Warbirds

On August 10 the ban was lifted pending certain conditions. In lifting the ban the Airworthiness Manager of the CAA, Colin stipulated that a maintenance schedule for each aircraft, based on the manufacturers data, be drawn up and approved and that pilot operating procedures also be stipulated and approved.

No doubt the speed with which the aircraft can go back into the air depends on how long it takes the various owners to compile, submit and have the documentation approved by the CAA. It is also understood that work had to be carried out on each of the aircraft before they would be allowed to fly again. Already one owner has indicated an interest in selling his aircraft with a recent advert in Trade-A-Plane with the heading ‘Machine too fast or owner too slow”! The findings of the BASI investigation had not been made public by early November.

There is no doubt that the current problems with the MiGs can be resolved and when they are once again we can expect to see them on the Australian airshow circuit.

Kendell Trojan Flys

A new Kendell aircraft that will not be used by Kendell Airlines is North American T-28D Trojan, VH-CIA.

Owned by Don Kendell of Wagga, NSW, this former Laotian ground attack aircraft has been rebuilt over the last year by Steve Death at Albury, NSW, after it arrived in dismantled form. The rebuilt aircraft took to the air again on Friday September 24 with Steve Death as pilot. Steve made a test flight lasting half an hour and was pleased to report that the aircraft had no snags to rectify. The aircraft was in a natural metal and primer finish for the first flight but this was soon changed to a colour scheme not unlike the other locally based Trojans, VH-MEO and VH-LAO. Both are in a grey scheme.

Commenting later, Steve said that the rebuild went ahead very quickly because of the experience gained from working with the other two Trojans and the fact that they were at hand if there was a query as to where something went or how something was done. The previous rebuilds had also established sources of supply for any spare parts required. VH-CIA started life as a North American T-28A with USAF serial 49-1584. Later it was converted to T-28D standard by California Airmotive. At one stage the aircraft carried the US civil registration, N8391H. The Trojan saw combat service in South East Asia before being purchased with several others by Col Pay and brought to Australia in 1988. The machine had several owners before being bought by Don Kendell and trucked to Albury in 1992 where it was rebuilt by Steve Death at Hazair Agricultural Services.

There are now nine Trojans on the Australian civil register.

These are VH-NAW and VH-SHT, both T-28B models. The remainder are all T-28D models, VH-LAO, VH-AVC, VH-XVT, VH-MEO, VH-CIA, VH-DPT and VH-DUK. Another six Trojans are stored or under rebuild around the country.

Don Kendell also owns and flys a rare antique Ryan STM trainer, VH-DBD.

Kingsford-Smith Hangar and Aviation Museum for Bankstown Airport

Smithy’s coming home! That is the motto of a project to restore the original hangar used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith at its relocated home of Bankstown Airport.

Museum which will honour famous aviators and their hangar will become the central building in an Aviation ploits. Needless to say special emphasis will be given to Australian men and women who made their mark on the Pages of aviation history.

1993 with an official opening date in October, 1995 to coincide Work on the museum complex is due to commence in late with a major airshow at the site. In addition to the Smithy hangar there will be an Aviation Hall of Fame, a hangar and clubrooms as a venue for the restoration of historical aircraft There will also be an aircraft parking area where visitors can plus an auditorium with appropriate films for visitors to see. see and inspect interesting aircraft as well as a restaurant and gift shop. The complex will also acknowledge the contribution that Bankstown Airport has made to both the local economy, the country’s defence and the development of aviation worldwide.

The Bankstown Airport Museum Trust has been established to manage the project. The Trust has a Management Board consisting of representatives from Bankstown City Council, the Warbirds Association, Hawker De Havilland, the Federal Airports Corporation and the Powerhouse Museum. The major source of funding will be from sponsorship. Con- tact with the Trust can be made by writing to. The Kingsford Smith Hangar Restoration and Aviation Museum Trust, Hangar 1995, Bankstown Airport, 2200. Ph: (02)796 2300, Fax (02)791 0230.

The Trust is keen to hear from possible sponsors, anyone who may care to donate memorabilia or who may be aware of items of interest to display in the museum.

