Warbirds

Leading Warbird Collector Steve Searle Died on December 8 Due to Cancer.

Steve Was a Prominent Gold Coast Businessman, Running Swagman Motorhomes and Acme Fibreglass Supplies, and Was Also a Prominent Figure in the Sport of Offshre Powerboat Racing.

Steve’s Extensive Aircraft Fleet Included Three Tbm Avenger Bombers, a Wirraway, a Tiger Moth, Three Stinson L-5s and a Cessna 337, While He Also Owned a Hudson, Douglas a-20, Curtiss C-46 and a North American B-25 Based Overseas.

He Had Also Planned to Build a World War 2 Type Airfield at Queensland’s Beaudesert, Named ‘wirraway Station’.

In Mid-february One of His Avengers, Vh-tbm, Was Being Prepared to Be Flown Back to New Zealand, Where It Came From, for New Owner Brendon Deere.

Hunter Flies Again

in New Zealand Hawker Hunter Fr. 74s Zk-jil is Back in the Air.

The Jet Was Put Back on the Nz Register on December 15 to Clevendon Aviation of Parakura, After Having Not Flown Since 2006.

The 1958-built Aircraft is Normally on Display in the Tauranga Classic Flyers Museum, and Made a Much-appreciated Appearance at the Tauranga City Airshow Just Days After Its January 25 First Flight.

Cessna Aircaft Inspections

in January the Cessna Introduced a Supplemental Inspection Program Affecting Nearly 145,000 Series 100 and 200 Single Engine Aircraft Produced Between 1946 and 1986.

The Added Inspections Mainly Require Checks of Areas Where Corrosion and Fatigue Damage Can Occur and Will Assist in the Long Term Airworthiness of the Aircraft. For a Low Time, Well Maintained Aircraft the Inspections Can Take Less Than 10 Hours.

The Program Can Entail 15-20 Visual Inspections Using a Borescope and a Magnifying Glass.

Australia Has a Number of Classic Cessna Aircraft on the Register That Will Be Affected.

These Include Cessna 120, 140, 150, 170, 180, 185, 190 and 195 Models.

Compliance Deadlines for the Inspection Program Will Be Two Years After the Programs Are Released – December 2013 for the 200 Series and June 2014 for the 100 Series.

Dh Enthusiast Dies in Tiger Moth Accident

Sadly, a Tiger Moth Accident Took the Life of Owner-pilot John Fisher and His Passenger When Vh-gva Crashed After Take-off at Maryborough, Victoria, on January 27.

The Tiger Moth Took Off to the North and Then Suffered a Partial Engine Failure, According to Reports. The Machine Then Turned to the Left Before Descending Into the Ground. A Fire Ensued That Burnt Out the Machine.

John Was a Local Accountant and Businessman Who Flew the Tiger Moth From England to Australia in 1996 to Raise Money for Canteen, for Which He Was Awarded the Order of Australia.

John Was the Consummate De Havilland Enthusiast and Had Established the Old Aviators Flying Museum at the Maryborough Airport. His Collection of Dh Aircraft Included Tiger Moths Vh-gva, Vh-udh and Vh-jcf and Dhc‑1 Chipmunk Vh-por. He Recently Imported Dh. 87b Hornet Moth G-adkt Plus Had a Dh Jackaroo Rebuild Project.

Two Dh Vampire Jets Are Also in the Museum, a Static Machine Plus a Ex Rnzaf Fb. 5 That Was Being Worked on to Fly Again.

Mustang Skyraider Mid-air Accident Report Released

the Uk Air Accidents Investigation Branch Has Released Its Report on the Mid Air Collision That Saw the Demise of Former Australian Cac Built Ca-18 Mk 22 Mustang, D‑fbbd, Which Had Much Earlier Been Registered in Australia as Vh‑fcb.

The Report Did Not Tell a Lot That Was Not Already Known, as the Collision Must Have Been One of the Most Photographed Accidents in Recent Years Due to the Number of Camera Toting Enthusiasts at the Display.

The Mustang Was One of Three Aircraft Taking Part in a Flight Past Spectators at the July 11 2011 Duxford Flying Legends Historic Aircraft Meeting.

It Was the Lead Aircraft in a ‘v’ Formation of a Group of Three With a Douglas Skyraider on the Left and Another Mustang on the Right. The Leader Gave the Signal to Break With the Aircraft to Go to the Left and Away From the Crowd Line. The Lead Mustang Broke Left but Slowed Down. The Skyraider Then Followed but the Pilot Lost Sight of the Mustang. The Flightpaths Converged and the Two Machines Collided.

