Warbirds

The Aircraft, One of Two at Tamworth and One of Only a Very Few of the Type Still in the Country, Had Its Wings Removed Before the Fuselage Was Loaded Onto a Semitrailer. A Team of Three Qam Members Was Assisted by Eight Retired East West Airlines Aircraft Engineers in the Disassembly and Moving of the Airliner, With the F27’s Wings Trucked Separately a Few Days Later.

The Move, Supported by Local Companies Aldridge’s Cranes and Parry’s Transport, Went “exactly to Plan,” Reported Qam Team Leader David Beazley. The Fokker Will Get a Facelift and Have Its Wings Reattached Before Going on Display, Beazley Said. Eventually It Will Be Painted Up to Represent Its Time as Ansett-ana’s Vh‑fnq, One of Several Registrations That the Fokker Carried in Its Flying Career.

No Remains of Ww2 Airmen Located at Png Site

an Adf Team of Nine Personnel Including Two Air Force Reserve Forensic Specialists Found No Remains of the Four Airmen Lost in the Forced Landing of Ww2 Raaf Lockheed Hudson A16-126, Which Was Located in Papua New Guinea in May (See Report in September Aa).

The Team Conducted a Thorough Grid Search of the Wreck Area but the Remains of Flying Officer Graham Gibson, Pilot Officer Frank Thorn, Sergeant Barton Coutie and Sergeant Arthur Quail Could Not Be Found. However, the Searchers Did Discover Id Tags, Personal and Military Artifacts, Watches, Pocket Knives and an Engraved Pen.

The Finding of the Id Tags Creates a Mystery in Itself as Adf Personnel Do Not Normally Part Company With These Items. The Recovered Items Will Be Passed to the Airmen’s Relatives.

Tiger Moth Bent

Dh-82a Tiger Moth Vh‑fbo Suffered Substantial Damage During a Landing at Goolwa, South Australia, on October 10.

The Aircraft Was Attending the Antique Aeroplane Association Auster Fly-in Being Held at Goolwa Over That Weekend When the Event Happened During Strong Wind Conditions. The Biplane Came Down in a Paddock Near the Airport. The Pilot Was Later Taken to Hospital With Head and Suspected Spinal Injuries. The Aircraft is Owned by Bevan Clifford of Loxton, South Australia.

Raaf Wagga Items to Return

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, Dr Mike Kelly, Announced in October That the Raaf is Committed to Ensuring Historical Air Force Items Remain on Display in Wagga Wagga.

It Would Appear That the Museum at the Raaf Base Wagga (Formerly Raaf Base Forest Hill) Had Sent a Number of Items to the Raaf Museum at Point Cook While Its Building Was Being Stripped of Asbestos. Dr Kelly Was Acting on a Petition by the Member for Riverina, Kay Hull Mp, and Undertook a Review Into Re-opening the Museum.

The Air Force Will Examine a Number of Options to Best Display the Wagga Heritage Collection and Will Meet With the Wagga Wagga Council to Discuss Proposals.

A Number of Retired Raaf Aircraft Are Also on Static Display at the Base, Including a Mirage, Canberra, Meteor and Winjeel.

In Brief

• Lovers of Round Engines Rejoice! If Reports Are Correct Australia is Soon to Be the Destination for a Volpar Tri Gear Beech 18. The Aircraft, N2500, is Reported to Have Left the Uk Where It Has Been Having an Extended Three Year Major Overhaul at Bruntingthorpe. Six Beech 18 Series Aircraft Are Currently on the Australian Civil Register.

• April 24-26 2009 is the Annual Gathering of the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (Aaaa). Next Year It Will Be Held at Echuca, Vic.

So Good Was the Last Such Gathering at Echuca in 2007 That the Temora Aviation Museum (Tam), Which Had Scheduled a Flying Day on the Same Date, Has Now Put Its Flying Day on Hold as So Many of Its Flying Display Pilots Want to Attend the Aaaa 2009 Gathering. Check the Tam Website for a Revised April 2009 Flying Day Date.

• Register Changes: Auster J5 Vh-kbm C/n 2899 Was Struck Off the Register on October 15 as ‘no Longer Airworthy’. One Can Be Assured That It Will Be Restored Sometime in the Future. Nanchang Cj-6a Vh-bnb Serial 5132018 Had a Change of Marking to Vh-cdo on October 16. North American T-6d Vhvfm Serial 1090 Had a Change of Owner to Nicholas Belfield of Darwin on October 9.

• Lake Boga Has Dried Up! The Lake, Sited Near Swan Hill, Victoria, Was the Inland Maintenance Base for Raaf Flying Boat Operations During Ww2.

With the Current Drought That is Sweeping Australia the Lake Has Been Affected to the Extent That No Water is Currently Visible.

While Some Nearby Lakes Have Water in Them It is Possible That Lake Boga May Take Several Years Before the Previous Water Level is Restored.

• the Queensland Aviation Museum Picked Up Two Awards When the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce Held an Awards Dinner on October 10. The Museum Took Away the Tourism Business of the Year Award as Well as the President’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Caloundra City. N Contact Dave by Email at: Flyer02@optusnet. Com. Au