Warbirds

Former Us President George Bush is due to visit Australia in the last week of November this year and the museum directors are hoping to get him to visit and formally hand the F-14 over to the museum. George Bush is a former Wwii Grumman Avenger pilot and at the time was the youngest pilot to ever enlist in the Us Navy. The museum hopes to have the Tomcat ready for display by Australia Day next year. Suitable display stands and platforms to allow inspection of the cockpit will be constructed in the meantime.

While the Ran never operated the Tomcat, the machine was obtained on the basis that the museum reflects the development of naval aviation and as the years pass will no doubt promote more and more the development of Australian naval aviation. Both the machine and oversea transport were available, so obtaining the Tomcat presents the museum with a golden opportunity to display a machine that will attract much publicity. No doubt anyone who has ever seen the movie ‘Top Gun’ will want to inspect this new exhibit up close. For those wanting to see the Tomcat fly, sorry, the engines were made inert before the machine left the Usa.

Footnote: The next Australian Naval Aviation Museum flying day will be held at the Nowra Ran Air Station on Sunday October 30.

The Connie Has Flown!

After nearly three years of sweat and toil the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (Hars) volunteer workforce was rewarded on Friday September 23 when the Lockheed Super Constellation Southern Preservation made its first post restoration test flight, reports Gordon Reid. The former United States military C-121C was airborne from Davis Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, Arizona at 1108 local time with Mike Dreyer, who normally flies Vern Raburn’s Mats Constellation, in the left hand seat. Also in the cockpit was former Qantas Captain Bryan Millis and Flight Engineers Tim Coons and J R Kerns both of whom normally fly the Mats Constellation.

On its initial flight the Southern Preservation was airborne over Southern Arizona for just over an hour and reached an altitude of 6500ft. The event was well documented back in Australia with both the 7 and 9 networks giving airtime to the event. On conclusion of its test flight Southern Preservation landed at Tucson International Airport where it then taxied to the Lockheed Aeromod hangar. The following Sunday a further two flights were undertaken successfully with Southern Preservation climbing to 10,000ft and cruising at 230kt (425km/h). This speed and altitude, which gives the Hars Super Constellation an endurance of some 16 hours will be the norm for the Southern Preservation when it transits between engagements.

While in regular passenger service with Qantas, the Super Constellation normally operated in a pressurised condition at 24,000ft however there is no requirement for the Hars aircraft to operate pressurised, which in this case would put unnecessary strain on both airframe and engines. Lockheed Aeromod at Tucson will now strip the Super Constellation and then repaint the aircraft in the standard Qantas livery of the 1950s. A tin of the original ‘Carnation Red’ paint, which was the colour carried by Qantas Super Constellation aircraft in this era, was obtained from the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. From this tin a batch of paint has been manufactured and its application will certainly bring Southern Preservation back to its full glory.

The replica Vickers Vimy, the ‘Shell Spirit of Brooklands Vimy’ that was retracing the historic first flight between England and Australia by Ross and Keith Smith in 1919 was close to completing its historic journey at the time of writing. The Vimy departed England from the Farnborough Airshow on September 11, and was due to arrive in Darwin in mid October before arriving in Melbourne late October. The Vimy was then due to make a special appearance at the Adelaide Grand Prix on November 11. However a forced landing in Indonesia in early October due to engine problems was expected to delay the flight somewhat.

The commemorative flight was following as true as possible the route first pioneered by the Smith brothers, visiting 17 countries en route. The Vimy replica was built by Australian Lang Kidby and American Peter McMillan to specially commemorate the 75th anniversary of this history making flight. The replica faithfully follows the original Vimy design as much as possible, however a few changes did need to be made. For example power is now supplied by two 420hp (313kW) Chevrolet V8 engines, the structure is made from tubular welded steel rather than wood, and navigation is considerably enhanced by a Gps unit supplied by Bendix King/Allied Signal. Design of the Vimy replica was the responsibility of Aeronautical Designs Australia, who also built the ‘Southern Cross’ replica. Final assembly of the replica took place in California before the completed aircraft was transported to England in a Usaf C-5 Galaxy. Logistic support for the flight was being provided by a Gaf Nomad.

