Register Review

The new 407GX joins eight earlier model 407s flying in this country with another one in New Zealand and no fewer that 20 active in PNG including one with the local constabulary.

The Cheyenne NZJ is the latest in a long line of successful kit-built aircraft from Morgan Aero Works at Taree, NSW. The Cheyenne is an all-metal, two-place, side-by-side, touring glider fitted with an 80hp (60kW) engine for takeoff and transiting between thermals. Boasting a 30:1 lift/drag ratio and a wing loading of up to 43 kg/m2 the motorised glider is available as a kit, part-built or factory-built fly-away aircraft.

Beverley Hall’s Mosquito XE NIT is the second of its type to flyReviewin Australia after Rob Hall’s XER which came onto the register five year ago. Three are also flying in New Zealand (one on floats).

The Mosquito is one of the world’s lightest helicopters and was designed by Canadian engineer John Uptigrove and composite materials expert Dwight Junkin. The original Mosquito Air was released during 2002 and was a single-seat open helicopter with an aluminium airframe and tripod landing gear which came in kit form for the amateur builder. Two years later the XE was made available with a completely enclosed composite airframe and using the same 64hp (48kW) Compact Radial Engines MZ202 two-cylinder, two-stroke engine that powered the original Mosquito Air. Later the XEL with floats and XE3 using an 85hp (63kW) CRE MZ301 three-cylinder two-stroke engine were released. The latest developments are the XET with is fitted with a 90hp (67kW) Solar T62-2A1 turbine engine and still on the drawing board is a two-seater to be known as the Swift.

Beverley’s Mosquito has taken about two years to build and should have had its maiden flight during the life of this issue. His aircraft is fitted with the Compact Radial MZ202 engine and has doors, not included in the standard kit, and an engine governor which acts as an auto-throttle making the helicopter easier to fly.

Todd Clark, the local agent for the South African-built Jonker high performance glider, has imported two new examples for Bradley Edwards of Armidale and Simon Brown in Melbourne. Both aircraft, IBE and IBS, are equipped with an M and D turbine sustainer engine. The limited production Jonker glider has received strong support in Australia since the first one arrived during 2010, with six earlier JS-1B aircraft and now four of the later JS-1C models on the register. There is also a single example of the JS-1B in New Zealand.

The JS-1 Revelation was released as an 18m sailplane, however, for the 2013 world gliding championships in Uvalde, Texas Jonker increased the wing span to 21m and the MTOW to 720kg to allow the glider to compete in the open class. The new model was designated JS-1C-18/21 indicating that it can be flown with different length outer wing panels to make an 18m or 21m wing span. Although the two new gliders have the turbine engine fitted the option is currently completing final certification and therefore they cannot be used until approved.

The histories of aircraft types are often complicated and involve manufacturers being bought out, going into liquidation and being revived as well as licence-built models. A prime example of this is the Waco 2T-1A-2 VIW that South Coast Air Centre at Willunga, SA has recently acquired.

In 1984 Waco Classic Aircraft of Battle Creek, Michigan, which had gained a reputation for rebuilding and repairing old Waco aircraft, began building brand-new Waco three-seat YMF-5 open cockpit biplanes using the original plans but incorporating modern safety modifications. The handbuilt new Wacos sold well and as a result Waco Classic Aircraft started tolook around for other older designs that it could modernise and put back into production. In January 2011 the company announced that the aircraft it had chosen was the Great Lakes 2T-1A which had not been available since 1980. The cockpit was enlarged and modern avionics were fitted with the prototype making its maiden flight during June last year. Two engine options are available, the Lycoming IO-360-B1F6 or the AEIO‑360‑B1F6.

Other aircraft of interest listed are Kestrel Aviation’s two ex-Israeli Air Force Bell 212s KIE and KIJ and Bradley Lange’s appropriately marked Bearhawk POO (Pooh Bear). FOV is the Cessna 208 Caravan that was badly damaged in Fiji last year by a cyclone while marked as DQ-DHG and CACMustang URZ was well known around the Bankstown area during the 1960s and 70s flying as BOZ before going to the UK as G-MUST.