The Skyraider Lost a Section of Its Outer Starboard Wing but Managed to Stay Under Control and Was Then Landed. The Mustang Suffered Severe Damage to the Underside of the Rear Fuselage. Faced With Control Handling Problems the Pilot Elected to Bail Out. It Was Estimated That the Pilot Was Under Canopy for Some Seven to Eight Seconds Before Touchdown. The Mustang Dived Into the Ground and Was Destroyed.

The Pilot of the Mustang Held a Private Pilots Licence and Had Some 3894 Hours Including 1035 on the Type. The Pilot of the Skyraider Held an Atpl and Had Some 25,920 Hours Including 15 on Type. The Mustang Pilot Had Frequently Rehearsed the Sequence of Actions Needed to Be Completed Should He Ever Have Need to Abandon the Aircraft. In Its Summary Discussion the Aaib Commented That the Pilot’s Frequent Bail Out Practise Was a Significant Factor in the Successful Outcome of This Event.

Passing of Ellis Walker

Well Known Propeller Maker and Aircraft Timber Supplier, Ellis Walker, Died on January 20 Aged 88.

Over the Years Ellis Was a Major Supplier of Wooden Propellers and Aircraft Quality Spruce and Ply Timber for Antique and Homebuilt Aircraft.

Ellis Operated Perfectus Airscrew From the Melbourne Suburb of Newport – the Factory Has in Fact Recently Been Listed on the Victorian Heritage Database.

Ellis Made Wooden Propellers the Likes of Which Are Still to Be Seen on Tiger Moths and Like Antique Aircraft Around Australia.

Perfectus Also Supplied Selected Quality Spruce Timber for Rebuilds and Homebuilt Aircraft Use.

Ellis May Be Gone but His Craftsmanship in Perfectus Propellers Will Be Seen for Many Years to Come.

Register Update

Luscombe 8a Vh-lua Was Struck Off the Register on December 8. The Aircraft, Built in 1946, Was an Insurance Writeoff as a Result of Being Badly Damaged on November 12 at Coldstream, Victoria. The Aircraft Struck a Pipe on the Side of the Taxiway, With the Right Gear Leg Collapsed and the Wing and Prop Hit the Ground. It is Thought That the Aircraft May Be a Long-term Rebuild Project.

A New Aero Vodochody L-39c, Vh-jts, Serial 131911, Was Added to the Register on December 9 to George Ryan of Kidston, Queensland. Another L-29, 892950, Was Added to the Register on January 10 to Charlie Camilleri of Bathurst, Nsw.

Nord Aviation 3202, C/n 73, With Owner Woodooma Holdings of Leongatha, Victoria, Was Added to the Register on January 30 as Vh-jud. The Aircraft Was Noted at Meeiyan Airstrip, Near Leongathata, in February With an Orange and Yellow Colour Scheme.

Curtiss P-40f Vh-piv Took Up the British Registration of G-cgzp With the Fighter Collection in Late 2011.

A Taylor J2 Cub Was Added to the Register on December 14 as Vh-fzl. With C/n 1754, It Would Have Been One of the Last Taylor J2 Models Before the Line Became the Piper J2. The New Owner is Frederick Long of Bayswater, Wa. The Aircraft Was Previously G-bpzr and G-jtwo in the Uk and Nc19774 in the Usa.

North American at-6 Harvard Vh-nro Was Returned to the Register on January 12 to Isny Pty Ltd of Kenmore, Qld.

Yak Crash a Yak-52tw Crashed on January 24 at Timona Park, Palmerston Nth.

The Pilot/owner Dr Ralph Sax and His Passenger Were Fatally Injured. A Short Screwdriver Was Found in the Wreck, Giving Rise to the Possibility of the Controls Being Jammed by the Screwdriver During Aerobatic Manoeuvres.

As a Result the New Zealand Caa Issued a Warning Notice to Yak Owners. A Similar Event Took Place in the Uk Some Years Ago.

New Zealand Register News

Yak-3m 0470106 Was Put on the Nz Register as Zk-vvs on February 8. Previously Registered in the Us as N74ft, It is Now Registered to the Yak 3 Fighter Syndicate of Auckland.

Former Australian Avro 652a Anson Vh-baf Has Been Put on the Nz Register as Zk-rra Effective February 2 to Rr Aviation Ltd of Wakefield.

In Brief

• From Latrobe Valley, Vic. We Learn That Jeff Trappett’s Cac Built Ca-27 Mk. 32 Sabre, Vh‑sbr, Ex-raaf A94-974, Has Been Having Engine Runs, Giving Rise to the Probability That the Jet Fighter Will Fly Again in the Near Future.

• Chipmunk Vh-qoz Was Badly Damaged When It Had an Engine Failure Soon After Takeoff at Goulburn, Nsw, on January 29. In the Resulting Emergency Landing the Engine Was Dislodged and the Port Wing Suffered Extensive Damage, but Fortunately the Two Occupants Suffered Only Minor Injuries. N