Warbirds

The flight was from Scone, NSW where the aircraft had been restored by Ross Pay’s Vintage Fighter Restoration. Ross was at the controls for the successful first flight.

“It was an absolute privilege to fly the Hurricane especially as it was a type I never thought I would have the opportunity to,” Ross reported after the flight.

“I’m looking forward to flying it some more and getting a good feel for it and being better able to compare it to other fighters. It was really nice after a lengthy restoration to fly it and then push it back in the hangar and not to have to put a spanner on it. ” The Hurricane had been under rebuild since it arrived in Australia from Canada in April 2014. Built by Canadian Car & Foundry as a Hurricane Mk XII with c/n 603072, it served with the Royal Canadian Air Force as serial 5481. Post-war it had several owners and moved from Canada to the UK to the USA and back to Canada, where it carried the registration C-FDNL owned by architect Ed Russell.

After its arrival in Australia the Hurricane’s wings were removed from the machine and the fuselage was sent to Luskintyre Aircraft Restoration at Luskintyre, NSW where its woodwork and fabric were replaced. Restoration was completed by Ross Pay’s Vintage Fighter Restoration company, one of Australia’s most experienced warbirds restoration facilities.

The Hurricane is set to make its public debut on November 12, when it will fly in formation with the Temora Aviation Museum’s Spitfire Mk VIII (a machine famously owned by Ross’s father Col).

“We will be having the first public flight on the 12th November, Temora will be sending up their Mk VIII Spitfire so we can have a formation flight,” Ross said.

The last Hurricane to fly in Australia was V7476. This was brought to Australia in 1941 and erected at No 1 AD in August of that year. It was not used in combat but is understood to have flown until 1946. It was sold off as surplus in 1951 at Laverton and scrapped.

VH-JFW carries a two-tone camouflage paint scheme with RAF serial V6748 and squadron code PO to represent a Gloster-built Hawker Hurricane 1 flown by No. 46 Squadron Australian Pilot Officer John Crossman when it was shot down by a Bf 109 during the Battle of Britain on October 30 1940.

The machine crashed at Forest Row, Sussex and Crossman, aged just 21, was killed. He is buried at Chalfont St Giles Churchyard, Buckinghamshire near where he had relatives.

Mossie flies in NZ

As forecast last issue, DH. 98 Mosquito T. III ZK-FHC has completed it first post-restoration flight, taking off from Auckland’s Ardmore airport on September 29, with Dave Phillips and Keith Skilling at the controls.

For its post-restoration test flights the twin-engine fighter bomber – which had been rebuilt at Ardmore by AvSpecs – carried the markings of a RNZAF 75 Squadron Mosquito, serial NZ2337.

The registration of ZK-FHC comes from the owner of the aircraft, the Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection of Paine Field, north of Seattle. Once tests are completed the aircraft will be dismantled and shipped to its new home in the USA.

WW2 Spitfire found

The remains of a Spitfire that crashed in 1943 during the Battle of Darwin have been found Supermarine Spitfire F. Vc, A58-2 (AR523) was being flown in the defence of Darwin against Japanese bomber attacks on June 30 1943. Flight Sergeant Colin Duncan of 452 Squadron was intercepting up to 48 enemy aircraft when the Spitfire suffered a fault that resulted in a cockpit fire. Duncan tried to bail out but the normal cockpit release handle failed, trapping him in the aircraft. Eventually Duncan managed to exit the aircraft but not before he suffered burns to his legs and arms. He parachuted to safety and the aircraft crashed into what is now the Litchfield National Park. Duncan landed in such a remote area that it was four days before he was rescued.

Remarkably Duncan’s machine went undiscovered until sighted by a helicopter pilot in March. Plans are now underway to recover the wreck and possibly display it as it was found, but whether that is to be with the Australian War Memorial or the Air Force Museum remains to be seen. The exact location of the wreck is being kept a secret, and the remains are protected under the provisions of the Heritage Act.

Colin Duncan survived the war and later worked as a builder and architect. He passed away in 1992.

Reevers B-25 to go on display

Peter Smythe’s Reevers Warbirds plans to hold an open day at Adelaide’s Parafield airport on April 8 next year to showcase B-25J Mitchell Lucky Lady.

The aircraft, recently imported into Australia from the USA, arrived at Parafield in early October for its rebuild. The plan is to display the aircraft as assembled and with as much restoration work as can be done in order to show it in the colour scheme of the RAAF’s No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron.

The open day will be a day primarily for surviving members, family members of 18 Squadron personnel, their friends and Dutch and Australian officials.

