Warbirds

With appropriate registration of zk-mos the machine took to the air at the hands of keith skilling. The aircraft was then flown across to auckland airport where it was parked at the air nz techops facility for a short time.

Its first public showing came on saturday september 29 when zk-mos was displayed to a crowd estimated as 20‑25,000. Included in the spectator group were many australian warbird enthusiasts who had travelled to new zealand just keen to see a mosquito fly. The last mosquito to fly was in the uk in 1996.

Zk-mos was a dh. 98 mosquito built in toronto, canada. With serial ka114, it did not see wartime service.

Sold off by the rcaf as surplus it was to be stored on a farm for many years. Bought by gerald (jerry) yagen the now derelict wooden aircraft was shipped to new zealand where glyn powell and mike tunnicliffe built a new fuselage for the build/rebuild. The two engines came from a former rnzaf mosquito, and were sent to california to be overhauled by vintage v12 engines.

The fuselage halves were sent to avspecs at ardmore which then built up wings and added the myriad of parts and fittings that made up a complete aircraft.

So confident was avspecs that a special display airshow was arranged with the first public showing of the completed mosquito as the centrepiece.

The spectators were not to be disappointed as the new zealanders made good with the expected flight date. With fuselage markings of y-eg, jerry yagen was on hand to see his completed machine take to the air. Yegan owns the fighter factory in virginia, usa and the aircraft is to be shipped to the us in the near future.

The feedback from australians attending the public showing of the aircraft was summarized in one word: “fantastic”.

The loss of vh-uxg

the vintage aircraft community is mourning the loss of des porter and his five passengers, killed when des’s dh. 84 dragon, vh-uxg, crashed southwest of gympie, queensland on october 1. The had aircraft departed a fly-in at monto bound for caboolture and encountered problems with cloudy weather and the hilly terrain.

After an extensive air search coordinated by amsa, the wreckage of vh-uxg was found on october 3, with confirmation that all on board died in what would have been a high impact crash.

Vh-uxg riama had been rebuilt from the ground up by murwillumbah-based mothcair aviation services. It took to the air in 2003 and since then des, a popular figure in the vintage aircraft community, had exhibited the dragon, resplendent in its red and silver colour scheme, at numerous flying events.

Aa extends its condolences to the family and friends of those killed in the accident.

Intruder for vietnam veterans museum

the national vietnam veterans association museum on victoria’s phillip island has been allocated a grumman intruder.

A-6e bu160998, c/n I-599, is currently in storage at the amarg facility at tucson, arizona. The nvva museum is now looking at the logistics and funding to make the transfer to australia.

Meanwhile, following on from our report in warbirds last issue, we can now provide further details on nvva’s douglas skyraider acquisition.

The skyraider to be imported is a former us navy ad-4na (a-1d), bu127894, c/n 7909. After being transferred from the us navy in1959 as surplus the machine became no. 68 with the french armee de l’air. In 1966 it was transferred to the gabon air force as 127894/tr-kfq. It then acquired the us registration of n92072 in 1971 with owner jack spanich of detroit, michigan, but this marking was not taken up as the aircraft was not delivered and was held in storage in france between 1977 and 1985. In 1985 the big fighter-bomber was shipped to the south african air force museum at ysterplaat. Since that time it has been in storage, unrestored, at the swartkops afb museum.

The museum has allocated the skyraider to the nvv museum.

Now the job is to get the aircraft to australia and restore it as a representative machine that flew in the vietnam war, in support of australian forces.

The skyraider and the intruder will be the only examples of each type in australia.

Six f-111s allocated to museums

in early october defence material minister jason clare advised that six ex raaf f-111 strike bombers would be loaned out to six museums and historical organisations across australia.

The aircraft, which were retired in 2010, will be loaned out to help preserve an important part of australia’s military heritage.

Once at their new homes the aircraft are required to be inspected every five years to ensure they are being maintained and displayed in accordance with their loan agreement conditions.

The serial numbers for the allocations are understood be as follows: f-111c a8-109 (an ex usaf f-111a) – historical aircraft restoration society, albion park, nsw.

F-111c a8-113 (an ex usaf f-111a) – aviation historical society of the northern territory, darwin.

F-111c a8-129 – queensland air museum, caloundra, queensland.

Rf-111c a8-134 – south australian aviation museum, adelaide, sa.

F-111c a8-148 – fighter world, williamtown, nsw.

F-111c a8-147 – evans head memorial aerodrome heritage aviation association, evans head, nsw.

That only leaves f-111c a8‑130 unallocated.

Further, a crew module has been allocated to the australian flying corps and the royal australian air force association, wa division. There are a reported three more crew modules to be allocated.

Six f-111s are already at raaf edinburgh, sa, raaf amberley, queensland, the raaf museum at point cook and raaf wagga, nsw.

The government and defence material minister jason clare are to be commended by the decision to make the retired aircraft available for public display instead of being scrapped.

Atsb reports on tiger crash

the atsb has released its report on the fatal accident involving dh. 82a tiger moth vh-gva at maryborough, victoria on january 27.

The atsb states the aircraft suffered a partial intermittent power loss during the takeoff run. The flight continued and subsequently the aircraft made a climbing left turn before stalling and descending into the ground.

The two occupants suffered fatal injuries in the impact.

Although the post-crash fire made it hard to obtain a definitive reason for the power loss it is thought that a piece of fuel filler cap gasket material creating a partial blockage of the fuel cock.

The atsb said: “this accident illustrates several of the points made in the atsb’s research report . . . Managing partial power loss after takeoff in single-engine aircraft. In particular, pilots are reminded that continued power in such circumstances is unpredictable and risk can be reduced by conducting a controlled landing at the earliest opportunity. ”

Register news

another cessna 195a has been imported. The aircraft has been imported by flightpath magazine editor rob fox and jon clements of melbourne.

The cessna, n195wf, is to have its australian c of a carried out at albury by hazair under the watchful eye of steve death. Built in 1953 the cessna has a c/n of 16062. It is powered by a jacobs r-755 radial engine.

Previous issues of this column have mentioned the wangaratta-based wirraway vh-bfo and the seafury vh-orn going to new owners overseas. Both aircraft were noted to still be at precision aerospace at wangaratta airport in late september. On october 2 the wirraway was struck off the register as having been sold and shipped to the usa.

In the last issue we recorded that ct-4a zk-cta, c/n 055, had flown from new zealand to australia and was expected to go to the bae flight training college at tamworth, nsw. It is now known that the aircraft has become vh-snk and was registered to skytrek pty ltd of rosny park, tasmania on september 7.

In brief

• dh. 114 heron, dq-fdy, ex sunflower airlines in fiji has been transported from bankstown to alice springs for the connellan airlines museum. It is to be restored and displayed. The aircraft served time with the german luftwaffe, as well as connellan and air tungaru as t3-ata.

Later again it served with sunflower airlines. It has been at bankstown for some 16 years.

• stinson 108-2 vh-ofc suffered severe damage on august 4 when it veered off the runway and collided with a hangar at wedderburn, nsw.

It is reported there was a brake application issue. N contact dave by email at [email protected]