Warbirds

AAAA National Antique Gathering

For antique aircraft enthusiasts, Cowra, NSW, was the place to have been at over the weekend of April 22/23 when the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (AAAA) held its Annual National Antique Aircraft Fly-In as part of its 21st anniversary celebrations. The fine weather over the two days helped attract over 290 aircraft including a large number of antique and classic aircraft types as well as visitors in more modern machines. Included in the assembled antiques, classics and warbirds were aircraft from Australia, England, America, China, New Zealand, Czechoslovakia and even Algeria! A number of the aircraft present were first time visitors to any major gathering and the finish of all aircraft indicated that owners had been applying much tender love and care to their machines prior to attending Cowra. A few years ago one could see aircraft at such events that were not in their best condition, but not so these days. How times have changed. Of the aircraft that attended the AAAA fly-in there were a number of notables. These included the attendance of two Avro 643 Mk.II Cadet biplanes, VH-AFX and VH-PRU. This would have been the first time in many a year in Australia that two flyable Avro Cadets have been together. VH-AFX is powered by a Jacobs radial engine, a reminder of its cropdusting days, and is owned by David Morris of Rylestone NSW. VH-PRU was recently restored by the Challinor Brothers firm, Mothcair Aviation at Murwillumbah NSW and is owned by Steve Merritt of Milton, NSW. Painted up in a pre WWII RAAF colour scheme the aircraft rightly took home the trophy for best biplane. Another first, and possibly last, was the trio of the only wooden winged Cessna Airmasters in Australia. These aircraft were all built back in the thirties and early forties. Two came to Australia before the war while another arrived here a few years ago. The trio comprises 1935 Cessna C.34 VH-UYG, owned by Kim Ryan of Cairns, Qld; 1937 Cessna C.37 VH-UZU, owned by Ray Goulding of Bendigo, Vic; and the 1941 Cessna C.165 VH-ZTG owned by Tony Green of Mortdale, NSW. VH-UYG and VH-UZU were rebuilt by their respective owners. With a 10.3 metre (34 feet) span one piece wing both needed a long workshop to work on the wing. Local councils can be slow to understand just why an aircraft rebuilder needs to have a home garage/workshop that is over 10 metres (or 35 feet) in length. For the record Kim Ryan took home the trophy for the Longest Distance award, Cairns to Cowra. As at any old aeroplane gathering in Australia there were a good number of Austers and Tiger Moths present and indeed if it were not for these aircraft the antique movement would not be as large as it is today. The last few years have seen the import of a trickle of American aircraft and these are now being seen in increasing numbers at antique meets. Noted at Cowra were Aeronca Chief, VH-NAE and Stinson 108s VH-BPS and VH-STN. The latter is owned by David Summerhayes of Tyabb, Vic. The aircraft, or should that read airplane, took home the trophy for Grand Champion and rightly so. Finished in a red paint scheme the workmanship reflected the years of midnight oil that David burnt while restoring his machine. Best monoplane award was taken home by off duty BASI Inspector Clive Phillips for his Cessna 140, VH-NCV.

There were four North American T-28 Trojans, a Wirraway, several Winjeels and at least four Harvards present but the award for the best ex military aircraft went to a recently restored Taylorcraft L-2M, VH-ULM. Looking much like a cross between an Auster and a Piper Cub the Taylorcraft had been faithfully restored to its wartime olive drab scheme and looked like it was just about to go to work spotting for the artillery. VH-ULM is owned by David MacPherson of Gunnedah, NSW. The Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum Historic Flight attended and had C-47B VH-NVZ, UH-1B Iroquois VH-NVV, and Grumman Tracker VH-NVX, on display and included in the air display. There were many types that attended Cowra and these included Cessna 140, 170, 180, 195, Bird Dog, Piper J-3, PA-20, PA-22, Luscombe, Stearman, Nanchang CJ-6, Forney Aircoupe, Taylorcraft, Globe Swift, DH Chipmunk, Fairchild F24, L-40 Meta-sokol, Beagle 109, Stampe and Ryan STM and PT-22, while in the twin engined department there was a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer and Laurie Ogle’s fabulous Lockheed L-10B Electra, VH-UZO, resplendent in polished natural metal. Other attractions at the event were vintage cars, tractors and engines as well as a country market and military vehicle display. In recent years the AAAA has held the Annual National Antique Fly in at several venues including Kyabram in Victoria and Temora and Cowra in NSW. The changing location is intended to give antiquers from both the southern states as well as the northern states a reasonable opportunity to attend the event and this appears to have worked. In 1996 the fly-in will be held at Kyabram.

