Warbirds

VH-XBL is registered to Boomerang Aviation of Gilbertson, South Australia, on January 30 2009. The aircraft is expected to return to South Australia in due course to bolster the number of warbirds flying in that state.

T.a.m. Sabre Close To Flying

The RAAF Museum CAC CA-27 Sabre, VH-IPN/A94-938, is close to flying again. The jet fighter has been rebuilt by the Temora Aviation Museum under an arrangement with the RAAF. In the middle of July the aircraft was one step closer to flying when former RAAF Sabre pilot group Captain Mike Nixon conducted taxying trials at Temora. The machine made a number of high speed taxi trials with the main focus being to bed in the newly overhauled brakes.

Mike was the last pilot to fly this aircraft 16 years ago. The machine will be operated by the TAM when it flies again. Sources report that the aircraft is awaiting the arrival of newly manufactured ejection seat charges before it will take to the air again. The charges come from the UK.

T.a.m. Sabre Close To Flying

The last week of June saw Comper Swift VH-ACG and Klemm L25 Swallow VH-UUR arrive at Air Venture the EAA’s annual fly-in gathering at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. The Oshkosh event is the world’s biggest gathering of non-commercial aircraft.

The Klemm has a particular place to play at Oshkosh as is it is the oldest known mission aircraft still flying in the world. It was built in 1934. It was to be displayed at the Fly4life display at the event. The Comper Swift is a well travelled machine. It was in the USA before WWII and even competed in an air race at Cleveland, Ohio, in 1932 as NC27K. Both aircraft are owned by Robert Fox of Sydney, NSW.

The Comper was last seen at the Echuca annual gathering of the Antique Aeroplane Association in April. Both aircraft are due to return to Australia after the Oshkosh event.

Register News

Steve Death has bought Hamish Brunton’s T-6G Harvard project, VH-YVI, and hopes to have it flying later this year, ferrying flying around the world allowing. The change of owner date with CASA was July 3. Tiger Moth VH-PFL has had a registration change to VH-UXD. The owner is Ron Ennis of Rothwell, Queensland. The change took place on July 1.

New on the register is L-39C, VH-NCI, serial 23221, to Reha Ekinci of Narrellan, NSW. The aircraft went on the register on June 5. As noted in the last AA DC-3 VH-TMQ has changed ownership to Australasian Jet of Essendon. The change took place on June 12. The aircraft was previously owned by Air Nostalgia.

Soon to have a new owner? Harvard VH-HVD has been sighted up for auction on Ebay in recent weeks. The yellow painted aircraft, ex the RNZAF, is based at Essendon; Vic.

Matt Grigg is reported to have bought Globe Swift, VH-BYB, and plans to move the aircraft from Wollongong, NSW, to Victoria. His home base is Ballarat.

Another Dc-3 For Wa?

Moves are afoot to get DC-3, VH-BPN, back in the air and to re-locate it in WA. The aircraft is the last MMA DC-3 available that can be made flyable. The plan is to get the aircraft flying and to carry the livery of MacRobertson Miller Airlines (MMA) while it makes historic and nostalgia flights in WA. It previously carried the marking VH-MML in MMA service. Currently located at Bankstown the restoration project and relocation is expected to cost at least $100,000, if the money can be found.

Beautiful Big Beech 17

Early June saw a Beech 17 biplane land at Scone, NSW, for a brief visit. The unique and historic aircraft had flown from New Zealand where it has been based for several years after a rebuild by the Croydon Aircraft Company in Manderville, New Zealand.

Built in 1944 as a Beech D17S the aircraft is these days owned and flown by Bill Charney of Reno, Nevada. The machine was originally contracted to the US Navy but was shipped to Great Britain under the lend lease program and was used by the Royal Navy. In 1946 it took up British markings until a year later when it was returned to the US. Bill Charney bought the aircraft in Tucson, Arizona, in 1993. In 2001 he shipped it to New Zealand for a rebuild that took some five years! Registered with American marking, NC16S, the aircraft was flown over the Tasman in early April. It has been reported that the aircraft is to be shipped back to the US. The visit to Scone was for Bill Charney to catch up with a few old friends and also to pay tribute to the memory of the late Col pay who Mr Charney had met some years earlier when he was flying airliners in the US.