A relatively small deletions listing this issue with more than half of those either reregistered or moving to the RA-Aus register and therefore still flying in Australian skies. Of the exports Touchdown Helicopters’ Bell JetRanger ACT and HNZ Australia’s Eurocopter Squirrel WCQ have gone to Canada, with the latter now with CHC Helicopters flying as C-FNZU and the former now marked as C-FBWY. Geocorp Cessna T206 Stationair EIG has returned to US registry after only five months in this country and is now operated by AFOC at South Bend, Indiana. Although officially registered in the US the aircraft is believed to have flown to the Netherlands for a European contract. Michael Pendergast’s Alpi Pioneer LPI has been exported to Italy and Helicopter Brisbane’s Robinson R44 UDL has gone to the US where it is now registered N21LA with Lead Aviation of Troy, Ohio. Michael Tyrrell’s CZAW Sportcruiser SFD has returned to the RA-Aus register as 24-5460, the marking that it used between June 2008 and November 2010 before becoming SFD.

Hughes 300C HAK crashed on a property approximately 55km northeast of Launceston, Tasmania while being repositioned from one side of a dam to the other for refuelling. Thankfully the pilot escaped without injury.

New Allocations

Aqm/3 Robinson R44 Raven I 2338 30/1/14 Heliflite, Po Box 121 Georges Hall Nsw 2198 Zk-iej
Bkz/3 Pa-32-300 Cherokee Six E 32-7240006 7/3/14 Dallmaju, Po Box 589 Richmond Nsw 2753 Vh-blm N8659n
Zhg/1 Airbus As350b3 Squirrel 7830 17/3/14 Eps Helicopter Services, Po Box 6245 Rouse Hill Nsw 2155
Zmy/3 Jabiru J400 J114 4/3/14 Alan Warren, 34f/170-174 Forrest Pde Rosebery Nt 0832 Zk-zma Vh-zmx

Aircraft Returning to Register

Iye/2 Cessna 182t Skylane 18281902 24/2/14 Bullseye Technology, 20 Stanton St Doncaster Vic 3108 Vh-iye N14890
Lnj/2 Beech B200c Super King Air Bl-41 5/2/14 Machjet International, Po Box 172 Peregian Beach Qld 4573 P2-lnj Vh-lnj Vh-oyk Vh-heo N100qr Oy-ber N3836e
Nwc/2 Airbus Ec225lp Super Puma 2 2826 7/2/14 Bond Helicopters Australia, Po Box 37044 Winnellie Nt 0821 Vh-nwc
Nwg/1 Airbus Ec225lp Super Puma 2 2879 7/2/14 Bond Helicopters Australia, Po Box 37044 Winnellie Nt 0821 Vh-nwg
Uum/1 Ba L 25c Swallow Ii 409 17/3/14 Australian Aircraft Restoration Group, Po Box 242 Mentone Vic 3194 Vh-uum

Deletions

Acz/4 Jabiru J200 J100 18/3/14 Transferred to Ra-aus Register (19-8360)
Arl/4 Kavanagh E-210 E210-293 19/2/14 Withdrawn From Use
Bkz/2 Mbb Bk117b-2 7213 30/1/14 Exported to New Zealand (Zk-iir)
Yot/2 Cessna U206g Stationair U20605045 Withdrawn From Use
Zdn/1 Aerospatiale As350ba Squirrel 1994 7/3/14 Exported to Canada

Changes of Owner or Operator

Afr/10 Cessna 172s Skyhawk Sp 172s8618 26/1/14 Flight One (Services), 2/224 Qantas Ave Archerfield Qld 4108
Aoz/2 Cessna 172p Skyhawk 17274930 2/1/14 Shane O’neill, Po Box 2241 Esperance Wa 6450
Aqt/3 Robinson R44 Raven I 2190 17/2/14 Helidoc, Po Box 50 Fitzroy Crossing Wa 6765
Zuu/1 Eurocopter Ec120b Colibri 1030 21/2/14 the Jds Group, Po Box 197 Cooma Nsw 2630
Zwb/2 Aerospatiale As355f1 Twin Squirrel 5146 31/1/14 Skyplan Australia, Po Box 275 Rosny Park Tas 7018