Warbirds, Vintage & Veteran

Fighter and Floaty Rebuild

As noted in the previous item the public at large finds much interest in watching a rebuild take place, some even making a number of repeat visits to catch up on the progress. At Point Cook the RAAF Air Museum has two rebuilds underway. CAC Mustang A68-170 better known as ‘Duffy’s Delight’ is dismantled and being rebuilt. Close by is the fuselage of Supermarine Walrus HD874. This aircraft was taken to the Antarctic in 1947 but was wrecked in a storm at Heard Island on January 5 1948. Recovered some years ago, it was initially in storage but has been in the rebuild jigs for the last several years. Progress is now evident and the rebuild extensive though it is planned to complete the machine to display standard only. Both the Walrus and the Mustang are in the museum’s restoration and storage hangar and can be viewed from a raised platform. The rebuild engineers have a sense of humor, for above them, fixed to the edge of the viewing platform, is a small notice that reads ‘Do not feed the workers’, just like one might find at the zoo!

So You Want to Own a Connie?

The HARS Lockheed L-1049F Super Constellation, VH-EAG, Southern Preservation arrived in Australia on February 3. Even before it had departed from the United States there were requests for the aircraft to attend various airshows around the country. The honor for the first formal public showing went to the Albury airshow held over the weekend of April 13/14. Here the big airliner took pride of place next to the terminal and was duly photographed, looked at and walked through over the two days. At the Saturday night dinner the special guest speaker was Bob De La Hunty, President of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS). Bob spoke for an interesting hour on how the project of bringing the Connie to Australia came about. The group was at the USAF Davis Monthan storage base at Tucson, Arizona, looking for spare engines for the HARS Neptune when it learnt that there was a Connie there and available. Obtaining it and getting it airworthy went from there. Initially thinking that it would only take a few weeks, the HARS group asked the nearby Pima County Museum if the Connie could be parked in its facility for six weeks while the work was carried out. A letter to this effect was sent to the Museum. It was to be four years later that the Connie departed from Pima. The engine start at Albury was something not seen much these days. The radial engines need to be properly warmed before takeoff. This could take as long as 15 to 30 minutes, a marked difference to that of a modern jet airliner. When the two outer engines are started there is typically a lot of oil smoke as they come to life. It looks good and sounds even better. When the two inboard engines are started they come to life with not only a cloud of smoke but also a belch of flame around the exhaust. For those not used to seeing this type of start this can be most disconcerting! To keep an aircraft of this size in the air needs a ground base of support and of course finance. If you would like to help, HARS would love to hear from you or receive your tax deductible donation. You can contact HARS at 40 Kanadah Avenue, Baulkham Hills, 2153, or telephone Gary Squires on (02) 674 1985.

New Aircraft, Owners and a First Flight

Further to the recent item on Strikemaster VH-ZEP being based at Parafield, South Australia, it has since been learnt that the aircraft is owned by Stuart McCole who operates Australian Indoor Go-Karts. At Scone, NSW, Cessna A-37B Dragonfly VH-M made its first flight on March 20. Three days later it was displayed at the Wee Waa airshow and then the Queensland Indy Car races. It had been painted up in an all white color scheme. The aircraft, c/n 43284, was previously 69-06439. This aircraft saw service in Vietnam and before that with the USAF. It has been reported that the aircraft has been sold to the same buyer who purchased Col Pay’s P-40N, VH-KTH, namely James E Smith of Crystal Lakes Resort, Fortine, Montana, in the USA and to this end was noted being dismantled and crated at Scone in the first week of April. The use of the registration VH-M is interesting in that it has been used on a warbird before, CAC Mustang A68-119, that was owned by Ray Whitbread in the early 1970s until it crashed at Windsor, NSW, on June 11 1973. The TS-11 Iskra type aircraft looks like taking off in a big way in the near future. At the Tasmanian Skyrace this year it was announced that there could be as many as four Iskras racing next year. Mike Falls’ machine, VH-ISK, is currently up and running and now two more of the type are in his Essendon hangar being restored. An Iskra with fuselage number 403 was noted there on April 5 and two more are due shortly. All have come from Western Australia. At least two have owners from Port Macquarie, NSW. Engineer Dave Crabtree working on the TS-11 Iskras at the Mike Falls Shortstop Jet Charter hangar at Essendon will probably be working on aircraft seven days a week as it has been learnt that he took delivery of one of the WA Nanchang CJ-6A trainer rebuild projects from Paramac Enterprises in November last year. On another subject, just in case you were wondering, Catalina VH-EXG is at present at RAAF Base Amberley being worked on. Also from Queensland we learn that Barry Hempel has got his MiG-15UTI, VH-DIE, back in the air. The aircraft participated in the flying display at the Indy Car Races on the Gold Coast. For those who follow the North American T-6 Harvard, Harvard VH-TOA which was damaged at Toowoomba in January is being rebuilt. The aircraft will be transported to Darwin where the center section work will be carried out by Guido Zuccoli’s firm of Aerotec before the aircraft returns to Toowoomba for the completion of the repairs. Exclusively Licensed by 4J Australia Post. Set of 4 Magnets – $12.80 (Post Inc). INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED. Send Payment & Details to: AUSTRALIAN STAMP MAGNETS (AA), P.O. Box 1003, Mountain Gate Vic 3156. Visa/Bankcard/Mastercard Accepted. (Please include Card No./Expiry Date/Signature/Address) Australian Aviation June 1996