Black Cat; Helpers Wanted

The Catalina Flying Memorial Ltd. is calling for volunteers to assist with the refurbishment of the CFM Catalina, VH-CAT. Based at Bankstown the cat was the centre piece of a walk through display in May to help raise funds to get the machine back in the air. The display day raised some good funds but more is needed. Care to help? Contact the CFM via www.catalinaflying.org.au.

In June the CFM ran a special day asking for those interested in working on the aircraft to put up their hands. Currently situated in the Airag hangar the aircraft is in need of many hands to help clean it up and do a lot of non-technical work so that the big water bird can be made ready for issue of an Australian Experimental Certificate of Airworthiness. For those interested contact Colin Cool at 0402-060-527 or [email protected]. This is a good cause and the more hands that assist with see the aircraft back in the air sooner.

Replica Duigan Biplane To Fly Next Year

John Duigan flew his home built aircraft at Mia Mia, Victoria, on June 16 1910 to go onto the record books as the first Australian built aircraft to fly Australian skies. Now it is proposed to build a replica that will take to the air at the same location but 100 years later. A group headed by Terry Egan of Geelong is actively engaged in the construction of a replica Duigan biplane with the view to having it fly at Mia Mia on July 16 2010. The project has the support of the Duigan family members. The Australian National Aviation Museum is supporting the project and it is planned that when the machine is retired from demonstration flights it will be put on display at the museum’s Moorabbin airport facility.

The original Duigan biplane is in storage with the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne. The museum has on display the Duigan replica that the late Ron Lewis built and flew in the period 1990-1995. A costing of some $60,000 has been mooted as the amount needed to see the replica take to the skies.

In Brief

● VH-UCC the Junkers 50 Junior may have been exported to Germany, never to be seen in Australia again, but if you are travelling and want to see another Junior then spend a few minutes in the departure lounge of the Helsinki airport in Finland. There hangs another Junkers Junior, OH-ABB.

● The Queensland Air Museum (QAM) has obtained a Calair Skyfox. Interestingly enough the Skyfox was built at Caloundra airport, where the QAM is located. The aircraft obtained recently is a composite of several aircraft but it is known to include the wings which were flown on the prototype and research aircraft, VH-CAL. At present in storage the aircraft will be restored to portray the prototype Skyfox, VH-CAL. A number of Skyfoxes are still being used as training and private aircraft across Australia.

● So you always wanted a flight in an Avro Lancaster? You have probably missed your chance but in June the Forgotten Heroes appeal held an auction at RAF Museum in Hendon, North London, for a seat in the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster. The RAF donated the seat to help boost funds towards the appeal which aims to build a memorial to the 55,000 Bomber Command aircrew that lost their lives in the Second World War.

● The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its final report on the death of Australian warbird champion, Col Pay. The report makes comment about the circumstances of the accident to Air Tractor AT-802, VH-LIS, at Lake Liddell, NSW, on December 7, 2007. Col Pay was the pilot testing a prototype water collecting technique that was to see an Air Tractor skim the surface of a lake and gather water via ducts in skis located below the wheels of the aircraft. His aircraft was seen to have the right wheel breach the surface of the lake and turn the aircraft to the right before it tipped over and sank. The report noted that Col had some 29,800 hours flight time. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

● The Friends of the RAAF Museum have arranged for the inaugural George Merz Memorial Lecture to be on the history of the P51 Mustang. To be held at the Officers Mess, RAAF Williams, Laverton, on Friday August 28 the event is expected to be well attended. George Merz was the first Australian airman to die in combat, during WW1 in the middle east. The lecture is dedicated to his memory.

Contact Dave by email at: [email protected]