Warbirds

The end of Mustang VH-DBB came on 15 February 1970. It was the official opening of the airport at Bendigo and Don Busche was to open the airshow with several low passes of his machine . After the third pass the Mustang went into a steep bank, control was apparently lost and the aircraft disappeared behind a line of trees. A column of dense smoke announced the end of man and machine. Both will be remembered.

Beaufort for Awm

Recent news from the Australian War Memorial, at Canberra, is that a Bristol Beaufort has been acquired for the AWM collection. The Beaufort, a Mk. VIII, serial number A 9- 5 5 7, was acquired from private sources in Australia. The twin engined bomber served with 100 squadron RAAF and completed 100 operations before it crashed on returning to Tadji, West Sepik, PNGon 20 January 194 5. Brought back to Australia in the 1970s the machine is now stored at theAWM’s Mitchel lAnnex.

AWM spokesperson, Mr John White, said that the Beaufort arrived in Canberra on 15 February and that it was about 95% complete, although unrestored. Mr White went on to say that the aircraft would be on display at the AWM’s open day in November this year.

The acquisition of Bristol Beaufort A 9- 5 5 7 by the AWM will be considered a positive move by most as it is an Australian built aircraft used by the RAAF in the Pacific theatre during WW2, and as the years roll on it is not going to be any easier to recover or obtain this type of machine.

Moor Abbin Air Museum Happenings

With the closure of Casey Airfield at Berwick, Vic the Moorabbin Air Museum has been able to obtain the former hangar owned by the late Lord Casey. The closure of the airfield involved the removal of a number of buildings, one of which was the Casey hangar. The building had been put up before WW2 when the place was no more than a cow paddock. Over the years it has housed the aircraft that Casey owned, including a Fairchild 2 4, a Miles Messenger and a Cessna 180. The building is considered historically significant and the Museum was able to obtain it for later re-erection at its Moorabbin site. Lord Casey used aircraft to fly himself to Canberra when he was involved in politics but still maintained a home at Berwick.

Also new to the Museum is Victa Airtourer 100 VH-BWI, which arrived by road just prior to the New Year. The aircraft, which has some 7,000 hours flight time, had previously served with the RoyalAero Club of South Australia and later a private owner. The museum considers the Airtourer a significant asset, as it now has examples of every notable Australian aircraft designer: Millicer, Wackett and Percival.

Airshow Season Is Here

1991 may be the year of the Recession but there are at least three airshows on the calender worth noting and, if at all possible, attending.

In Easter the SAAA will be holding their annual convention and airshow. The airshow will be held on Sunday 3 1 March and already promises a nice blend of warbirds, homebuilt and antiques. It is understood that the airshow will be the first public display of one of the recently imported Chinese Nanchang CJ-6 trainers. Next comes the Canberra Air Pageant on April 14. This event is also shaping up to be a top notch affair with a good display of warbirds. Those attending should also try and visit the Australian War Memorial, which, with ever changing displays, is always interesting to visit.

Then its onto central New South Wales for the Tigers to Temora event on the Anzac week of 25-28 April. The event is to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of 10 EFTS RAAF at Temora and will also be the Annual National Fly-In of the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia. An airshow is to be held on Saturday 27 April. The organisers are hoping to attract more than 67 Tiger Moths to Temora to try and beat the record set there more than 50 years ago when Temora was a pilot training base for the RAAF.

Then the following weekend there is the very popular Bankstown Air Fair. This two day event will run over the weekend of 4/5 May and will feature a strong selection of warbirds, vintage, GA and various commercial displays. It is also hoped that a number of RAAF aircraft will be in attendance.

Confederate Air Force in Big Move

They do things big in Texas, the home of the world renowned Confederate Air Force, and when the CAF moves home this year it will take an estimated 400 semi-trailer loads of property and exhibits with it.

The new base airfield is at Midland International, which is on the other side of Texas from the well known Rebel Field at Harlingen. The new base will provide more space for the CAF Colonels, 72 acres against the 12 acres at Harlingen. The CAF has a collection of 145 aircraft and the city of Midland helped make the move more attractive.

Whilst there has been some confusion regarding the venue for the CAF’s Airsho ’91, the warbird airshow, complete with spectacular special effects, will take place at Midland.

Australian Aviation, in conjunction with Torii Tours, will be running a special tour to the Confederate Air Force Airsho ’91, and the southern USA. If you would like to be part of this exciting tour contact Torii Tours, 4th floor, 130 Phillip St, Sydney, 2000. Tel: (02) 233 8500. Fax: (02) 231 2758.

77 Squadron Reunion

Early February at Williamtown RAAF base, NSW, was the place to be for warbird enthusiasts as No 77 Squadron hosted a big fighter pilots’ reunion.

Over two hundred former fighter pilots mingled with current members of the RAAF, while outside the Officers Mess there was a feast for the eyes in the form of Col Pay’s Mustang, Spitfire, KittyhawkandHarvard. These were joined by 21st century technology in the form of RAAF F/A-18 Hornets from No 77 Squadron. A highlight of the display was the appearance of the superbly restored two seat MiG-15 VH-XIG, owned by John Weymouth.

In Brief

• The Mystery Jet has been identified. In the December issue of Warbirds the photo of the Mystery Jet, a much modified former RAAF Vampire T. 35, appeared. The intention had been for the aircraft to be modified into a six/eight seater executive jet. The scheme collapsed and the incomplete machine was noted near Las Vagas during the 1990 Australian Aviation Oshkosh tour. The aircraft has now been identified as having been registered in the US as N11925, which in turn was RAAF serial A79-624. Is there any reader who may have flown the Vampire during RAAF service?

• It has been reported that Lockheed Hudson VH-AGS will be back in the air within three months. Owned by Malcom J Long of Coolangatta, Qld, the former RAAF twin engine bomber has been under restoration at Melbourne’s Moorabbin Airport for some years and is nearing completion. It is understood that the aircraft, serial number A16-112 in RAAF service, will be based at Coolangatta once it takes to the air again. There are four ex RAAF Hudsons still extant of which three are in Australia.

• In a move seen by some as long overdue, well known prewar aviator Maude Rose (Lores) Bonney MBE, of Miami, Qld, was awarded the Australian Medal (AM), for service to aviation, in the Australia Day Honours list.

• Following the note in the last Warbirds column that the Australian War Memorial was now charging an entry fee, prospective visitors to the AWM can breathe a collective sigh of relief. After much uproar the fee has been scrapped. As a result of opposition by the RSL, the Coalition and the Australian Democrats, the fee was scrapped early in February. The universal ·objection to the fee was reported as being an attempt to commercialise the fact that men died for their country and that the War Memorial belongs to the Australian people, many of whom had donated items now on display. It should also be noted that the entrance fee was introduced in an attempt to assist funding of the AWM, which like all such institutions is suffering from the tightening of the public purse strings in·recent years.

• It was the 19th February 1942 that the Japanese first bombed Darwin and yet the anniversary virtually went unnoticed in the media. The Battle of Darwin should be a significant event for all Australia to remember but there was scant mention in the Australian media. It would seem that the Gulf War headlines and the annual preoccupation with celebrating the Battle of Britain takes precedence over what happened in this country.