Warbirds

When it goes back in the air the Hurricane will be quite a celebrity, as the only other Hurricane to grace Australian shores was a single example during WW2. That machine (it was allocated the RAAF serial A60-1 but always wore its RAF serial V7476) was later broken up at Laverton after being sold as surplus in 1951.

Longreach Catalina on show

The Qantas Founders Museum (QFM) at Longreach has held a dinner to celebrate the completion of its Catalina restoration project.

The dinner was the culmination of a six-year, $1 million project to fly the Catalina from Spain to Australia and restore it to represent one of the famed ‘Order of the Double Sunrise’ Qantas Empire Airways Catalinas which flew nonstop between Perth and Columbo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the dark days of WW2. The project was not without its setbacks – the aircraft was stranded in Thailand for 18 months thanks to mechanical troubles during its ferry flight to Australia. But the big Cat is now a sight to behold painted in its military dark grey camouflage and proudly bearing the name Antares.

“It is wonderful to see a project conclude – we have had blood, sweat and tears, literally, over this aircraft,” musuem CEO Tony Martin told the ABC.

“But at the end of the day, everyone is focused on the story it tells, the really important story about those brave pilots that operated them during the Second World War. ” The Cat is now on display as part of a steadily growing aircraft collection that already consists of a Boeing 707, Boeing 747 and Douglas DC-3, and soon, a Lockheed Constellation acquired in the Philippines.

The museum has been attracting a growing visitor rate to view the collection that not only includes the aircraft on external static display but several replica Qantas DH aircraft in the museum plus the display that tells the story of the founding and early days of Qantas. To top it all off there is a restaurant that visitors can dine at after viewing the museum collection.

Well worth a visit.

Seahawk for FAA Museum

The Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross at Nowra, NSW has a new exhibit, a recently retired Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter.

The Seahawk, serial N24‑016 and callsign ‘Tiger 85’, first entered service in 1992 and is now the most modern aircraft on display in the Nowra museum.

The RAN’s 16 S-70B-2 Seahawks are being replaced by 24 MH-90R ‘Romeo’ Seahawks that are now being taken into service.

Bristol Sycamore rediscovered in the bush

The last Bristol Sycamore helicopter to fly in Australia, VH-SYC, has been rediscovered, found in a remote area some 60nm from Bow River homestead via Turkey Creek, WA.

The helicopter was damaged in a forced landing on November 2 1968 when the pilot was about to put down but then elected to discontinue the landing. The RPM decayed and the helicopter touched down lightly on the ground but the wooden rotor blades disintegrated when they struck trees. There were no injuries to the four persons on board. That was probably the last flight of a Bristol Sycamore anywhere in Australia.

VH-SYC was being operated by Associated Helicopter Services Pty Ltd of Bankstown, NSW when it made its last flight. An insurance claim was made for damage and theft from the machine but the next year Associated Helicopters went into liquidation and no doubt in part due tothe isolated area where VH‑SYC went down the unrecovered machine was written off.

In 1979 former RAAF pilot Don Ende (who would late die in the crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2) planned to salvage the helicopter and take it to Perth for use as a training aid for ATC cadets. But that plan fell through and after protracted negotiation ownership of the machine was transferred to the RAAF Association, Bull Creek, Perth. In December 1981 a RAAF Chinook was tasked to recover the Sycamore but an on-site technical examination determined the aircraft should be left where it was due to the possibility of it becoming uncontrollable during a sling hoist recovery.

Recently, helicopter pilot Nathan Clapham visited the site to find that the remains of the Sycamore, a former RAN machine, were still there but becoming more derelict as the years pass.

A total of 178 Sycamores were built and of those 17 came to Australia. Both the RAAF andthe RAN operated the type. There were two that were registered from the outcome as civil aircraft plus another three that when sold off as surplus by the RAAF and the RAN took up civil markings.

