Register Update

Boeing 747 OJO for Qantas and Dash 8 WZJ for Southern Australia Airlines are the only two airliners listed however a 1976 model Twin Otter, WPT, is now being operated by West Australian Petroleum in Perth to replace their Islander which was reregistered AGI last month.

By far the most interesting aircraft listed are the two warbirds, Dragonfly DLO and VampireZVZ. The Cessna A-37B Dragonfly is a new type in Australian skies and is from a group imported by Col Pay at Scone (refer Warbirds). It was developed from the T-37 trainer aircraft and designed for operations from short unsealed strips. The first 39 A-37As were in fact converted T-37B trainers for the USAF but these were withdrawn from use in 1974. The A-37B first flew in September 1967 and a total of 577 had been produced by 1977 when production ceased.

The DH115 Vampire trainer was a logical step by De Havilland from the DH113 Vampire NF (Night Fighter) and by removing the night intercept equipment and fitting dual controls they produced one of the best jet trainers in Europe in 1950, featuring side by side seating in a pressurised cabin. It was built at their Christchurch, Hampshire factory and the prototype was on static exhibition at the 1950 Farnborough Air Show but was not seen airborne at that show until the next year after which it was handed over to the Christchurch Technical School as an instructional airframe. The Vampire trainer became the standard basic jet trainer in the RAF as well as being developed for the Fleet Air Arm. By 1958 804 Vampire trainers had been produced, including a large number for overseas Air Forces, including the Royal Rhodesian Air Force who used the type for night and instrument flying and armament practice. The Rhodesians acquired twelve Vampire trainers, eight new machines and four ex RAF aircraft and ZVZ is the first of several of these that have come to Australia. The new aircraft first flew in Rhodesia, serialled SRlIB to SR123, the first being construction number 15370 and ex RAF serial XE816 whilst the second batch of ex RAF machines were XH268 to XH271. For security reasons the local markings were changed several times and as a result it has become very difficult to tie up the actual airframes that have been imported to Australia.

Four aircraft return to the register after periods of inactivity including two that have been repaired after accidents. Robinson JNT was damaged during November 1990 but is now airworthy once more and is for sale through Heliflite of Castle Hill whilst Bellanca Decathlon UOO is active again after damage on November 4 1984. The right landing gear collapsed on the Decathlon after several bounces and a ground loop at the Wallacia strip, just west of Sydney and one wonders why it has taken so long to repair what must have been minor damage compared with some aircraft that have been rebuilt from almost nothing.

Two classic aircraft that have returned to Australian skies are Chipmunk RIW, which was withdrawn from use over twenty years ago, and Leopard Moth UUL. The DH85 Leopard Moth was designed as a successor to the Puss Moth. It first flew on May 27 1933 from Stag Lane Airfield in England and quickly became popular for luxury private travel around Europe with its three seat fully enclosed cabin. It used a higher powered Gipsy Major engine than the Puss Moth and included in its design a spruce and plywood box structure fuselage, giving a lower empty weight. Folding tapered wings enabled more efficient hangar parking whilst the rotating undercarriage fairings, which acted as an air brake, were retained from the Puss Moth design. A total of 132 Leopard Moths were built in a three year period of production and the first of its type to fly in Australia was G-ACLX which left England during March 1934 to survey the route thatBernard Rubin’s Comet would fly in the MacRobertson Air Race. The Leopard Moth not only surveyed the route but broke the record for the return journey by arriving at Lympne on May 1 in a time of 8 days 12 hours.

The prototype Leopard Moth was also used as a test bed for the Gipsy Six R engine which went on to power the Comet racers to their success in the MacRobertson Race. The last long-distance record-breaking flight by a Leopard Moth was by an Australian machine. Jimmy Broadbent flew AHB from Darwin to Lympne in only 6 days 8 hours 25 minutes during April/May 1937 using a special cabin fuel tank giving a 1,500 mile range.

The first 30 Leopard Moths had flat sided fuselages but thereafter, a slightly rounded effect was obtained by stretching the fabric covering over wooden stringers. Mr Hatfields Leopard was built toward the end of the production run and therefore has the rounded fuselage sides. It first came to Australia during November 1935 and flew regularly until March 1978 when it was taken off the register. It’s great to see such a historically significant type flying again in Australia. The machine joins two other Leopards, all based in Victoria.

The change of ownership section contains four commuter aircraft of interest and a warbird. One of Hazelton Airlines three Cessna 310s, IBM, has been sold to Wagga based Western NSW Airlines and with the general reduction of the Hazelton fleet we can expect the other two together with several Navajos to change hands in the near future. Partenavia IXE has been bought by Alligator Airways of Kununurra WA and joins five single engined Cessnas, two float-equipped Beavers and a Beech 18. Shorts 360 TAO has been returned to Airlines of Tasmania after a short lease to Sunstate in Brisbane following the arrival of the latter’s two Dash 8s and Wilson Aviation’s Navajo WZW has gone to Monarch Air at Bankstown for resale. The one warbird to appear in the listing is MiG-15 DIE which has been acquired by Barry Hempel and now resides at Archerfield.

A relatively small number of aircraft are shown in the deletions section this month with only one reregistration, one withdrawn from use, four sold overseas and five succumbing to damage. The second two Aeromil Bandits, LVJ and LVK, have now been delivered to Iran and although operated by the Iranian postal service they have been given the military serials 4-9853 and 4-9854 respectively. The first two aircraft, LVH and LV I, which appeared in the June issue, have become 4-9851 and 4-9852 respectively. Aztec ESA force landed at Taggerty Vic after an inflight cockpit fire and Bonanza M V M was badly damaged when it crashed after clipping powerlines at Cranbourne Vic. The pilot of the Bonanza was well-known racing car driver RustyFrench. Bell 47J,THH, was badly burnt in the cockpit area by an arsonist at a winery at Lyndock SA and has now been replaced by a JetRanger. The old 47J is of historic significance to Australian aviation as it was one of the first of its type in Australia and was operated at one time by TAA. Lets hope that it is not so badly damagedby such a cowardly act as to not fly again.

Following up on some Australian aircraft now active in other parts of the world, Cessna 404 TMX, cancelled back in the March issue is now flying as P2-ALK with Airlink of Rabaul PNG whilst in the same country Robinson EFK, cancelled in the May issue, is with Melanesian Tourist Services of Port Moresby. Two helicopters now flying in New Zealand are Squirrel HRS and Robinson LQY The Squirrel is now operated by Airwork at Auckland whilst the Robinson did not return to its original New Zealand markings of ZK-HCC, as was suggested in the June issue, but instead has become ZK-HGN with import agents Motor Holdings at Mosgeil. JetRanger BEQ which appeared in the May issue as being withdrawn from use for extensive refurbishment back on the UK register wearing its old markings of G-AVSZ, which it first used in August 1967. Two aircraft that went to the USA during April 1991 are now based in Brazil. King Air CRM is flying as PT-OLM whilst Falcon MEI is with Brazil JetTaxi as PT-OHM.

The Australian Aviation 1991/92 Civil A ircraft Register is now completely sold out but watch out for the 1992/93 issue which will be available duringAugust/September.The register is still available on computerdisk at a cost of $50.00and of course the data base from which the disk is produced is updated every month so you can be sure that you get the very latest information on your personal disk.