Of Interest to Stamp Collectors

To coincide with the successful Norfolk Island Airshow held over Monday and Tuesday April 22 & 23, Norfolk Island Post released a set of four stamps to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force. The stamps feature an F/A-18 Hornet, an F-111C, a CAC Wirraway and a WWI Sopwith Pup – all aircraft that the RAAF has operated or still operates. The Pup and Wirraway are 45 cent stamps while the F-111C is featured on a 75 cent stamp and the F/A-18 is on an 85 cent stamp. All have a white background. The design artist was Barry Klenke of Melbourne. For those readers who wish to obtain copies for their collections contact your local philatelic outlet or write to the Philatelic Bureau Manager, Norfolk Island Post, Norfolk Island 2899 for details of cost and mail order supply. A first day cover with the subject four stamps was released at the same time.

Wirraway Logbooks

At the Fishermans Bend offices of Hawker de Havilland Victoria, a recent spring cleaning exercise uncovered a number of stored logbooks for WW2 CAC Wirraway aircraft. HDH, it will be remembered merged with the privately owned Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in 1986 to become Hawker de Havilland Victoria (HDHV). Mr Denis Baker, Project Manager – Historical Projects Group immediately took steps to ensure that the log books were retained and not disposed of. Denis has advised that bona fide rebuilders of any of the following Wirraways may care to contact him at the Melbourne offices of HDHV with the view of obtaining the logbook containing the service history of their particular aircraft. For anyone rebuilding one of the listed Wirraways this presents a unique opportunity to obtain the service history of their particular aircraft. Mr Baker did emphasize that he is looking to assist people who actually have a known Wirraway that is being rebuilt and not just someone wanting to create an identity and history for an unidentifiable airframe. The serial numbers of the subject Wirraway logbooks are as follows: A20-16, 20, 22, 24, 29, 135, 148, 164, 185, 218, 222, 223, 224, 234, 252, 359, 563, 598, 601, 605, 606, 630, 646, 647, 649, 661, 670, 676, 677, 680, 683, 689, 693, 694, 695, 697, 699, 700, 701, 702, 732, 733, 735, 738, 741, 742, 743, 746, 747, 756.

Accident Claims the Lives of Historic Aircraft Flyers

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) was dealt a cruel blow when two of its key members were killed in the crash of a light aircraft off the north coast of Flinders Island in Bass Strait on Sunday April 21. The two killed were former Qantas Captain, Mr Brian Millis and Father Jeremy Flynn. The two men were flying Father Flynn’s Beechcraft E55 Baron, VH-WMD, from Bankstown to a property on the north end of Flinders Island when the aircraft apparently went down in the sea shortly before it was due to land. Both men had recently been formally endorsed on the HARS Lockheed L-1049F Super Constellation. Father Flynn was also the owner of two DHA DH.115 T.35 Vampires. VH-ICP, that was later sold in New Zealand where it became the world’s only surviving flying Comet is this aircraft, Comet 4C ‘Canopus’ operated by the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in the UK on test duties. To read all about the remarkable Comet story, look out for the latest in our Legends of the Air series, the ‘Viscount, Comet & Concorde’ by Stewart Wilson, on sale late May at major newsagents or phone (06) 280 0111. (Paul Merritt) ZK-VAM with the Vampire Syndicate at Papakura, and A79-637 which is currently being worked on in the Classic Aviation hangar at Bankstown.