Ran Gannet Import. Can You Help?

As noted in the April issue of AA the RAN Australian Naval Aviation Museum at Nowra has managed to obtain an ex Australian Navy Fairey Gannet anti submarine aircraft, serial XG888. The aircraft has in fact been generously donated to the Museum and is currently stowed in a hangar at HMS Daedelus, near Portsmouth in the UK. As HMS Daedelus is to be closed in late July the Museum has been asked to arrange transport to Australia at the earliest opportunity. The P&O shipping line has offered to sponsor the sea passage from London to Sydney, accepting that the aircraft takes up the deck cargo space of four 12 metre containers. The Royal Navy has offered to transport the aircraft from Portsmouth to Tilbury docks in London, free of charge. Unfortunately the Museum will have to pay all other costs – loading, unloading, weather protection, insurance and road transport support (police, RTA etc from Sydney to Nowra), to the estimated cost of $30,000. Without sponsorship the museum simply does not have the finances to accomplish this task. At the present time the museum has a Gannet aircraft in its collection but it is owned by the Commonwealth and the wings cannot be folded – an important feature of a carrier borne aircraft display in a Naval Aviation Museum. The museum is seeking the financial assistance of those with an interest in the aims of the Naval Aviation Museum in order that the aircraft can be transported from HMS Daedelus in the UK to HMAS Albatross at Nowra. The Naval Aviation Museum and its Historic Flight has been most active in recent years in preserving and displaying Australian Naval Aviation. Now the Museum is asking for some financial assistance to carry on this important work, in particular the import of the Gannet. The RAN Naval Aviation Museum is asking that if readers would like to assist with this project they can forward cheques made payable to the Australian Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and marked ‘The Gannet Project’. All donations are tax deductible. Write to the Foundation at PO Box A15 Naval PO, Nowra 2540. Phone (044) 21 1920.

Awm Empire Air Training Scheme Display

With the outbreak of WW2 the air forces of the allied powers began a period of rapid expansion. It soon became very clear that enormous numbers of trained aircrew would be required to fight the war and so a conference in Canada in late 1939 led to the establishment of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Delegates from Commonwealth countries agreed to establish the training organisation that would produce 20,000 pilots and 30,000 other aircrew each year. By the end of WW2 the total number of aircrew trained in Australia alone reached 38,412. To record the part that Australia played in training aircrew the Australian War Memorial (AWM) at Canberra has a new display that uses photos, badges, artifacts, medals, training material and even letters from trainees showing the human side of the programme. Also included in the display is the cockpit section of Avro Anson Mk.I, W2486. The nose has a ‘Ginger Meggs’ logo on it and the cockpit can be accessed by special interest and school groups.

Another Winjeel Back In The Air

Following hard on the two warbird first flights reported in the last issue we have yet another to report, this time from Queensland where Jeff Trappett completed a successful test flight of his CAC Winjeel trainer VH-AGR/A85-444 on April 7. Jeff, well known as the owner/pilot of Mustang VH-AGJ/A68-118, obtained the machine as a virtual wreck from Cliff Douglas at Chewing Gum Field, Queensland, in March 1989. The aircraft had been owned, unrestored, by at least three other owners before Cliff, and the airframe was in very bad shape. The fin had been torn off, an axe had been put through all the glass panels and it was almost beyond repair. With the assistance of Dave Gardner and Dave Jones, of the RAAF Museum, Jeff purchased the hulk and transported it south to Point Cook. There the machine was cleaned up and a preliminary survey done to see just what work was required to get it back in the air. Extensive sheet metal repairs were carried out by Gippsland Aeronautics at Latrobe Valley and then it was transported back to Toowoomba where the final restoration was carried out in Guido Zuccoli’s Aerotec facility. There much of the necessary work was carried out by Wayne Millburn and Guido himself. Jeff and his son Rhys finished off the project over the last eighteen months. (Just for the record the registrations of the Mustang and Winjeel reflect the Trappett father and son team; VH-AGJ – Jeff, VH-AGR – Rhys.) In commenting on the rebuild of his Winjeel, Jeff said that at various times he pestered just about every maintenance organization at Toowoomba airport for advice and parts and that on every occasion he was extended unfailing courtesy and assistance. Special thanks are extended to Noel Goltz, John Rodgers, Allan Curtis and Klaus Mittendorf. Following the test flight the paper work was to be closed off by Aerotec LAME Bruce Nairn, in conjunction with CAA Airworthiness Surveyor Bob White. The first formal outing for the rebuilt Winjeel was to have been the VE Day Air Pageant at Kingaroy, Queensland on May 6/7.