At long last, Smithy, Australia’s own pioneering aviator, is going to receive the recognition long overdue to him. FROM ACROSS THE TASMAN From the land of the long white cloud, New Zealand, comes news that the Hawker Sea Fury, ZK-SFY, will apparently be an entrant in the Tasmanian Air Races in March next year.

On the Antique scene the Masterton Sport and Vintage Aircraft Society has at last flown its Percival Proctor, ZK-AGZ, after a restoration that took some years. This Proctor doubles the New Zealand population of the type with the other being ZK-ARP, also a mark 4.

Probably the biggest news is that a Catalina flying boat is expected to be in the country early in the new year. A deposit has already been paid on the aircraft and additional funding is now being sought. The Catalina is a Boeing of Canada built machine. Registered as N5404J, the machine is currently in the USA. A model PBY-5A, the Cat has had a number of registrations and owners over the years. At one stage it was registered to Southern Air Transport, which was effectively a CIA organisation, and used as a communications ship during the ‘Bay of Pigs’ attempted invasion of Cuba during the early sixties. Later it was used in the film “Tora, Tora, Tora’. With a little luck the Cat will attend the Warbirds over Wanaka Airshow in April. The Kiwis seem to have developed the art of getting syndicates together to buy and operate warbirds and this aircraft will be obtained the same way. The principals of the syndicate have said that extra funds and donations are welcome. Interested parties can make contact by writing to Catalina, PO Box 527, Papakura, New Zealand.

Raaf Museum News

October 3 saw exciting developments take place at RAAF Williams, Point Cook, when the aircraft of the RAAF Museum collection were relocated into the two hangars recently vacated following closure of No 1 FTS at Point Cook. (The disposal of the No 1 FTS CT-4A Airtrainers has been covered in this column over the last few months).

In all the RAAF Museum obtained four hangars. Two are now in use for the public display of the collections aircraft. The other two hangars are being used for maintenance and restoration. The Supermarine Walrus is under rebuild in one of these hangars and it is expected that shortly the public will be able to view this machine as it is being worked on. Of particular note is the fact that the area between the four hangars is to be covered over and thus have an undercover area for the larger museum aircraft such as the Neptune and Dakota. The new hangar complex is situated much closer to the actual museum building which visitors can walk through taking in a history of the RAAF, from the earliest days right through to the present time.

Photographers will be pleased with the new hangar display layout as the aircraft have been sited in such a way so as to allow good access and angles for camera toting enthusiasts. Two aircraft of particular note on display are the CAC Boomerang and the recently completed Farman biplane, now only waiting for installation of the engine that has been obtained for it.

Also new for the RAAF Museum is a support group, Friends of the RAAF Museum. Enthusiasts and people with the aims of the museum at heart are welcome to become a Friend of the Museum. To date members have helped with the relocation of the collection into the new display sites and have also assisted in the remodeling of the display areas.

There are three categories of membership; Financial at $40 per year, Family, also at $50 per year, and Active membership at $40 per year. The cost of being an active member drops to $15 after a probationary period has passed. Members receive a membership card and certificate identifying them as a Friend. Members also receive the Friends newsletter, receive discounts on gift shop purchases as well as a copy of the annual RAAF Museum calendar. Those interested in becoming a member of the Friends of the RAAF Museum should contact the museum at RAAF Williams, Point Cook, 3027. Telephone (03) 368 1475 or fax (03) 368 1692.

FAA Imposes, Lifts Ban on Foreign Warbirds

On July 9 the United States FAA called a halt of at least six months to further issuance of airworthiness certificates and special flight authorizations (“ferry permits”) for non US manufactured aircraft that did not hold US type certificates. The action came about as a result of growing concern within the FAA over the flood of foreign built military jet aircraft into the USA and the possible safety risks that they could pose when operated and maintained by private individuals. The FAA made the comment that little was known about the design, manufacturing process, safety record, maintenance or service history of the aircraft. Aircraft that met the basic criteria but had already been issued with airworthiness certificates or authorisations were not affected.

The FAA called the moratorium with the intention of con- ducting a study to identify the requirements necessary for safe operation of the aircraft in the United States and what was required to ensure that they were operated only for the purposes certificated.

