Warbirds

One aircraft of significant interest to Australians was a CAC CA-27 Sabre project trucked in by Dennis Sanders. Reported to be previously A94-354, the jet fighter project remained unsold although bidding went as high as $80,000. Other jet project bids, also unsold were a Lockheed P-80, $150,000, De Havilland Venom $37,000, Cessna T-37 $50,000. A Casa HA-200 jet sold for only $27,000. Another unexpected no-sale was a Grumman F9F-8 Cougar that only reached $400,000 in bids instead of the $1 million expected.

Of particular interest to piston engined fighter enthusiasts was a dual control TF-51D Mustang that was expected to reach more than $750,000 but did not even reach its reserve. In the antique area an as-good-as-new Cessna C-37 brought only $40,000 and a Cessna 195 the low price of $35,000.

No doubt there were behind the scenes sales that took place but in the main the prices of the aircraft, in particular the warbirds, took a downward tumble. Observers were of the view that this was only a short term situation and remain confident that next years auction, now being planned, will see an upward climb in prices.

Aviation Museums Association Aviation Tour

Following the success of its third annual conference, the Australian Aviation Museums Association (AAMA) has planned an aviation tour of Australia for late 1992 taking in not only theAvalon International Airshow but also a large number of Air Museums and special interest sites. The 28 day tour covers six states and transport will be in the historic DC-3, VH-CAN.

Following the Avalon airshow and visits to various air museums around Melbourne, the tour will move to South Australia, then Alice Springs and Darwin visiting aero museums and associated sites enroute. Next the tour heads into Queensland and down the east coast visiting such places as the Queensland Air Museum, Hinkler Museum at Bundaberg, the Army museum at Oakey, the Col Pay collection at Scone as well as the Naval Aviation Museum at Nowra.

The Powerhouse Museum at Sydney and the Australian War Memorial at Canberra are also included in the itinerary.

For most sites transport will be to the front door in your own aircraft, the fabulous DC-3, VH-CAN. What better way is there to arrive at an air museum?

There will be a limit of 28 tour members and the cost of $A4,479. 00, ex Melbourne, covers airfares, accommodation and meals – except as indicated otherwise. For an itinerary and further details contact Mark Clayton (03) 669 9956 or Mr John Love (060) 21 1136.

Whilst not as grand, AA will also be hosting a one week tour departing Sydney on the weekend of 17/18 October that will visit a number of air museums and historic sites en route to Melbourne where it will culminate at the Avalon Airshow. Full details will be announced in a coming edition of AA.

USA Notes

The US aviation advertisements newspaper, Trade-A-Plane, has recently carried adverts for the Moorabbin based firm of SuperiorAviation, for engine overhauls.

Superior have long been round engine overhaul specialists, in particular the P&W R985, R1340 and R1830 series. No doubt the exchange rate must have a bearing here but while it all sounds a bit like exporting coal to Newcastle, it is great to see Superior attempting to tap into the export market instead of just whinging about how tough times are.

The second advert of interest was that for an Australian built warbird, and ex RAAF Winjeel trainer. The price being asked was reportedly $230,000 US dollars. The fax number given was with an Australian area code of 054 which is in northern Victoria. Using an exchange rate of 75 cents Australian for the US dollar the asking price above comes out at a cool $306,667Australian dollars. Some warbird owners and enthusiasts will recall the days when a number of Winjeel fuselages lay derelict and unloved at Moorabbin airport and could have been purchased for a song. What a great thing hindsight is and just keep it in mind for when the CT-4s come onto the market.

What Does That Registration Mean?

When learning of the registration or callsign of a particular warbird here in Australia there is often a reason for the choice of the three letters of the marking. Sometimes this is not always apparent. Have a look at a few samples of issued or reserved registrations:

VH-WIR is of course a Wirraway, Mustang VH-BOB is owned by Bob Eastgate while Sabre VH-PCM is operated by the Point Cook (RAAF) Museum. The North American T-6 series have the most fun registrations. Look at these: VH-HVD is a Harvard. YH-NAH, a North American Harvard. VH-TEX, would you believe Is a Texan. A recent registration is VH-XNZ, an ex New Zealand Harvard. VH-HAR is also a Harvard.

VH-LIX are the Roman numerals for the (Fiat) 59 and VH-KTH is Col Pay’s Kittyhawk. VH-HFG is the Hawker Fury of Guido Zuccoli. A very obvious registration is that of the Spitfire Mk. XVI, VH-XVI. In the Winjeel scene VH-WIJ is appropriate while the Navy people have registrations that commence VH-NV for the aircraft operated by the Navy Historic Flight. Not all registrations are chosen with such care for some are just issued as the next available from the CAA. Some markings are picked out and held until the project is completed and there is a holding fee. So next time you come across a new warbird keep an ear open for the registration, there could be more to it than meets the eye.

Nep Tunes – Big Is Beautiful

There may be three Lockheed Neptunes in flyable condition in Australia (one in WA and two in NSW) but if the Australia Flying Museum at Archerfield, Qld. , have their way another Neptune will go back into the air in civilian hands.

. At Archerfield the former RAAF P2V-7 Neptune, A89-281, or Just 281 as she is known, is being worked on to return her to an

airworthy standard. Like all projects of this size a lot of work does not readily show but the members of the group are confident that the aircraft can and will be made airworthy, time and money being the key elements. The Neptune made its last flight on December 6, 1977 when it landed at Amberley RAAF base, Qld. From there it was trucked in dismantled form to the Chewing Gum field Air Museum on the Gold Coast and remained there until donated to the Australian Flying Museum and in 1990 was again moved, this time to Archerfield.

Some critics have said that the Neptune is a project too big for a single voluntary group to handle but overseas as well as in Australia there have been similar restorations that have been completed and put back in the air. Only time will tell and as onemuseum member said “Can you imagine seeing three or even four of the Australian Neptunes in the air at once”.