Greenland B-29 Destroyed By Fire

A leak in a newly installed fuel tank is believed to have caused the fire that destroyed a Boeing B-29 Superfortress that was being prepared for its first flight since it made a forced landing on February 21, 1947. Named the ‘Kee Bird’, the USAF aircraft had been modified for photo-reconnaissance work and redesignated as an F-13A when it came down on the ice 300km north of Thule, Greenland, while engaged in an intelligence gathering mission against the Russians. The crew was rescued but due to the location and the nature of its work the former bomber was left where it lay. Rediscovered in the 1970s it was not until the late 1980s that plans began to be formulated to recover the aircraft. Registered as N70887 on August 10 1993 to the Institute of Aeronautical Archeological Research, Auburn, California, ownership changed to US Air Racing Ace Darryl Greenamyer of Florida, on March 21 1994. In 1994 a recovery crew installed four new engines, props, tyres and instruments as well as a new fuel system. During late May this year the aircraft had been brought to a state where it could be taxied and it was during a taxi trial that a fire started that could not be contained. The aircraft was destroyed although, the crew was not hurt. Had the aircraft flown it would have become the second B-29 to be currently airworthy. The other machine is N529B ‘Fifi’ of the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, perhaps better known as the Confederate Air Force.

In Brief

North western Victoria has not had an airshow for a long time and so over the week of November 4 through 12 Hopetoun is holding the inaugural Hopetoun Air Sports ’95 and extends a welcome to aviation groups including warbirds, antiques, parachuting, balloonists, gliding, models and aerobatics. The RAAF Roulettes will attend as will Chris Sperou, Champion Australian Aerobatic pilot, The RAAF Museum and displays from the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia and the Australian Warbirds organisation. Like to know more? Contact Doug Hallam or Jane Hatcher at PO Box 137, Hopetoun Vic 3396. Phone (050) 833 001 or Fax (050) 833 309. Late April saw bushwalkers find the remains of a crashed RAAF Macchi MB-326H jet trainer. The wreck, which was found in the Barrington Tops area of NSW, had lain undiscovered from when it crashed in August 1987. The pilot and navigator ejected from the disabled aircraft and were later picked up. The Macchi (RAAF serial A7-079), was taken on charge in December 1970. It is amazing what can turn up if you look hard enough! Prior to WW2 two Ryan STA Sport Trainers were brought to Australia. Not to be confused with the similar in appearance STM Military Trainer, the two machines were registered as VH-UZQ and VH-UYN. The latter was written off in an accident in late 1948 but the other Ryan was still flying after the war, probably until the mid sixties. Then owned by Edgar Pickles of Barham, NSW, near Mildura, the aircraft (c/n 132, then registered as VH-BWQ and powered by a Gipsy Major 1 engine) dropped from sight, reportedly as the result of an accident. Now the machine has surfaced. At Murwillumbah, northern NSW, the Mothcair aircraft rebuild people recently took delivery of the Ryan to restore it for its new owner, Murray Griffiths of Deniliquin, NSW. When eventually rebuilt the antique Ryan STA will be a very unique aircraft in Australian skies. VE day, the end of the Second World War in Europe, was celebrated on May 8 with special gatherings at memorials all over the country. In Sydney, Ross Pay flew his father’s Mustang over the city while Col Pay flew his Spitfire over Melbourne. Warbirds were used in a number of memorial flights that day and will they be used again when VP day comes up in August. Readers of last month’s column may recall the photo of the boat based on the hull of a Catalina at Shute Harbour in Queensland. Several readers responded to our query about where the ‘aircraft’ currently is, informing us that it is still at Shute Harbour, and in fact looks like it might not have moved from where our photo was taken.