Warbirds

The aircraft arrived in Australia in 1911. Damaged in a test flight in South Australia the machine, minus its wings, was taken to the Antarctic by famed Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson, for use as an air sled, to pull sleds across the ice using the Gnome rotary engine as propulsion. After a short time the engine wouldn’t start so the fuselage was effectively abandoned and the Gnome engine returned to Australia.

The fuselage was still sitting on the ice in 1931 and was seen again when the ice melted in 1975.

During a recent expedition to help with the conservation of the Mawson 1911-13 expedition base huts at Cape Denison a secondary aim was to try and find the remains of the fuselage.

A search of the ice with several trenches and ground penetrating radar revealed nothing. Then came a freak find by carpenter, Mark Farrell, who was looking for a place to land visitors from a cruise ship scheduled to visit the historic site in this year. As Farrell was walking along the waters edge he spotted metal below the surface of the water near some rocks. The remains of the Vickers had been found! It now would appear that the remains found are few. They have been described as the fittings used to join the fuselage longerons.

Whatever has been found are the remains of one of the very first aircraft brought to Australia and the first to the Antarctic, albeit not to fly there. They are also the remains of the very first Vickers aircraft ever built, back in 1911. Truly historic components.

The aircraft will never be reconstructesd. There is a propeller from it in a museum in Western Australia, a wheel in Tasmania at the Australian Antarctic Division headquarters, part of the tail plus a seat are at Cape Denison. The seat was found when some ice melted. The wings have long since disappeared in the mists of time. There is no knowledge of what happened to the Gnome rotary engine. Perhaps all the remaining components should be brought together to form a composite layout of the aircraft over a sketched plan of the aircraft.

Unique Cessna For Qam

The Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra is now the proud owner of a unique Cessna, a model 336 that served in PNG. Often called a Push-Pull because of having two engines, one in front and the other a pusher at the rear of the six place cabin and mounted between the two booms supporting the horizontal tailplane. When the Cessna 336 was first introduced it was the first light aircraft of that layout and it came with fixed undercarriage. Only 195 were built. The next model, the Cessna 337 series, was built with a retractable undercarriage which helped with the aircraft’s performance and range. The aircraft that the QAM has obtained is VH-CMY and was last with the Gold Coast Airport Rescue and Fire fighting Service at Coolangatta. The QAM C.336 has had a long and interesting history. Prior to entering service with Ansett-MAL in Papua New Guinea in 1965 it was modified at Bankstown so that the rear engine could be swung to one side on hinges to allow the loading of long cargo into the rear cabin. This was the only such modification of a Cessna 336 attempted anywhere in the world. After retirement by Ansett-MAL VH-CMY was sold to Territory Airlines and later the Sacred Heart Mission and so comes with a significant PNG history. When fully restored by the QAM the aircraft will be finished in Ansett-MAL livery. The Cessna 336 was powered by two Continental I0-360-A engines of 195 hp (145 kW). The QAM is seeking a propeller for the front engine as well as a right hand cabin door (the only door). Does anyone have a photo of VH-CMY with the rear engines swung aside? The QAM would like to hear from you.

One Cessna 336 still flies in Australia. VH-GKY from Moorabbin, Victoria.

Catalina News

At Lake Boga on the Victorian, NSW border a Catalina has been on static display for a number of years. Although the inland weather has been reasonably kind to the airframe it has recently gone under cover with a large protective roof being built over it. The roof with help protect the airframe from the sun and the rain and add years to the life of the machine. Lake Boga was an inland RAAF seaplane base during WWII, away from possible Japanese attack on the coast. The base was eventually closed in 1947. The Lake Boga Catalina carries the serial number A24-30 but is know to be a composite airframe.

Meanwhile no news is the news regarding Catalina VH-EAX that got from Spain as far as Singapore before running into a problem with the supply of aviation fuel for the onward flight to Australia. At the same time it was found that one engine needed a rebuild or replacement in order to make the trip. A possible engine loan from an Australian based Catalina was being considered. VH-EAX is bound for the Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach, Queensland.

Register News

An interesting return to the register is Waco EGC-8 Special, VH-EGC. With c/n 5051 this attractive cabin biplane was built in 1938 and held the US registration N19357 for a short time. It came to Australia where it became VH-AAF. Damaged at Darwin on March 15 1971 it was rebuilt as VH-CGF. Removed from the register by CASA on July 5 2006 it was then owner by Michael Hayes of Ascot, Queensland. The aircraft has returned to the register with owner Lachlan Hayes on January 8.

Historic Cessna C.34 VH-UYG, c/n 339, had a change of ownership to Aeromil Pacific Pty Ltd of Maroochydore airport, Queensland on December 18. Aeromil is the Australian Cessna dealer under CEO Steve Padgett. Steve can now claim to have both the oldest and newest Cessna in Australia.

Wirraway VH-WWY has changed hands from Classic Aero of Brisbane to Steve Searle. The Wirraway adds to Steve’s impressive stable of WWII types that he will base and exhibit at his Wirraway Aviation Museum airfield, Beaudesert, Qld. The change of ownership took place on December 11.

From Moree comes news that newly imported Sea Fury, VH-SFW, has been noted as taxying. No doubt the first Australian flight will follow soon. Previously G-CBEL the aircraft came from the UK. (see Jan/Feb. AA)

Not yet carrying a registration is a Bristol Boxkite replica that is being built at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook. Construction is well advanced with the cockpit section close to being completed. A Rotec radial engine is to power the two seat replica. The engine was built by Rotec Aero Engines located near Moorabbin airport. The Boxkite was one of the first aircraft of the original Australian Flying Corp that later became the RAAF.

In Brief

• The RAAF DHC-4 Caribou to be held as a museum item at RAAF base Amberley is now known to be serial A4-236. Caribous were based at Amberley until recently. The Caribou will be held on static display. Other Caribous have been allocated to the AWM and the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. (see Jan/Feb. AA).

Contact Dave at [email protected]