Warbirds

Caribou unveiling

At Victoria’s Phillip Island the National Vietnam Veterans Museum is to formally unveil Caribou A4-231 on August 5. The former RAAF and later Army transport has been acquired by the museum and transported to Phillip Island from Oakey, Queensland, and reassembled.

Delivered to the RAAF in June 1965 it saw service in Vietnam as a transport aircraft carrying anything from ammunition to troops to animals. It returned to Australia and was prominent in flood relief operations in NSW in early 1990.

It also served in Interfet in East Timor with 38 Squadron. Placed into storage in 2009 at Oakey it was finally put up for sale by tender. The aircraft was won by Amrok Aviation Pty Ltd. But the aircraft was not taken up. A new tender was issued and this time 231 was won by the National Vietnam Veterans Museum. The aircraft was dismantled at Oakey and transported to Phillip Island which in itself was no mean feat. The reassembled aircraft now occupies pride of place at the museum for all visitors to see and appreciate.

Vale: Aviation historian John Hopton

Noted Australian aviation historian, John Hopton, passed away after a short illness at Dandenong, Victoria, on June 30. He was aged 77.

John had been an aviation historian from a very early age starting out as an aircraft photographer and progressing into collecting a massive collection of images. The Collection as he named it. He also collected records of a huge number of both civil and military aircraft, predominately of Australian aircraft. John was legend in assisting other people with aviation research projects and a credit to his assistance is to be found in a large number of aviation books. John was also the author of a series of monograph type books on various subjects. He was also in contact with other aviation historians across the world, exchanging information and images.

In his younger days he worked in the Melbourne located Bookshop of Charles Dickens. Sometimes it was a guess as to whether he was working for the bookshop or if it was just a base for his aviation interests and drop in acquaintances. He was an early member of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia and the Australian Aircraft Restoration Group, in later days knows as the Moorabbin Air Museum or the Australian National Aviation Museum. When time allowed John had an interest in classical music, the arts and woodwork as well as historic buildings.

Sadly we have lost a great historian, tutor, mentor and friend but his work will live on and his name will be associated with Australian aviation history for many years to come.

Heron for HARS at PARKES or is that two?

At Parkes NSW, the HARS has recently taken delivery of a DH114 Heron four engined airliner. The aircraft is to go on display at the new HARS Parkes facility in due course.

The aircraft, c/n 14061, was originally DQ-FED with Fiji Air Services. Later it became VH-NJI with heron Airlines of Sydney. Following retirement in 2001 was placed on display at the Nowra Air Museum suspended from the roof. Later it was purchased by Paul Ewoldt of Sydney and loaned to the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown. The plan was to loan it to the Mudgee Aero Club for a proposed Arthur Butler Museum at Tooraweenah, NSW, but that did not happen.
The aircraft was painted up as VH-AHB Butler Air Transport. In March the machine was moved to Parkes and put into undercover storage.

Now for the mystery. Earlier this year DH Heron VH-CLX was sold off by the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin airport to a gentleman from Sydney. The story was that he was buying it on behalf of HARS but with Heron VH-NJI/’VH-AHB’ at Parkes one has to ask where has Heron VH-CLX gone to?

Register review

Nothing to report from New Zealand this month but that will change next month as the Kiwis always have something on the go. From Australia we see that Auster J5R VH-AOG c/n 3301 of Pat Harrington has changed hands to Paul Clough of Red Hill, Qld on 26 June. This aircraft was a long time rebuild by Pat indeed so much so that friends ribbed about whether he was going to put retractable undercarriage in it and a constant speed prop on as well. Not the case. Jamie Bolton of Broken Hill, NSW, became the owner of Stinson 108-2 VH-AHW c/n 108-2773 on June 26.

North American AT-6D VH-HVD c/n 88-15870 changed ownership from Essendon Executive Pty Ltd to the RAAF museum at Point Cook, Vic. on June 20. No doubt the new machine will be used as a trainer for someone wanting to fly the museum’s Mustang.

DH Tiger Moth VH-JCF c/n 9270 changed ownership to Conrad Hammel of Tyabb, Vic. July 7. Another North American AT-6D VH-XNA c/n 88-9754 gained a new owner in Richard Mason of South Mildura, Vic. on July 4. This aircraft was for a long time a resident of Tyabb, Vic. Great Lakes biplane 2T-1A-2 VH-WQW c/n 003 moved to new owner Stewart Mildren of Yackandandah, Vic. on June 21.

Curtiss Kittyhawk P-40N-5-CU ‘The Carolina Belle’ has returned to the register on June 15 as VH-AIN. The owner is Precision Airmotive Pty Ltd of Whorouly, Vic. The serial is listed as 42-104947. The aircraft is still a rebuild project. It was previously VH-AOE but that was removed from the register on May 13 2016 having been placed on the register on February 22 2016. When struck off the register it was reported at the time as being exported to the USA. That did not happen.

Stampe SV-4B VH-BZH was added to the register on July 3 to Chris Harrison of Heyfield, Vic. The biplane has c/n 306. Built in 1954 it was last registered as N54509 with Jeff Souders of Pocasset, Oklahoma, USA. It was placed on the US register in 1983. The machine started out as a Stampe SV-4C with a Renault engine but on arrival in Australia the engine got a swap for a Gipsy Major series engine. Spare parts are easier to come by in Australia for a Gipsy than a Renault. Grumman HU-16A VH-HSQ was added to the register with that registration on June 2 to Gordon McCormack of Belmont, WA. Built in 1958 the aircraft was previously on the register since August 3 1998 as VH-MAH. The big water bird has a c/n of 142361.

WW1 Replicas up and running

At Caboolture The Australian Vintage Aviation Society is moving ahead with its short and long tern plans. Short term plans are to run regular flying days with the main display aircraft being its growing collection of WW1 replicas. At present there is an SE5A, Bristol F2B Fighter and Fokker Eindecker and Fokker DR-1 Triplane. With more to come. Long term plans are to build a fixed museum where visitors can see the WW1 aircraft in a closed museum, good for any weather. In early April noted American antique aeroplane collector Kermit Weeks visited Caboolture to see the TAVAS collection. In recent times Andrew Carter, founder of TAVAS, flew the SE5A in company with the Fokker DR-1, VH-FXP, to Wollongong and back. Some feat for open cockpit aircraft. The SE5a took to the air on march 12. It is a two seater that can have the front cockpit covered over to give it the single seat look. The RAAF had one such aircraft back in the 1920’s. That aircraft was serial A2-36. It was modified from being a single seat aircraft.

It is unfortunate to report that the SE5A got a tad bent in a reported ground loop at Caboolture on June 29. The right wheel collapsed and the aircraft suffered some damage. Meanwhile at Gatton an RA Fokker DR-1 scaled down Triplane replica made a forced landing and ended up in a lettuce patch. With the attendant publicity the locals must have thought that WW1 was starting all over again.

Aviation hall of fame moves location

The Wagga based Australian Aviation Hall of Fame is to be relocated at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society at Albion Park. HARS President welcomed the AAHOF to the HARS facility saying that it will give it a permanent home and be a great tourist attraction.

Founded in 2010 the AAHOF has inducted 31 people and five organisations. It recognises the significant contributions to Australian aerospace and aviation.

Work has commenced on designing and constructing a display area at the HARS museum and facility to showcase past and future inductees.

Contact Dave by email: [email protected]