Warbirds

Wwii Raaf Spitfire Pilot Buried In France

Following on from the report in the January/February AA regarding the discovery of WW2 Spitfire pilot Flight Lieutenant Henry ‘Lacy’ Smith the April 19 saw his remains buried. The full military honours burial took place at the War Graves Cemetery at Rue des Airbornes, Ranville in Normandy
Flt. Lt. Smith from Sans Souci, south of Sydney, NSW, was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on June 11 1944 during World War II and crashed into the River Orne, near Caen, in northern France. The Spitfire aircraft and Smith’s remains were found in November 2010.

The Australian Defence Force is to ship the wreckage of Flt.Lt. Smith’s Spitfire to Australia to display at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Victoria. Plans are for the aircraft to arrive in Australia mid year, where it will undergo conservation work.

New Zealand Warbird News

From the land of the long white cloud comes news that former Australia Strikemaster VH-RBA took up NZ registration as ZK-STR on April 11 to Strikemaster Ltd of Auckland.

Another new addition to the growing Kiwi warbird numbers is Curtiss P-40C ZK-TWK. This machine was registered on April 12 to AvSpecs Ltd of Manukau. It is ex AK295 and more recently US registration N295RL. The cockpit canopy and engine cowling have a much different shape to that of the later models of Curtiss Kittyhawk.

The biggest news from New Zealand is the import and local registration of Flug Werk FW 190 A8/N D-FWWE. This fighter took up the New Zealand registration of ZK-RFR on April 11. It has serial of 990001. The aircraft was registered to Chariots of Fire Fighter, Blenheim.

The Focke-Wulf 190 was to be the star at the Classic Fighters Airshow at Omaka but after a test flight developed problems with the cooling fan behind the propeller and as a result became a static ground exhibit during the show.

The show itself was a major success. Flying in the event were a Corsair, Spitfire, Mustang, C-47 plus a number of WW1 aircraft. The setting of the show added to the sensation that it was taking place in France during WW1 or WW2 depending on what aircraft was flying at the time.

Hars Acquires Another Lockheed Constellation

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society has acquired another Lockheed Constellation. The new Connie is the former US Navy and USAF C-121G that is currently known as N105CF. The machine purchased by Super Constellation Flyers Association. Ferried from Conroe, Texas, in January 2001 to Avra valley, Arizona where restoration work commenced. The SCFA eventually chose to purchase a flying Connie, N73544, and flew that to Switzerland where it became HB-RSC. In the meantime N015CF was stripped for parts and engines. HARS purchased the machine in early 2010. It is reported that HARS plan to move the aircraft to Australia and restore it for static display. The large transport will be most welcome as a second fiddle to the existing HARS Connie.

Battling On With The Fairey Battle

At the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide, Adelaide, work continues on the museum’s Fairey Battle bomber restoration. The former RAAF aircraft has effectively risen from the depths as it was a total write off when obtained by the museum. Over the years the museum has not only gathered numerous parts from across Australia but also overseas. Recent work on the aircraft has seen the fuselage centre section and the main spar coming together.

While those at the museum admit that the restoration of the aircraft still has a long way to go they are confident that it can be achieved. When complete the single engine bomber will be the only complete Fairey Battle in Australia and one of only two or three complete in the world.

Xjet To Operate Jets From Essendon

New on the warbird scene is XJET, the brain child of warbird enthusiast, Hugh Waltho. Hugh has owned and operated several warbirds over the years but in more recent times he imported a former RAF red Arrows Folland T.1 Gnat two seat jet trainer.

Now a resident of glass walled hangar 204 at Essendon airport, Melbourne, the jet has been joined by two other warbirds, a North American T-6 Harvard and a BAC Jet provost T Mk.5A.

The three aircraft can be flown on adventure flights or used as background props if someone wishes to hire hangar 204 for a function.

On April 27 the Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 701 Turbojet of the Folland Gnat, previously serial XS101 and now VH-XSO, undertook several engine runs as part of the plan to put the aircraft back where it belongs, in the air. XJET has several well known pilots to fly the warbirds including Darcy O’Connor, Peter Clements, Chris Tulk and Keith Hartley. All the pilots named have military experience flying high speed jet aircraft.

Forest Hill Aircraft Get A Paint Job

At Forest Hill RAAF base at Wagga two aircraft that have served the RAAF are to continue serving again after they get a new paint job. The two aircraft are Canberra A84-235 and Mirage A3-41. The pair has been stationed at the front entrance of the air base for since the early 1980s but has not been refurbished in the last 15 years. Victorian company Douglas Aerospace Ltd has been contracted to do the job. The repaint was expected to take some two weeks in order that the aircraft could be unveiled in the middle of May.

In Brief

• A Trojan to South Africa! On April 7 North American T-28D Trojan VH-XVT was removed from the civil register. The aircraft has been reported as being sold to a new owner in South Africa. Australia’s loss is South Africa’s gain! The last owner in Australia was Air Action Pty Ltd of Pokolbin, NSW.

• BAC Strikemaster, N167SM, was written off in a fatal accident into the Hudson River near Kingston, New York, on February 26. The two seat jet trainer/strike aircraft was an ex Republic of Singapore Air Force machine, #322 that was purchased by International Air Parts of Sydney before being on-sold to Wally Fisk of Amjet Aircraft Corporation. The pilot was not aerobatic rated. In recent times the aircraft was noted for the dragons head painted on the aircraft’s nose.

Contact Dave by email at [email protected]