Clock Ticks for Oshkosh

Time is running out if you are considering participating in this year’s Australian Aviation/Torrii Tours tour to Oshkosh and the best aviation museums in the USA. Led by your warbirds columnist, this four week tour takes in a veritable smorgasbord of aviation museums, ranging from Boeing’s Museum of Flight in Seattle to the US Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio, to a Titan missile silo, with the highlight of three days at the world’s largest and most famous airshow – Oshkosh. Also included is non aviation sightseeing, including the option of a Grand Canyon scenic flight, and shopping time in LA. To be a part of the action, contact Torii Tours on (02) 233 8500 or fax (02) 231 2758 today.

The Leather Flying Jacket Lives On

‘Jacket, Leather, Aircrew for the use of’ is probably how the stores section lists the new jacket that is being worn by RAAF aircrew. The leather flying jacket first came into use in the cold open cockpits of WWI aircraft. Its use continued in the twenties and thirties and into the Second World War. The Americans in particular were noted for issuing leather jackets to all their aircrew during WW2. After the war the use of leather jackets dwindled away as they were replaced by nomex flight suits and nomex jackets. There has been a resurgence of interest in the use of leather flight jackets in the last decade and now the Royal Australian Air Force has started to issue these jackets to its aircrew. It is understood that the RAAF leather jacket replaces the CWU series nomex flight jacket. The leather jacket is apparently less expensive for the RAAF to purchase than the nomex jacket. The new jackets are personal issue, i.e., not to be returned to stores, and are made in New Zealand. The RAAF joins the USAF, the USN, the RAF, the French air force and at least one US airline (Southwest) in issuing leather jackets for aircrew use. Given the number of civilian pilots who until now have worn sage green color ex service jackets or copies of the mild weather L2-B or MA-1 intermediate flight jackets, we can reasonably expect to see more leather jackets being worn around civil airports and airfields in the future. Open cockpits have all but gone however as any pilot who owns one will tell you, there is nothing quite like the comfort, warmth, long life, versatility and good looks that comes with a leather flying jacket.

Warbirds Fly-In

Every second year a Warbirds Fly-In is held at Narromine, NSW, during April. This year the event attracted more than 26 warbirds including eight Trojans, a Spitfire, a Sea Fury, two Strikemasters, two Cessna Bird Dogs, an ex-army Cessna 180, five North American T-6 Harvards, two CT-4As, two Winjeels and two Wirraways. There were also a number of visiting light aircraft present. From all reports the fly-in was well enjoyed by all present and much flying was done without the complications of being at the likes of an airshow or similar event. A superb collection of pencil and charcoal drawings by artist John Stewart-Jones. Size 12¾ x 10in. Price only $20 AUD each. VISA/Mastercard accepted. The Hawker Typhoon is just one of a collection of over 20 titles. Send $2 AUS for our mail order catalogue. 512 Miles Street, Bankstown Airport, NSW 2200 Australia Phone (02) 791 0386 • Fax (02) 790 1913 Australian Aviation June 1996

In Brief

So much for issuing press releases. It was the day of the Point Cook Historic Air Pageant, Sunday March 31, held of course at the Point Cook airfield, just outside Melbourne. At 12 noon one bayside radio station went on air with an item for the ‘Point Cook Air Pageant (being held) at Laverton. It is to be hoped that no one went to Laverton. The wreckage of Sir Tim Wallis’ Spitfire Mk.XIV, ZK-XIV, badly damaged in the accident at Wanaka on January 2, has been sold to Aeromotive Ltd of Hamilton. Initial plans are to rebuild the Spitfire however a detailed feasibility and costing study has yet to be carried out. The aircraft was purchased as an insurance write-off. Aeromotive is based at Hamilton airport and overhauls and rebuilds aircraft as well as supplying parts and components. In Melbourne the interior of the 75th Squadron nightclub was to go to public auction on May 1. The nightclub, located in the grounds of the historic Royal Exhibition building, was due to be demolished as the Exhibition building is to become the core of the new Victorian State Museum. The nightclub had extensive aircraft memorabilia in it as themed decoration including a not-quite-real Wirraway hanging from the ceiling. At Wanaka on the south island of New Zealand, Lockheed C-60A Lodestar VH-XUS sits on static display in Gerald Rhodes’ Wanaka Transport Museum. The machine was noted outside on display during the recent Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow. With bird deposits on the tail and fading paint the aircraft has not flown since it arrived at Wanaka over two years ago.