Management changes at Temora

Kenny Love is to step down as chief executive of the Temora Aviation Museum, to take up a new position with David Lowy’s private firm, LFG. Kenny has been with the museum as chief executive for 17 years and is well remembered as the ever smiling guy with the American accent. Trade on it Kenny! “Kenny has been the cornerstone around which the Museum has been built – we simply would not be where we are today without his leadership,” Lowy said in a statement.

“We have been extremely fortunate to have Kenny as our chief executive for the past 17 years and the Museum’s success is testament to his enthusiasm, dedication and hard work.

Kenny will be succeeded as museum CEO by Murray Kear, a former Commissioner of the NSW State Emergency Service and manager of the NSW Scout Air Activity Centre at Camden.

And in other TAM governance news, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Glenn Stevens, will join the museum’s governing committee on January 1.

“With their wealth of experience and love of aviation, Murray and Glenn will be extremely valuable resources for the museum and I looking forward to working with them,” Lowy said.

Court to decide fate of Cairns Belfast?

The fate of Short Belfast RP-8020, parked on the GA apron at Cairns Airport, may soon become clear.

The aircraft has not flown since early 2009 and the Cairns Post has reported that Cairns Airport is owed more than $100,000 for parking fees.

The Belfast is owned by Flying Tiger Cargo and was operated by Heavylift Cargo Airlines. An application to wind up Flying Tiger in the pursuit of the parking fees was due to be heard in the Cairns Supreme Court on October 21, the newspaper reported.

Only 10 Short Belfast freight aircraft were built, all for the RAF, in the period 1964-1966. A few were later operated by civil freight organisations. The Cairns machine is or was the last one flying but today it is unregistered, uncertified and unairworthy.

Will the machine eventually be scrapped? One can hope that at least the cockpit section could be saved for display in an air museum.

Time will tell.

Register news

Last issue we reported a change of registration for Aero Vodochody L-39C, VH-VRO that became VH-UKR. We can now advise that the change of registration date was July 14. Steve Boyd from The Stick and Rudder Flying Company has advised that the new registration acknowledges the airframe’s history in the Ukrainian air force. It is now operated by the Fighter Pilot Adventure Flights out of Archerfield.

Max Holste Broussard VH-HFA, c/n 295, has been struck off the register effective September 6. The aircraft is now with the Queensland Air Museum at Caboolture.

Iskra TS-11 VH-ISK, c/n IH0608, had a change of ownership to Saario Holdings of Melbourne on September 14.

Aeronca 11BC Chief VH-HRH, c/n 11BC-109, was struck off the register on September 28. Will it take up RA-Aus registration? Finally, Grumman G-111 Albatross VH-NMO, c/n G-464, (ex N42MY) has been transferred from Catalina Airlines in WA to Amphibian Aircraft Technologies (AAT) of Melbourne on September 13. AAT has announced plans to open a large factory at Warnervale on the NSW Central Coast to build a modernised version of the Albatross.

Hudson crash memorial

A memorial was unveiled at Tennant Creek Airport on September 24 to mark the 50th anniversary of the crash of Lockheed Hudson VH-AGE.

The ex RAAF (A16-110) and East-West Airlines (VH-EWE and EWR) aircraft was operated by Adastra Airways when it crashed to the west of Tennant Creek Airport on September 24 1966. All six occupants onboard died in the accident.

The cause of the crash was never positively identified other than that control of the machine was lost at low level as it returned to the circuit pattern. There was some suspicion that the failure of a component in the pilot’s control column might have been the cause.

The memorial comprises a bronze cast plaque mounted on a large rock obtained from near the crash site. Fifty years may have passed but there were numerous guests and others at the unveiling who had connections with the aircraft and the accident.

In brief

• The former Zuccoli Fiat G. 59B Ciao Bella VH-LIX, exported from Australia to Germany, has now been registered in Germany as D-FIAT with German warbird restoration company Meier Motors at Bremgarten.
• Former New Zealand Mustang NZ2427, now G-MSTG, was destroyed in a landing accident on October 2 at Harwick airfield, in Norfolk in the UK. The aircraft had completed a local air experience flight and was landing when the accident occurred. There was a post accident fire. The pilot/owner Maurice Hammond, suffered serious injuries but his 80 year old passenger died in the accident.
• North American T-28B ZK-TGN made a gear-up landing at Adrmore on September 28. The aircraft was making just its third post-restoration flight when soon after takeoff a nose wheel indicator lit. After 90 minutes airborne while attempts were made to troubleshoot the problem the aircraft conducted a textbook belly landing.
• The DH-114 Heron recently acquired from the Australian National Aviation Museum departed Moorabbin bound for Sydney and its new owner, on September 27 on a large low loader.

Contact Dave by email: [email protected]