Civil Register Update

Three more homebuilts join the register in the shape of Rand KR2 BMG, Lightwing LPL and a new type to Australian skies, Hurricane replica AFW. The Sindlinger Hurricane was designed as a 5/a scale replica of the famous British WW2 fighter by Fred Sindlinger during 1968 in the USA. It is constructed of wood and fabric and was awarded the Best Replica trophy at the 1972Oshkosh show as well as a special award for its retractable undercarriage design. The first Aussie Hurricane Replica is believed to be the end product of a project which started in England and arrived in Australia about five years ago for completion.

The first two of 14 examples of the PacificAerospace CT-4B Airtrainer, Y CA and Y CB, have arrived for the British Airways/Ansett Flying School at Tamworth NSW. The Airtrainer, a development of the Australian designed and built Victa Airtourer is now produced by PAC at Hamilton, New Zealand and the production looks like travelling full circle if the manufacturers are successful in selling the type to the USAF as a basic trainer (refer p. 36 Aug 91 AA). The machine would be required in numbers exceeding the plant’s capabilities at Hamilton and production may move partly or completely to ASTA (which owns PAC) at Avalon while the New Zealand factory concentrates on Fletcher FU24 and Cresco 600 production.

Helicopters once again feature in this section with seven listed. KFZ is the second of three Kawasaki built Hughes 500Cs imported by Chopperline at Caloundra Old and like the first example it is primarily used for joy flights from the Dreamworld tourist complex on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Two other Kawasaki-built machines are 47Gs HCW and HFZ. Both these machines have been imported from Nishi Nihon Ku at Fukuoka Japan by Helicopter Exchange at Caboolture Old and both are 47G-3B-KH4 variants, although HCW was converted from a 47G-2 model hence the dual serial number. HFZ actually crashed in Japan on 31 July 1987 but is not known if the aircraft was rebuilt in Japan or after being brought to Australia. Robinson R22 YOU is the fifth Mariner to fly in Australia whilst XHX, a Beta model, brings the total number of Robinsons active in this country to 206. Bell Longranger HJX was delivered as N210EH to Helijet’s Brisbane facility from Port Macquarie on 28 May for attention before being ferried to Hamilton Island to join Helijet’s other machines working in the tourist industry in that area.

On the same day that Helijet’s Longranger was delivered toBrisbane, Jetcraft’s second Metroliner, UZQ, also arrived at Eagle Farm but from farther afield. N781S arrived from Tarawa after its trans Pacific ferry flight from the USA and soon after joined the company’s other Metroliner and Mitsubishi on overnight freight runs around north Queensland.

Meanwhile British Aerospace 146 NJZ is the first of three such aircraft for NationalJet to be used on Australian Air Link’s Queensland network. This aircraft first flew on 5 October 1983 and was delivered ten days later to the Mali Government for VIP duties. It was replaced in1989 by aSoviet builtAntonovAn-24 and returned to its makers in England . Since then it appears to have been in storage at Chester although it did fly in England asG-BRUC before its long journey to Australia.

Nine aircraft return to the register during the period covered including two Tiger Moths. KAW was originally registered on 6 February 1959 and its serial number indicates that it was the first aircraft to bebuilt from spares by Lawrence Engineering at Camden NSW. Lawrencebuilt 11 aircraft altogether between 1958 and 1962 using spare parts bought from Australian Aircraft Sales. at Mascot NSW, a company which is still operating today but dealing in jet aircraft sales rather than Tiger spares . The 32 year old Tiger returns to the air after being inactive since October 1982. The second Tiger, SAC, was built specifically for the RAAF by de Havilland at Mascot during 1944/45. After many years of RAAF service as A17-734 and civil use as VH-DAC and VH-SAC it crashed at Harden NSW on 14 June 1965. The aircraft was restored in time to fly to Temora on 27 April for the successful attempt to set a new world record for the greatest number of airworthy Tiger Moths gathered on one aerodrome during peacetime.

Three aircraft return to the register after prolonged periods of maintenance and three after damage. Beaver, BSC, was damaged in January of this year whilst Cessna 180G DJS was damaged at Albury NSW on 20 March 1987 when it bounced severely on landing and overturned. Hughes 300C WAAwas badly damaged on 11 February 1986 at Cheviot Hills Qld whilst it was being used as a test platform for electronic equipment. The helicopter tried to land before an aerial, mounted under the aircraft, was retracted and during the touchdown the machine rolled onto its side. BandeiranteSBH returns from New Zealand where it has been on short term lease to Rex/Tranzair since last October and has now been replaced by two used aircraft from the USA.

The three deletions listed are all re-registrations of aircraft still flying in Australia and their details can be found in the Additions section.

There are only two aircraft of note that have changed owners, Beech Super King Air KZL is now flying with Skywest and Bandeirante OZG has gone from Aus-Air at Moorabbin to FlightWest in Brisbane. The Bandit’s markings were only recently changed from CRG to OZG to fit in with the other aircraft in the Aus-Air fleet and will change again shortly toXFJ to match the rest of the FlightWest fleet. As predicted in this column last issue, the fiveAir North Cessna 402s officially shown as withdrawn from use have all been exported to the USA and the ferry registration tie up is ANO/N371R, UCE/ N372R, UCUN373R, TFD/N374R and UPB/N375R. Australian Jet Charter’s Citation, KTI, also listed as withdrawn from use in the last issue is now flying in the USA using its old American markings N644CC whilst the ex Elders BAe125, IXL is expected to go to Italy as I-IGNE. Other details now available concerning aircraft listed in this column recently are Puma WOF, ditched into the sea off Dampier WA on 12 May and the PaulTerry Group’s Cheyenne, PTG which was sold to an agent in the USA as N7KK has been resold to Toyota at Matsumoto, Japan and flies now as JA8878. Squirrel’s HBA, HRX and HA T are now flying in Canada as C-GPHF, C-GPHK and C-FUHF respectively, the first two with Peace Helicopters at Peace Riverand the third with Heli-Forex at Val D’or while in England, Cameron V-77 Balloon HIH is active as G-BTRX flown by R Jones of Horsham.