Warbirds

Judy Pay’s Aircraft, Vh-hwk, is the Only Merlin Powered Kittyhawk Flying in the World.

New Wing for Hars Dc-4

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (Hars) Was One Step Nearer to Getting Its Douglas C-54e / Dc-4 Airborne and Flown to Its Illawarra Home Base When a New Outboard Right Wing Was Fitted in Place During April. Hars Had Obtained the Former Us Navy Transport and Freighter From Air Freights International of Southport, Queensland.

The Intent Was to Get It Back Into the Air and Fly It to the Illawarra Airport but During Maintenance Work It Was Found That the Outer Right Wing Had Suffered Heavy Corrosion. There Were Two Options, Rebuild the Wing or Get a Replacement. A Replacement Outer Wing Panel Was Obtained From the Us, Believed to Be From Arizona. The Replacement Wing Was Still Bearing Its Original Stars and Stripes Indicating It Had Come From a Former Military Dc-4 and Had Been in Storage for Some 30 Years.

The New Wing Panel Brings the Aircraft Closer to Being Flown Again. New Flight Controls Will Be Installed and Some Final Mechanical Work Carried Out Before the Aircraft Takes to the Air Again.

The 1943 Vintage Aircraft Was Donated to Hars for Restoration. This Particular Aircraft Served the Us Navy Before Becoming a Domestic Freighter. Its Most Recent Role Was Carrying Freight Throughout the Pacific.

When the Aircraft Makes Its Way to the Illawarra Airport, South of Sydney, It Will Join the Growing Collection of Historic Flying Large Aircraft in the Hars Collection.

Aaaa Echuca National Fly-in & Airshow

Rain and Winds Greeted Antique Aeroplane Enthusiasts Who Attended the Antique Aeroplane Association’s Annual Gathering at Echuca, Victoria, on the Weekend of April 25/26. The Association Was Last at Echuca in 2007 for a Successful Weekend of Fun and Old Aeroplanes but the 2009 Event Was Not Held Under the Same Blue Skies. In Spite of the Weather an Interesting Collection of Aircraft Was Present at the Event. These Included Comper Swift, Vh-agc, Merlin Powered Kittyhawk Vh-hwk, Lockheed L12, Vh-hid, Newly Rebuilt Aeronca 11ac Chief, Vh-idh, Stinson Reliant, Vh-uxl, Temora Aviation Museum Wirraway Vh-bff and Avro 643 Cadet, Vh-agh.

The 2009 Aaaa Event Was to Commemorate the First Flight of the Cac Wirraway That Took Place on 1939.

The Saturday Night Dinner Was Enjoyed by Some 300 Antiquers Who Heard Awards Presented to the Owners of Aircraft Judged of Special Interest. The Best Classic Award Went to Mike Cleaver for His Auster J5f, Vh-wky. Best Antique Award Went to Peter Anderson for His Boeing Stearman, Vh-hcj. The Reserve Grand Champion Went to Ian Harvie for His Recently Restored Aeronca 11ac Chief, Vh-idh.

Grand Champion Was Appropriately Awarded to Judy Pay for Her Curtiss P-40f, Vh-hwk, the Only Merlin Powered Kittyhawk Flying in the World.

The Presidents Choice Went to Ron Edwards’ Ford Silver Centenary Biplane, Vh-usc. Coincidentally the Ford Did Not Get to Echuca on the Weekend. It Had Flown All the Way From Western Australia but the Closest to Echuca It Got in the Weekend Was Mangalore Airport a Few Miles to the South. The Weather Prevented It From Making the Final Few Miles. A Great Try but … .

At the Airshow Held on the Sunday Kittyhawk Vh-zoc Was Flown From Deniliquin, Nsw, So That Patrons Could Enjoy Seeing a Kittyhawk in the Air, an Allison Powered Machine at That, as Well as Seeing and Hearing the Merlin Powered Kittyhawk on the Ground at Echuca.

Smithy Crash Wreck Found?

In March It Was Announced by Filmmaker Damien Lay That the Wreckage of the Lockheed Altair, ‘lady Southern Cross’ Had Been Found Beneath a Layer of Mud Off the Burmese Coast. The Aircraft Was Being Flown by Legendary Pilot Sir Charles Kingsford Smith When It Disappeared en Route From England to Australia in November 1935.

