Warbirds

It is reported that the Sea Fury was purchased by Shawn Browne who already owns Harvard VH-TOA and Mustang VH-URZ. Shawn also purchased the Trojan VH-AVC. The ownership of the Trojan VH-SHT is unknown as we go to print.

Browne’s Harvard VH-TOA had been awaiting a new engine, but now it has arrived the aircraft should be back in the air soon.

The Trojan VH-AVC is part dismantled as it was undergoing major work when it was seized in 2005. It will require a significant overhaul/rebuild to get back in the air.

The main interest was the Sea Fury and heavy iron enthusiasts will be pleased, no doubt, to hear that it was not purchased by overseas interests and shipped out of the country.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Warbird enthusiasts may not have realised it but there has been a progressive changing of the guard over the past few years. It is happening both here in Australia as well as overseas in New Zealand, the USA and the UK.

That change is the slow and sometimes unheralded retirement of airshow warbird pilots. Household names of a few years ago are retiring from the demanding airshow circuit as they realise that, with age, they are not as sharp as they used to be. Pilots have to be right on top of their game to undertake airshow work in a high speed, high performance aircraft.

A minor miscalculation could mean the difference between executing a nice loop and recovery, bumping into another aircraft in a formation flight, or ending up as a smoking hole in the ground. Both examples have happened. The other aspect is that, with age, pilots can find themselves with limited permission to fly or, worse, grounded because they failed their medical.

A lot of airshow display aircraft are tailwheel aircraft with big power plants that require a pilot with good tailwheel experience on heavy warbird types. In the past, many display pilots came from the forces which operated heavy tailwheel aircraft. They were there to fly and for pilots to maintain currency. Now these types of aircraft are all but gone and it is becoming much harder for pilots to obtain and maintain heavy tailwheel time.

Fortunately, a new breed of enthusiastic, younger pilots is emerging with the financial means to get training in aircraft such as the North American T-6 Harvard. Many pilots did their advance training during World War II in the T-6 and so today we see pilots doing a repeat before moving on to the likes of a Mustang, Kittyhawk or similar aircraft.

It is much harder, however, to get time up on radial engine-powered tail dragging twins, such as the Hudson or even a Beech 18.
So if the names of the pilots of the warbird aircraft at the next airshow seem new and different from those you recognised a few years ago, remember that in aviation nothing remains constant except change.

Lockheed Orions Go Here and There

RAAF Lockheed AP-3C Orions are being retired from service with some being scrapped and some going to Australian air museums. One went to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) aviation museum in the Illawarra to keep flying, and one has returned to the United States.

That particular Orion was the former RAAF A9-656. It became N656T, registered to MDH Rockland of Starke, Florida, a private company that supports air forces around the world with the supply of parts for the Lockheed C130, P-3 and now the RAAF C-27 Spartan. N656T departed Avalon, Victoria on October 23 bound for Pago Pago and, it is assumed, the US.

The HARS Orion is the former A9-753, now VH-ORI. HARS also obtained A9-759 that went to the Parkes Annex for display and as a possible parts supply. A9-751 went to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. The Australian War Memorial got A9-659, the Darwin Aviation Museum A9-757, the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide A9-756, while the Queensland Air Museum got A9-760. That Orion arrived at the Sunshine Coast Airport, Maroochydore on April 18 and is currently parked at the southern end. The intent is to dismantle the aircraft for transport to Caloundra Airport where it will be reassembled within the museum facilities.

“Gone but not forgotten” is the way one former Orion pilot described the aircraft type.

With the ADF and the RAAF now supporting the preservation of selected former RAAF and ADF aircraft, the future looks good for future generations to see and appreciate these big warbirds.

Ran Historic Flight to Go to Hars

With the formal disbandment of the RAN Historic Flight came the question: what do we do with the aircraft?

The types in question comprised two Grumman S2-G Trackers, two Bell UH1-B Iroquois, two Westland Wessex Mk.31B helicopters, a C47 Dakota, and the remnants of a Hawker Sea Fury and a De Havilland Sea Venom. There was also a large quantity of miscellaneous spare parts. It was around 2008 that the Navy elected to cease operating the Historic Flight (who could forget the Tracker flying past at events when the bomb bay doors opened to show the words ‘Fly Navy’)?

It then entered into discussions with HARS at nearby Albion Park to see what could be done to preserve the now grounded aircraft. Legal advice was that operation of Navy aircraft created a risk and liability that could not be permitted.

The decision was then made to offer a restricted tender for the aircraft and spares. HARS became the successful tenderer and as of November 6 was awaiting the final letter of offer from Defence disposals.

The plan is that HARS will secure the airframes and spares and undertake an assessment of each aircraft to determine if it can be restored to flying condition. Those that can’t be made airworthy will most likely become static display units. Long term plans by HARS will be to lease a plot of land adjacent to the Fleet Air Arm Museum and build a hangar complex there. This will allow for display and restoration of former RAN aircraft which, in turn, will complement the existing Fleet Air Arm museum located near the base entrance.

Register News

A few interesting updates from New Zealand: A new addition is ZK-AKZ a Cessna 195 with c/n 16025. It was registered to a Mr T Hall of Awamuth on November 9. It is ex N4440C.

Yet another De Havilland DH98 Mosquito has been put on the NZ register. The FB.VI model s/n PZ474 was registered to Av Specs of Manukau on October 12 as ZK-BCV. It is said to be ex US registration N9909F.

ZK-SBV is a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, c/n 763 that was ex VH-SYS. It was registered to a Mr S. Brown of Karamea on June 5.

Another of interest is former Australian warbird North American T-28B, s/n 137801, VH-DUD now ZK-TPV. It was registered to the Vause Trust of New Plymouth on October 8.

Parafield Heritage Centre Opens

Parafield Airport, north of Adelaide, has a long history dating back to the 1920s. Now the former airport fire station has been turned into what has been named the Parafield Aviation Heritage Centre. The centre includes memorabilia and historical records and displays that relate to early aviation at Parafield and South Australia and the early fliers. A Cessna 310 twin that was at the front gate of the airport has been moved to be displayed at the heritage centre. The airport was the main airport for both training aircraft as well as interstate airline flights until 1955. Now West Beach Airport is the main airline hub.

Parafield’s old fire station is located on Kings Road. Visitors are welcome.

Changes Coming at the Awm

The Australian War Memorial is set for changes with a big building program.

AWM Director, Dr Brendan Nelson, released a plan in early November that will see the Memorial undergo a $500 million program of expansion. The project will see the demolition of the current Anzac Hall to deliver a new two-level structure, more than doubling the amount of exhibition space. The new space will allow the display of bombers, fighters and land fighting vehicles. The building program will be spread over about nine years. Dr Nelson also said that the increased display space will allow the story of the past 20 years to be told properly, something that can’t be achieved at present.

In Brief

Ryan SCW-145, VH-SCW, is back from its winter holiday in Europe! The unique low wing cabin Ryan was shipped to the UK in 2016 and was based at Lee-on-Solent. Local aviation enthusiasts in the UK got quite a surprise to see both the Ryan and the fact it was carrying an Australian registration. It even hopped the channel on occasion to make visits to France. In the past, the aircraft was based at Ballarat, Victoria.

Contact Dave: [email protected]