From mid October the Hars Super Constellation was engaged in a series of shakedown flights within the United States. Presently the Pacific crossing from San Francisco to Sydney is planned for mid November and apart from an initial stop at Honolulu the rest of the routing has yet to be defined. For the Pacific ferry it is expected that Mike Dreyer will again fly the aircraft along with Hars pilots Bryan Millis and Bob De La Hunty. We wish them well.

Americans Follow Tas Air Race Lead

The 1994 inaugural Tasmanian Air Race created a world first in holding a T-28 Trojan race as part of the programme. The T-28 had not been involved in organised air racing anywhere before. It was no coincidence that when the organisers of the 1994 Reno Air Races opened for entries for this years races it was also announced that they would be staging a demonstration race of eight or more North American T-28 Trojans as a prelude to a full field of T-28 racing in 1995. As some 250 Trojans are now under civil registration in the Usa there should be no lacking of the warbirds to enter this new race class.

The Americans also think that the big trainers will be a crowd pleaser, something Australians know already. Needless to say, the American aviation media has made no mention that T-28s were first raced at Valleyfield in Tasmania this year and will do so again next year. Interestingly enough, the minimum experience for the American pilots to race T-28s at Reno will be 1000 hours total time with at least 100 hours on type and they will need 20 hours on type, a formation endorsement, an aerobatic endorsement (aileron rolls) and pass a flight check with an approved Test Officer from the Australian National Air Races organisation.

The dates for the 1995 Tasmanian Air Races are February 11 to 19. The 1995 races can only be bigger and better than the highly enjoyable races this year with entries from a lot more pilots who hung back from the first races on the basis of wanting to see how it all went first time round.

Boomer And Wirraway Update

Wirraway Vh-Wrx/A20-719 (but painted up as ‘458″) took to the air for the first time following restoration on August 18 from Bankstown. Owned by a syndicate at Classic Aviation, the aircraft was flown by Bruce Simpson. Wirraway Vh-Wrx is the third airworthy aircraft of its type now flying in Australia. Also at Bankstown a Boomerang is being rebuilt. The aircraft, serial unknown, is owned by the Arthur Griffiths syndicate and is being worked on in the Classic Aviation hangar. Two Wirraways that have been around for a while are also now to see a boost in their restoration work. The aircraft are A20-99 and A20-224. Sydneysider Bob Mather has joined with both Eric Lundberg on the rebuild of A20-99 and Dennis Baxter on Wirraway A20-224.

Mig-15S Not Back In The Air Yet

Following the much publicised crash of Mig-15Uti Vh-Lsn at Canberra on March 13 last year, all Australian Mig-15s were grounded pending the outcome of the investigation. That investigation has now been completed and as a result the type will have to have several Airworthiness Directives incorporated before further flight. At the same time the Warbirds Maintenance Review Committee has been drawing up a maintenance schedule that will be used by all operators of Mig-15s in Australia. When this schedule is completed and approved it will be applied to the various aircraft following which they will then be able to get back in the air. No Mig-15s are flying at present although Barry Hempel did fly his aircraft, Vh-Die, on one approved test flight out of Archerfield on July 23. It looks like being a while before Mig-15s are to once more be seen in Australian skies.

Kittyhawk And Firefly Fates

As most Australian warbird enthusiasts are aware, earlier this year saw the export of Col Pay’s Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk, Vh-Kth, and Fairey Firefly As.6, Vh-Hmw. The only question not answered is where did they go to? In the case of the Firefly, the aircraft had not been fully rebuilt since its accident at Camden some years ago. The Kittyhawk, which had also been involved in an accident, was rebuilt, made a test flight and was then dismantled and put in a container prior to its return across the Pacific.