Although primarily aimed at Eastern Bloc jet aircraft the moratorium had a number of unforseen side effects. Among the aircraft newly ineligible for registration were most British, French, Italian, Israeli, Scandinavian and even Australian military aircraft. A newly restored Spitfire would, thus, be left out in the same Siberian registration cold as the latest products of the MiG bureau. Also included were non US certificated aircraft such as homebuilts, gliders, light piston powered aircraft and helicopters. The lack of notice and the speed with which the moratorium was imposed caught importers of foreign aircraft totally by surprise. As a result dozens if not hundreds of aircraft were in transit, that had been paid for or were even in restoration to flight status, when the ban came into being. One person who apparently did not hear about the moratorium being imposed was former US fighter pilot, retired Air Force Col TJ Brown. Brown and his Russian copilot died on August 9 in the crash of an Aero L-39 Albatros in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic. Brown was evaluating the possible purchase of several L-39s in order to create and eventually lead the first four jet civilian jet aerobatic team. Brown was the owner and leader of the Holiday Inn/Coca Cola Aerobatic Team.

During late July and early August the FAA lifted the moratorium on homebuilts and partially exempted sailplanes. On August 18 the entire moratorium was lifted subject to a long list of special requirements. It is understood that the FAA will still conduct its study until it is able to identify permanent limitations and requirements to be applied to foreign non- certified aircraft.

Jamestown Sir Hubert Wilkins Memorial

Born near Jamestown, South Australia, Sir George Hubert Wilkins lifetime achievements can only be described as fantastic, but for some reason little has been done in Australia to recognise his contribution to aviation exploration, navigation, Polar Region survival and the need for meteorological stations in the Polar Regions.

Sir Hubert learned to fly in 1911 and in 1928, flying a Lockheed Vega, became the first man to cross the Arctic following that achievement closely by becoming, in the same year, the first man to fly a plane in the Antarctic, and to cross it by air, covering some 2100km, nearly 1600km of which had never been seen by man before. A contemporary of other great aviators whose names are better remembered, he also sold Sir Charles Kingsford Smith the Southern Cross, the aircraft in which Smith made the first trans Pacific crossing. As a result of these and the many other achievements that Wilkins made during his life the District Council of Jamestown has dedicated its airport as the Sir Hubert Wilkins Aerodrome and is now endeavouring to erect a suitable building at the aerodrome, entitled the Wilkins National Polar Aviation Visitors Centre, so that the achievements of Wilkins can be properly recognised for all time. Born in 1888, Wilkins died in the United States in 1968 at the age of 70.

The local community has already raised $13,000 and a further $3000 has been donated by the Australian Geographic Society. The target cost of the Visitors Centre building is $40,000 and the Jamestown Community would appreciate the further support of Australian business and the general public in raising the remainder of the money needed.

A Wilkins Building Trust Fund has been established. Exhibits and onations are most welcome. Further details can be obtained from the District Council of Jamestown, PO Box 120, Jamestown, SA 5491. Ph (086) 64 1139 or fax (086) 64 1085.

Organisations

From time to time readers write in asking for details of how to contact various the organisations in Australia concerned with the operation of warbird, antique and classic aircraft. With those thoughts in mind the following list has been drawn up that will allow readers to contact the subject organisations. Museums have not been included: Australian Warbirds Association Ltd. PO Box 1593, Woden, ACT, 2606. Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia. Box 1036, City Road PO, Sth Melbourne, 3205. Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Inc. 12 Wedgewood Crescent, Beacon Hill, 2100. Queensland Vintage Aeroplane Group. PO Box 141, Samford, Queensland, 4520. Australian Tiger Club, PO Box 136, Maitland, 2320.

Feedback

AA we learn that there is a total of six known Vultee Vigilants Following the mystery aircraft item in the October issue of that survive in the USA.

Of these three are in air museums with another being rebuilt to fly once again. The only other flying Vigilant is N63230, an ex-Tallmantz Museum aircraft, that is currently owned by the Kermit Weeks Air Museum in Florida. Weeks also has another, N1377B, under rebuild. Given these numbers it is more than likely that the interest generated by the Oshkosh Vigilant, which took the award for Most Rare Warbird, may see more of the type appear and after restoration take to the air once again.