Filmmaker Damien Lay Said He Had Sonar Images of the Seabed Near Aye Island, in the Bay of Bengal, That Showed the Wreck of the Lockheed Altair. The Only Part of the Aircraft Recovered Was an Undercarriage Leg That Was Found by a Fisherman Two Years After the Aircraft Disappeared.

Mr Lay Had Indicated That He is to Organise a Further Salvage Mission if Analysis of the Sonar Images Prove That He Has in Fact Discovered the Wreck of Smithy’s Aircraft.

If the Wreck is That of the Lady Southern Cross It Will Bring to a Close One of the Greatest Aviation Mysteries of Australian Aviation History, the Fate and Final Resting Place of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Probably the Greatest Aviator in Australian History.

Luskintyre Nancy-bird Walton Memorial Aviation Tower

At Luskintyre Airfield, in the Hunter Valley of Nsw, the Luskintyre Aviation Flying Museum Was Always a Favourite Place With Famed Australian Aviator, the Late Nancy Bird-walton. Nancy, Who Passed Away on January 16 Aged 94, First Took to the Air in 1933 in Aircraft Not Unlike the Tiger Moth Aircraft That Are Being Rebuilt or Flown at Luskintyre. The First Woman Pilot to Use Her Commercial Licence in Australia Nancy Had a Strong Connection With the Unique Airfield and Its Members and Biplanes. As a Result the Friends of the Museum Felt It Proper to Erect a 1930’s Style Control Tower at the Airfield as a Memorial to Her Great Aviation Achievements. It is Anticipated That After Funding Has Been Completed Construction of the Tower Will Be Begin Towards the End of June With a Special Unveiling Later This Year. A Fitting Memorial to a Great Lady.

L-29 Bent

Aero Vodochody L-29 Delphin, Vh-bqj, Suffered Underbelly and Fuel Tank Damage in a Gear-up Landing on March 9. The Two Seat Jet Trainer Was en-route From Goolwa, S.a. To Cessnock, Nsw, When the Right Gear Leg Partly Deployed. Following Checks the Aircraft Was Diverted to Temora, Nsw, Where the Aircraft Was Landed With the Undercarriage in the Retracted Position. There Were No Injuries. The Aircraft Had Formally Changed Ownership Earlier That Day.

Vh-bqj is the Only Delphin on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register.

In Brief

• Curtiss P-40n-1, Zk-vwc Made Its First Post Rebuild Flight on Wednesday 23 April at Ardmore, New Zealand. Flown by Frank Parker the Aircraft Had Been Rebuilt by Pioneer Aero Restoration. The Aircraft Started Life as Usaaf Serial 42-104827. It Later Became Raaf Serial A29-414. Operated by Raaf 78 Squadron With Fuselage Marks Hu-z It Was Damaged and Written Off in a Landing Accident at Tadji on the North Coast of New Guinea on April 25 1944. Purchased by Vintage Wings of Canada Museum the Aircraft Was Rebuilt by Pioneer Aero. A Royal Canadian Air Force C17 Globemaster 111 Had Been Scheduled to Visit Whenuapai to Collect the Aircraft and Fly It to Ottawa, Canada, for the Owners, Vintage Wings of Canada.

The Flight of Zk-vwc in New Zealand Was One Day After Steve Death Made the Test Flight of Rebuilt Kittyhawk, Vh-hwk, at Tyabb, Victoria.

• Wreckage Believed to Be That of Gaf Built Mk.20 Canberra, A84-231, Was Found in April by an Adf Investigation Team in a Rugged and Remote Area of Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, Near the Laotian Border. The Raaf Bomber Was Lost at Night Over Vietnam on November 3 1970. Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver Had Completed a Bombing Mission and Were Returning to Base When the Canberra Disappeared Without Trace. No Human Remains Were Found at the Wreck Site. It is Hoped That a Later Investigation of the Site Might Find Uncover the Lost Crew Members and So Bring Closure to Their Families in Australia. Recovery of the Two Crew Members Would Also Mean That All Deceased Adf Personnel Had Been Recovered From Vietnam.

Contact Dave by Email at: [email protected]