Warbirds

The auction was attended by some 100 people but there was only one bidder. His identity or who he represented is unknown. The bidding stopped at A$2.4 million. It had been expected that bidding might have gone as high as A$4 million but it was not to be. After the auction Bonhams & Goodman indicated that discussions would continue with interested parties but as AA went to print no change of ownership had been announced.

The Hurricane, ZK-TPK, a model Mk.11A with RAF serial P3351, has had a long and interesting history. Built by the Hawker factory at Brooklands, Surrey, England, in early 1940 it went straight into RAF service and to France. With the advance of German forces it was one of the last to retreat from France back to England. Damaged several times during operations it was eventually sent to Russia in 1942. There it was shot down in the northern winter of 1943.

The remains of P3351 were recovered in 1991and were purchased by Wanaka based aviation enthusiast, Sir Tim Wallis. With the help of New Zealand and UK firms the aircraft was rebuilt to flying standard.

During the rebuilding process a 7.9mm copper-jacketed projectile was found lodged in the oil-cooler. It is certain that this was the bullet which brought her down.

She took to the air again on January 12 2000. Since that time the Hurricane has been seen by countless enthusiasts and has been a star exhibit at the Warbirds over Wanaka airshow. While the Hawker Hurricane type is well know in New Zealand and Australia the few that came here were in WWII and long since disappeared. Many RNZAF and RAAF airmen flew the type during WWII.

We await with interest the outcome of the ownership change. One would like to think that the aircraft will stay in New Zealand or Australia.

Douglas A-26 Arrives In Australia

Bankstown is now the home to a Douglas A-26 Invader. The aircraft, a former Canadian borate bomber, was last registered as C-GPTW. It was brought to Australia in a shipping container and was seen early in September. It carries a yellow colour scheme with black stripes and the number 26 on the tail and the title Air Spray on the rear fuselage. The owner is reported as being Nick Leach who also owns DC-3 VH-MMF.

The Invader is the second of the type in Australia, the other aircraft being the A-26C registered as VH-VNI, ex 44-35898, for Randal McFarlane. That aircraft is located at Archerfield.

The new aircraft, C-GPTW, started out as serial 43-22653. Post war service saw it take up US registration N9402Z with Idaho Air tankers of Boise, Idaho in 1963.

By 1981 it had moved to Air Spray of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. By 2008 the aircraft had been taken off fire bomber duties and was in open storage. It was later bought by Nick Leach and dismantled and shipped to Australia.

Another interesting warbird to join the Australian warbird scene.

Catalina Registered

Big news in the water bird department is that the rumoured Catalina for the Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach has been registered as VH-EAX. The aircraft, with serial 46644 was formally registered as VH-EAX on September 30 to Qantas Foundation Memorial Ltd of Hunchy, Queensland. The Consolidated Catalina, a model PBY-6A, with c/n 2008, stated out as US Navy serial Bu46644. It later became N6458C with Farmers Air Service, Oregon, in 1963. By 1979 it had moved to Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, with Canadian registration, C-GFFH with owner The Flying Fireman and carried tanker No.8 and later No.778. Sold to Spain in 1989 it became EC-359 and later again, EC-EVK. It is reported to have last flown in 2006. The aircraft will be brought to Australia from Cuatro Vientos, near Madrid, Spain. The flight to Australia commenced on October 5 and was scheduled to take some 20 days. The aircraft will travel some 11,800 miles and be airborne for more than 85 hours. The machine will go on display at the Qantas Founders Outback Museum at the Longreach airport. There the QFOM already have a Boeing 707 and Boeing 747 on display as well as a DC-3. The indoor museum has a DH60 plus a DH61 and Avro 504 replica on display.

Some nine Catalina aircraft are now in Australia some complete and some ready for a full restoration rebuild.

Auster Rally At Broken Hill

It may have been very dusty on the way to Broken Hill but the faithful flew no less than a dozen of the marque to this year’s annual Antique Aeroplane Association event. Held over the weekend of October 3 & 4 the meet also attracted some other 30 visiting aircraft. Probably the star of the gathering was Auster J/5F Aiglet Trainer VH-BYF that had been flying for only a week since a complete rebuild. The aircraft was in a basic yellow colour scheme with blue trim. VH-BTQ was another J/5F present. Another interesting type was Beagle A61 terrier 2, VH-WFM. Also present were J/1B Aiglet’s VH-WWG and VH-ABS. Other Austers were J/5 Adventurer VH-KBA, J/1N Alpha VH-KCJ, VH-PCY and VH-SAH, J/1 Autocrat VH-BDQ and J/4 Archer VH-CRR plus VH-BYM, a model 5D powered by a Lycoming 0-320.

The Auster is a British built aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s era. With around a 100 still in Australia the aircraft type has a strong following in antique and classic aeroplane circles.

Register Notes

Soko Galeb G2-4 s/n 23177 was added to the Australian register on September 30 as VH-YUE with owner Jeffery Knott of Heathmont, Victoria. The two seat jet trainer/attack aircraft looks very much like the former RAAF trainer Macchi MB326 aircraft. This aircraft was previously registered as YU-YAE. It was noted at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon in March. A photo of it featured in the May issue of AA.

Yak-50, VH-BYJ, serial 822307, was struck of the register on September 7 as having been sold in the USA. Last owner was Hans Litjens of Mt. Matha, Victoria.

Convair 440, c/n 501, VH-PAL was removed from the register on September 14 as having been sold back to Canada. Last owner was Pionair Australia Pty Ltd of Condell Park, NSW. This was most likely the Convair that had a wing de-icing boot problem on September 8 near Lord Howe Island during the trans-Pacific ferry flight.

In Brief

● Wright Flyer III replica N3635N came to grief during a practise flight at Huffman Prairie Flying Field, Dayton, Ohio, on October 1. The pilot, Mark Dusenberry, was practising for the 104th anniversary of practical flight ceremony planned for the week of October 4. After take off the aircraft was seen to oscillate before pitching down from about 5 metres and impacting the ground. Although the Wright aircraft are recorded as the first flying machines to make sustained controlled powered flight they have been proven in recent years to have been a handful for the pilots who flew them. Pilot Dusenberry has continued that experience. Huffman Prairie is where the Wright Bros. continued their flying experiences and even ran a flying school in the years after their immediate historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903.

Wright Flyer III, N3635N, is a replica of the 1905 Wright aircraft and considered to be a far more controllable aircraft when compared to the 1903 machine.

Contact Dave by email at [email protected]