A8-371, which was never completed by OAP, the war having ended and the production contract cancelled. The fuselage went on to a successful life as a wood shed at Frankston, Vic before being obtained by the Moorabbin Air Museum.

After Cloy took the machines to the USA they somehow ended up with the Wright Patterson USAF Museum at Dayton, Ohio. At June, Al9-43 had been farmed out and was in the throes of reconstruction at Lowry AFB, Denver, Colorado. The fuselage of A8-371 remains at Wright Patterson along with a pair of Hercules engines.

This will be an interesting project to follow as it progresses to the finished display item.

Warbird Spares Treasure Trove?

Warbird operators and restorers could benefit as a result of the Federal Government recently announcing the planned closure of two service stores in Melbourne in an effort to cut waste in the defence forces.

The two are the Navy stores at Maribyrnong and the RAAF’s No 1 stores depot at Tottenham. The Government claimed it expected to save $450 million over 10 years by closing a total of nine stores depots and building a national distribution centre in Sydney. One of Tottenham’s main functions is handling parts for F-111 bombers although the planes are based at Amberley, Qld. The Tottenham depot has been dispensing aircraft parts since the war. All current and new Air Force aircraft have their parts inventory placed on computer. However, as has been proven elsewhere in Australia and overseas, stores depots such as Tot tenham sometimes have a cache of older parts that somehow never get sold as surplus and do not get onto the computerised inventory. If Tottenham is such a depot, these older parts will turn up in the closure and could ultimately end up on warbirds many years after the type went out of Air Force use.

Also of interest is the eventual fate of Sabre A94-907 at Tottenham. The Sabre was placed on a pole as a gate guardian at the depot in November 1989. The closure of the depot will dictate that a new home be found for the old fighter. Sabre A94-907 replaced Vampire A79-824 which was found to be uneconomical to repair and sold off. It is now owned by a Melbourne engineer and occupies the backyard of his home.

Longreach Qantas Museum

At Longreach, Queensland, a museum is being set up devoted to the foundation of the airline, Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service, better known as Qantas, that had its origins in the outback town.

The Qantas Foundation Memorial Trust has been set up by a group of people whose families helped launch the airline almost 70 years ago. A museum is to be constructed and will be finished in about five years time. The centrepiece of the Museum will be a replica Avro 504 biplane that was built by Qantas a few years ago. The trust is keen to hear from anyone with knowledge or memorabilia related to the early years of Qantas.

Enquiries can be directed to the President of the Museum Committee, Mr Jo Shannon, PO Box 747, Longreach, 4730.

As Qantas operates Boeing 7 4 7 aircraft the box number 7 4 7 is most appropriate.

In Brief

• Following its annual Harry Hawker Memorial lecture, this year on the subject of the Government Aircraft Factory, the Moorabbin Air Museum advised that the 1991 lecture will be on the production and operation of the CAC Mustang. Of all the Warbirds the Mustang is probably the best known and the lecture will without doubt be of enormous interest to a wide range of pilots, former service personnel and enthusiasts. More details will be advised closer to the time of the 1991 lecture.

• During June, off the California coast, the wreckage of the United States’ last airship was found by a Navy search team. The airship USS Macon hit sudden and violent winds on February 12 1935 and sank in the ocean while returning to base at Moffett Field, Sunnyvale, California.

Eighty one of the eighty three crew members escaped in life boats. The search team also found two of the four Curtiss Sparrowhawk fighters that the airship carried for protection and spotting. Of the three remaining Sparrowhawks that did not go down with the airship, one survived and in 1939 was transferred to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum where it is on display to this day Readers will no doubt recall the extraordinary saga ot the planned search and recovery of P-38 Lightnings and B-17s from beneath the ice and snow at a remote area of Greenland (refer p. 102, March 1989 AA).

Recently, a search team found the aircraft and drilled through the snow to confirm that after almost fifty years the aircraft are actually there. The recovery organisation, the Greenland Expedition Society, is now seeking donations to assist in the recovery of these historic aircraft. Those readers that would like to assist are asked to contact the GES at Epps Aviation, Suite One, DeKalb Peachtree Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341, USA.