Jan Wise from Canberra meanwhile mentioned that the English Wheel sheet metal fabrication machine, also noted in the October issue, will be found in the panelbeating section of most TAFE Colleges but notes that it is a piece of equipment more widely used in years gone by. These days there seems to be more panel replacing than panel beating. It would seem that our American aircraft restoration friends have rediscovered the wheel, so to speak, and an English Wheel at that.

The English Electric Canberra, A84-502, located at St Marys, near Sydney and noted in the Nov issue, is understood to be owned by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Inc.

As a result of the item on the rebuilt, New Zealand DH Fox Moth (AA August) reader Ray Sweney has written in to add more to the story. Ray states that he purchased the Fox, ZK-AEK, on March 26 1957 from Airwork (NZ) Ltd at Christchurch and had Bryan McCook ship it to Fiji on the M. V. Tofua. (Bryan is still flying and recently flew the Catalina Z-CAT around the Atlantic on a tourist safari). The Fox became VQ-FAT and was to be used on a freight run but this failed. Ray was pleased to see that his old aircraft was later obtained and restored by Colin Smith’s Croydon Aircraft Company but regrets that he was unable to rescue it himself in 1957. The Fox, now G-ACDD, was shipped across the Atlantic shortly after it appeared at the 1993 Oshkosh EAA Convention. Its new owner is a Mr Roger Fiennes of London.

As always the Warbirds column of AA would be pleased to hear from readers who may become aware of news worth reporting. Drop a line to Warbirds, C/o Australian Aviation, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek ACT 2611. Any news on Australian warbirds, antiques & classics and aviation museums is always welcome. We look forward to hearing from you.

In Brief

• A Percival P. 56 Provost T. 1, recently purchased by Keith Clarke of the central coast of NSW, is now on its way from the UK. Keith has had Provost WV495 in the UK for some time but it is understood that the aircraft coming to Australia is a machine in flying condition that he purchased recently. Classic Aviation of Bankstown is assisting in the , shipping and the reassembly and certification when it arrives in Aus- tralia.

• A second ex Polish Air Force PZL TS-11Iskra jet trainer has recently arrived at Bankstown for Gordon Glynn. The first of the type, also owned by Gordon, has been completed and has had taxying trials. It is understood that once the paperwork has been processed the aircraft will fly.

Shepparton, Vic. saw a local fly-in and display on October 24 as part of celebrations for the ‘Return of the Rookies’. The Rookies were the Army and RAAF trainees who joined the armed forces during WWII and were assigned to the Shepparton Nol Recruitment camp for basic training. Two PC-9s of the Roulettes attended as did Mustang VH-BOB. Several other warbirds, antiques and classics were present but the most noteworthy aircraft were those of the Ken Orrman Vintage Aircraft Collection.

The Shepparton based Orrman aircraft have not been noted to visit fly-ins or airshows in the last few years. On static display were DH-60X Hermes Moth VH-SSC, DH-89B VH-IAN, DH-82a VH-SSB, DH-82a VH-DYI, DH-87B Hornet Moth VH-UVVplus an Avro 643 Cadet carrying the markings VH-AVR. Next to the silver painted Cadet was a DH-83 Fox Moth, colouredblue, but with unpainted cowls. The marking VH-UVL is under the port lower wing. As of August only VH-SSB, VH-IAN and VH-UVV were on the civil aircraft register. The registration VH-AVR is currently carried by an Avid Flyer located at Taree, NSW. VH-UVL was a Fox Moth that was impressed into the RAAF during WWII as A41-2. It is understood that the fuselage of the Fox Moth at Shepparton is one of those built in New Zealand a few years ago. An Australian Avro Cadet and Hornet Moth matching those above were recently advertised in the UK as being for sale.

• At the end of October, Brian Edwards OAM and his DH-82a Tiger Moth, VH-HPH, ‘Matilda’ successfully completed an around Australia flight. Brian gained fame in 1990 by flying the Tiger Moth from England to Australia. Before he left England he experienced a major problem when the propeller departed from the aircraft and he had to make a forced landing. Brian made the around Australia flight as a tribute to the 70th Anniversary of Legacy.