The Australian Flying Museum is keen to see that happen.

Australian Aviation  Now Available

For a number of years local aviation enthusiasts wanting to obtain high quality aviation art, such as paintings of aircraft in action, have had to make do with paintings from the UK and the US depicting scenes more familiar to those countries and the air craft operated by them.

Now a local firm, Aviation Art of Brighton, Melbourne, has on offer not one but two prints of interest to Australian enthusiasts. The first print is appropriately entitled The Defence of Darwin and shows the Spitfire of Wing Commander Clive Caldwell just after he has claimed a Japanese Dinah bomber. The second print is that of two Kittyhawks as they scramble to get airborne during the Middle East campaign. The tiger teeth paint scheme on the two machines make them all the more impressive.

The first print is the work of well known local artist Norman Clifford. Norman has been painting aircraft subjects for a number of years and his work is held in very high regard. Extensive research always ensures that his paintings are totally accurate. The print is a limited edition of 500 numbered and signed prints. It Is also of note that the owner of AviationArt is well known warbird owner, John Rayner.

For those wanting to purchase or know more about the two prints contact Aviation Art at PO Box 2311, North Brighton, Victoria, 3186 or telephone (03) 598 9614, 592 1945.

New Zealand Round Up

Over in the land of the long white cloud there is a warbird movement that is as active as that here in Australia and because the country is much smaller that movement is more noticeable. The last year has seen a number of imports and projects of interest take place.

At Ardmore, Jet Trainers Ltd have a Cessna A-37B jet under restoration and at last report the aircraft should be completed and flying in 1992. The twin jet Cessna was obtained in Vietnam

at Bien Hoa airbase where some 20 of the type are reported to be available. The aircraft is in good shape and has only flown a

total of 700 hours. Elsewhere in NZ a number of Cessna L-19 Bird Dogs have been imported from Vietnam and SEAsia and already ZK-FYA has taken to the air. At least half a dozen of this type are now flying in Australia and more are to follow. All come from SE Asia. A recent setback for the warbird movement was the accident involving the DH Venom ZK-VNM when it suffered a power loss on takeoff and overran the field into a pine plantation. The pilot got out safely but the Venom . . . . At least the Kiwi’s still have the ex Australian Vampire now registered ZK-VAM.

While the average Australian aviation enthusiast is not fully aware of what warbird hardware flies in NZ, types include a Mustang, Trojan, Hawker Sea Fury, numerous Harvards and even a Beech C-45 (Beech 18) decked out in WWII colours. A Kittyhawk is under rebuild and this is also expected to fly again in 1992. New Zealand also has a flying Spitfire and recently Tim Wallis imported a Corsair from the US to increase his warbird fleet.

The project that one has to admire is the Sea Fury that was wrapped around a tree in the UK. This was imported into NZ with the view that it can be rebuilt to flying standard. One can chuckle but the Kiwis have a habit of starting with a makers plate and ending up with a serviceable aircraft.

AustralianAviation will be attending the Warbirds over Wanaka Airshow and will have a photo report on both the show and the NZ Warbird scene in our June edition. Don’t miss it! COMING EVENTS

This Easter, Victoria promises to be the place for aviation enthusiasts to be at. At Mangalore airport the Spor t Aircraft Association will be holding its annual sport aircraft convention and display while up the road, fresh from the success of its 1991 Temora gathering, will be the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia holding its annual antique fly-in at Kyabram.

Later in the year, in October, the Australian International Airshow will be held at Avalon airfield, near Geelong, in company with the Aerospace Exposition. All are events are certainly worth planning to be at.

In Brief

• So you have just restored your Mustang or T-6 and now you want new tyres to complete the project but where do you get them from? Any Engineer worth his salt would want to install new tyres to compliment the rebuilt but with that size tyre apparently no longer being made in theUS what do you do? The answer is to shop in Brazil, where the local branch of Goodyear still makes tyres that fit the Mustang and T-6. May they long continue!

• Readers will no doubt recall that a Bell P-39K Airacobra was expor ted from Australia during 1991. (Refer p. 40 Nov 91 AA). Although the original destination was advised to be the UK the aircraft has now turned up in Kermit Weeks’ Air Museum at Tamiami Airport in Miami, Florida. The Weeks Museum has at least three other former Australian aircraft. On the subject of Airacobras, the Santa Monica Museum of Flying at LosAngeles, on the US west coast, is reported to have a new arrival, a P-39 that is said to have come from Australia.

• For those who like real oldies, and old is the key word, there is a new book out by local writer, David Craddock, entitled ‘Primaries Omnigenous’. The book is the second volume by Davidand covers gliders, sailplanes and human powered aircraft designed in Australia for the period 1919 – 1930. Available from David Craddock, 78 Kent St, Epping, 2121 at $20.

• Aerotech Pty Ltd, the Guido ZuccoIi company that is restoring four T-28 Trojans at Darwin is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Guido’s Boomerang at Darwin in April. This is the aircraft that was being built up at the Sanders restoration facility at Chino, California (refer p. 76 Oct 91 AA). The arrival of this aircraft will be one out of the box in more ways than one. A very unique Australian aircraft that will create a lot of interest.

• Nelson Wilson has advised that his Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk has not been sold to the AWM and that he, still has the machine. Nelson’s plan is to complete the rebuild and put the aircraft in the air. Although some discussion did take place with the AWM Nelson remains keen to see the Kittyhawk get back into the skies over Australia.

• The things that you hear about. In New Zealand, a firm by the name of Exotic Warbirds has been offering ex Russian MiG-21 jet fighters for $US100,000, ready to fly in NZ! Various models were on offer and all had very low airframe and engine hours.