The battle for Mars

Australian aviation enthusiasts are disappointed that both Ansett Short Flying Boats were exported overseas many years ago, one to the USA and the other to Great Britain. In Canada a similar situation is brewing with the proposed export of Martin Mars water bomber Philippine Mars to the United States Navy’s National Aviation Museum at Pensacola.

The Martin Mars flying boats, converted to water bombers named Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars, were the world’s largest operational flying boats. Soon after the proposal to sell Philippine Mars, C-FLYK, to the United States National Naval Aviation Museum was announced, Heritage Canada advised that it wanted to keep the historic aircraft grounded in Canada. Now the move south is in limbo. Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Flying Tankers in British Columbia said he was open to a compromise. “If the Canadian government feel they want to retain this heritage, then so be it, and we‘ll work with them on a resolution,” he was reported as saying.

Philippine Mars was retired in 2012. It has been painted up in a US Navy colour scheme ready for the proposed trip to Florida. Meanwhile the second Mars, Hawaii Mars, is being put to good use training Chinese pilots in the handling of a very large flying boat. The Chinese are building a very large flying boat, the four-engined AVIC TA-600 turboprop, the prototype of which is expected to be completed and flown in 2016.

Register news

From New Zealand we learn that the TVAL Bristol F2B Fighter ZK‑JUN, c/n ERS2, was struck off the register on May 25 as exported. We know that the machine is now at Caboolture, Queensland and will no doubt take up Australian registration in the near future.

This aircraft is one of a number that came from New Zealand to attend the Avalon Airshow at the end of February.

Another New Zealand TVAL Bristol F2B Fighter ZK-VTV, is now known to be in France having initially been thought that it was to go to the UK. With external makings of E2262 the 300hp (224kw) Hispano-Suiza-powered machine has become F-AYBF.

In Australia Auster VH‑EJR returned to the register on May 25. With c/n 2687 it has been registered to Jenson Pound of West Rockhampton, Queensland.

Another return is Piper J3C-65 Cub VH-MQJ. With c/n 14313 it returned to the register on May 14 to Michael Jarvie of Wallan, Victoria.

Stampe SV-4B c/n 49 was VH‑EWF but has had a registration change on May 22 to VH-TJR. The owner is Thomas Russell of Hawthorn West, Victoria.

Stinson L-5B VH-CCO, c/n 44‑16890, had a change of owner to James Twist of Hong Kong on May 21.

Auster J5B VH-DNM, c/n 3170, changed to new owner James Dean of Rosedale, Victoria. on May 5.

North American T-28B VH-DUD, c/n 137801, changed ownership to Kennedy Aviation of Gunnedah, NSW on May 29.

Last but not least De Havilland DHC-1 T Mk10 VH-FLC, c/n C1‑0684, changed ownership to Alan Whalley of Mile End South, South Australia on May 22.

New exhibits at Old Station

Old Station airfield lived up to its usual popularity on May 23 when the annual fly-in event held by the Creed family attracted more than 100 aircraft. Old Station, located on the family cattle property some 20nm inland from Gladstone, Queensland is fast gaining a name as an event to go to.

This year the fly-in gathered a number of warbirds, among them North American T-28D Trojan VH-TRO and T-28B VH-FNO, Grumman TBM-3E Avenger VH-MML, the sole Australian Beech T-34 Mentor, VH-ZUS, and Cessna O-1G Bird Dog VH‑XVB. Another interesting type was the DH. 104 Dove VH-DHI. In addition to the above there were aerobatics, helicopters and joyrides for those who did not fly in.

Old Station seems to grow each year and has become a must-visit item on the calendar of many aviation enthusiasts.

In brief

The Australian National Aviation Museum (ANAM) at Moorabbin Airport held 50th anniversary celebrations on May 23. A special gathering and dinner for members was held in the main museum building giving great atmosphere to the event. The gathering also celebrated the fact that the museum is the oldest aviation museum in Australia. Life memberships were presented to Keith Gaff and Terry Ellis. Keith is a long time member and the longest serving Chairman. Terry is a member of 50 years standing.