The Kittyhawk is believed to have gone to a new owner in Montana in the Usa. The Curtiss fighter was at one stage operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The Fairey Firefly also went to the United States but to a different location, that of Fort Collins in Colorado. The former Ran aircraft was bought by airline captain Eddy Kurdizel, and is to be worked on by a British engineer, Ray Middleton, who is also restoring a Hawker Hurricane. The Firefly was advertised for some time prior to its sale but surprisingly no offers were received from within Australia.

Wangaratta Airworld Aircraft Flying Proposal

From the Airworld museum in northern Victoria comes news of a plan to form a supporters organisation in the shape of an Airworld Flying Club to fly and maintain museum aircraft. The idea is that members of the Airworld Flying Club will help maintain a number of the museum aircraft in airworthy condition and fly them to such events as airshows and flyins and help promote the museum and its aims.

Flying club members would have to pay an annual fee plus an hourly rate for the aircraft type flown. The flight hour monies would be used to both support the aircraft operating costs and inject funds into the museum. At present it is proposed that aircraft such as the Auster, Leopard Moth, Cessna 195, Beech 17 and Avro Cadet will be utilised. Pilot experience has been set at a minimum of 100 hours experience with 20 hours tailwheel as well as passing a flight check for the type in question. Club members will be able to work on various aircraft, under supervision, to help maintain them in airworthy condition.

The proposal is not unlike schemes which a number of museums operate overseas. In recent years a supporters group has been found to be an excellent method to help promote a particular museum and at the same time raise funds. A support group can also supply a pool of manpower that would otherwise cost the museum hard earned funds.

Essendon Market Aircraft Sale

Following a recent mention in Aa of the closure of the Essendon Airport Market, and subsequent offer of several of the display aircraft for sale, a full listing of the aircraft offered has now been released. A total of seven aircraft have been put up for sale plus what is described as a Space Shuttle mock-up. The aircraft offered are a Piper Aztec, a Cessna 411, a Gyrocopter, a Nomad N22B in Coastwatch colours and a Beech Queen Air, plus a Bell 412 helicopter and, perhaps the most significant aircraft of the collection, the prototype Melbourne Aircraft Corporation Mamba two seat light aircraft.

The Mamba was built at Essendon airport only a short distance from the market. The high wing Mamba, registered Vh-Jsa, was to have been the first of a line of two and four seat civil and military aircraft to have been available from late 1989. Unfortunately production did not begin and effectively all that remains of the project is the sole prototype aircraft. Of the aircraft being sold, all are described as complete but non airworthy. All have been recently painted and are described as restored to excellent condition.

In Brief

• At the recent Queensland tourism awards held in Townsville, the Queensland Air Museum received a finalist nomination in the Heritage Tourism section. Of the eight nominees, only three received finalist nominations. The finalist nomination follows the museum’s third consecutive win (1992, 1993, 1994) of the Sunshine Awards held on the Sunshine Coast. It is hoped that this tourism industry recognition will help the museum in its bid to raise $500,000 for its stage two building programme, which will house 15 or more aircraft, including two of the museum’s most recent acquisitions, the Cac Winjeel (on loan from the Raaf) and Australia’s oldest Dc-3, Vh-Anr.
• The last weekend of September saw the Victorian Motorless Flight Group celebrate its 50th anniversary with a flying display and open day at Bacchus Marsh airport, Victoria. The gliding club, which is one of the oldest in the country, had a number of sailplanes on display including two antique primary gliders one of which was flown to show what it was like to fly in years gone by. After seeing the primary fly one can only have praise for those pioneer aviators who built such aircraft and yet for all their efforts only managed to gain their flying experience in brief hops. As history has shown the aviator of yesteryear was of a different calibre to the flyer of today.
• As at June 30, 1994, there were 181 Dh82 Tiger Moths on the Australian civil aircraft register. Back on June 30, 1974, 120 Tiger Moths were on the register and slowly and surprisingly that number crept up to 150 by the early 1980s. This was in spite of a number being exported. Now the current total is 181. There are a number of Tiger rebuild projects at present underway around Australia so it is almost certain that the 200 mark will be passed. The only question is when.