Warbirds

This is the first time in three years that the big Lockheed, which was acquired from the Philippines four years ago, has been on its own undercarriage.

Painted up in a Qantas colour scheme and the marks VH-EAM, the aircraft is now externally complete.

“The new aircraft is an important addition to our aircraft collection and enables us to tell a significant part in the history of Qantas while featuring one of the most iconic aircraft in commercial aviation history,” Qantas Founders Museum CEO Tony Martin said.

“The Super Constellation Project has been a long and at times trying project but the end result with a beautiful aircraft externally restored, is well worth it.”

The museum says the Connie will be available for display to museum visitors later in 2018 once final preparations have been made for the planned Airpark Roof Project. It hopes to have completed the restoration of the aircraft’s interior by 2020, Qantas’s Centenary year.

Trojan Crosses The Tasman

North American T-28B Trojan VH-DUD departed Australia bound for New Zealand on July 5.

Ferried by Cameron Rolph- Smith, the radial-engined machine flew from Archerfield to Lord Howe and then to Norfolk Island, before continuing to the land of the long white cloud the next day.

The Trojan’s new owner is reported as Peter Vause of New Plymouth.

The aircraft was last registered to Kennedy Aviation of Gunnedah, NSW. Built in 1955 it was first registered in Australia on July 25 2004.

Snifter Up And Flying Again

Caboolture, Queensland-based CAC Mustang VH-MFT Snifter flew again on May 27 after an extended overhaul with Complete Aircraft Care over the past two years.

The syndicate-owned warbird, ex-RAAF serial A68-110, is operated under the Mustang Flights Australia banner and is used for adventure flights.

Long may that continue in order that flyers and non-flyers can appreciate a ride in this unique machine, one of the few high performance warbirds available locally to take enthusiasts for an experience flight.

Raaf Orions Find New Homes

With the introduction of the P-8A Poseidon to replace the RAAF AP-3C Orion, a number of the big maritime surveillance aircraft have been turned over to museums for long-term preservation.

A9-751 went to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook and arrived there on November 16 2017, while A9-753 went to HARS at Albion Park in early 2017. A9-756 went to the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide on December 10 2017.

A9-759 has been allocated to HARS for spare parts usage and is now at Parkes, NSW, while A9-760 arrived at Sunshine Coast airport on April 18 and is to go to the Queensland Aviation Museum at Caloundra.

Finally, A9-757 was handed over to the Darwin Aviation Museum on June 23.

Good to see that unlike some ADF aircraft that have been disposed of in the past, these aircraft are not being sold abroad or all cut up for scrap but have been selectively disposed of to be preserved for future generations to see and appreciate.

Mirage On The Move

The South Australian Aviation Museum has recently acquired ex RAAF Mirage IIID A3-115.

The two-seat Mirage wears the famous ‘Fanta can’ orange and white paint scheme and ARDU (Aircraft Research and Development Unit) markings, and has been a gate guardian at RAAF Edinburgh.

With the SAAM at present busy with the reassembly of Orion A9‑756, the movement of the Mirage from RAAF Edinburgh to the SAAM Port Adelaide location will take place in a few months.

Full marks to RAAF Heritage and to the SAAM for placement and eventually display of an aircraft that was once our frontline fighter.

Korean War Raaf Pilot Awarded Us Air Medal

The United States government has posthumously awarded a US Air Medal to Royal Australian Air Force Flying Officer Phillip Zupp.

Zupp’s son and Australian Aviation Flying Editor Owen Zupp accepted the award from the United States Charge D’Affaires to Australia James Caruso at an official presentation attended by then Chief of Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on July 3.

The official citation referenced Phillip Zupp’s efforts on February 6 1952, when he was a member of RAAF’s 77 Squadron participating in “aerial flight” in a Meteor F.8 near Kimpo, South Korea.

“On that date, Sergeant Zupp conducted a search for a downed pilot in an area heavily defended by enemy anti-aircraft fire,” the official citation reads.

“Sergeant Zupp sighted what he believed to be distress panels and in coming down to a dangerously low altitude to investigate he received an explosive burst of enemy fire which destroyed his canopy and wounded him in the face.

“Despite shock and low altitude Sergeant Zupp was able to regain control of his aircraft and return safely to base. The professional skill and airmanship displayed by Sergeant Zupp in the dedication of his service to his country reflect great credit upon himself and the Royal Australian Air Force.” In Korea, Phillip Zupp, who was later promoted to Flying Officer, flew 201 fighter missions and was Mentioned in Despatches by the Commonwealth.

Zupp’s story, which apart from the events of February 6 1952 also includes, among other achievements, active service during World War 2 with the Australian Army’s 2/10 Cavalry Commando Squadron and being stationed in Hiroshima, Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) only months after the detonation of the atomic bomb there, has been chronicled in Owe Zupp’s book Without Precedent.

In a statement, the Zupp family thanked ACM Binskin and his staff for their “tireless efforts in seeing Flying Officer Zupp’s service recognised in this way”.

Ryan Sold

Jeff Trappet is reported as the new owner of Ryan VH-AGW, which as we noted in the June issue was the mount of an owner who elected to stop flying.

The aircraft had been based at Caloundra, with Jeff flying the Ryan home to Latrobe Valley in Victoria on May 30.

Jeff must be keen on this aircraft as he had owned it in the past, from December 1973 until 1989 when he sold it to Graham Hosking.

Saam’s Cessna

Back in 1965 a replica of the very first Cessna was built for an airshow at Parafield in South Australia, a copy of 1911 Clyde Cessna CC-1.

After the airshow the replica disappeared, its whereabouts unknown. A few years ago the South Australian Aviation Museum (SAAM) got a call asking if it was interested in an “old aircraft” that was stored on a property. The museum responded and found that the old aircraft was in fact the long lost Cessna CC-1 replica.

After acquiring the replica aircraft, the museum initially placed it into storage before progressively rebuilding it to display standards.

Most museums are not all that keen on having replica aircraft in their collection, preferring the real or original aircraft. However, in this case the SAAM was keen to have on display what was the forefather of the mass of Cessna aircraft that have been produced and have effectively changed the face of the world.

Douglas Sleeper

Near Albany, WA on the property of Pleun sits a retired 1944 Douglas DC-3/C-47.

Hennie Hitzerta acquired the aircraft in 2012 and thought that it should earn its keep. He has elected to turn the aircraft into a B&B accommodation alongside his airstrip!

The aircraft has had all the seats removed and the interior fitted out with two beds and all the furnishings that a B&B cabin would be expected to have.

Hennie says the unique accommodation has attracted much interest and quite a few visitors even in the short time that it has been available so far.

Contact Dave: [email protected]