Warbirds

The Kittyhawk had not flown since discovery of an engine problem, said to have been a crack in the crankcase.

Now we have two Kittyhawks in Victoria, one at Tyabb and Doug Hamilton’s machine at Wangaratta, P-40N VH-PFO. They join Alan Arthur’s aircraft, P-40N VH-ZOC, at Albury and Diane Pay’s P-40E, VH‑KTY, at Scone. There are at least 15 Kittyhawk rebuilds on the go around Australia which indicates that in the not too distant future there will be more Kittyhawks flying than Mustangs. Two other registered but not-yet-flying Kittyhawks are VH-AIN, a P-40N at Wangaratta, and VH-AJY, a P-40E with Reevers Pastoral at Mylor, South Australia. A total of 13,738 P-40 series Tomahawks, Warhawks and Kittyhawks was built.

Weipa P-39F Airacobra to Fly Again

Once a wartime wreck, Bell P-39F Airacobra 41-7215 is set to fly again. On May 1 1942 the aircraft was being flown by a Lieutenant Walter Harvey in a formation of four that lost its way and elected to land. Harvey did a wheels-up landing, between 13 and 16 kilometres inland from Cape Orford Ness, near the Escape River, at the top of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. There it lay abandoned.

The wreck was recovered in 1972 and initially transported to Cairns, eventually ending up with Precision Aerospace Productions at Wangaratta, Victoria. There work commenced to rebuild the machine. The aircraft was later sold and in November was registered in the USA as N39FF. An owner and address was not quoted.

Of nearly 9,500 P-39s built only a few are airworthy with a few in museums around the world, so it will be terrific to see 41-7215/N39FF put back in the air.

Orion for Evans Head Museum

The Evans Head Aviation Museum has welcomed Lockheed AP-3C Orion A9‑752 into its collection.

As part of its arrival formalities, the big turboprop overflew Evans Head airport, a former Second World War RAAF base, before landing in Lismore where it is due to be dismantled and transported to Evans Head by road. Unfortunately, the airport at Evans Head is too small for the Orion to land safely.

Once at Evans Head, the plan is to reassemble the four-engined antisubmarine and maritime surveillance aircraft to take pride of place in the rapidly expanding museum.

In other ex-RAAF Orion news, AP‑3C A9-753 was registered as VH-ORI to HARS of Albion Park on January 28. The Orion, c/n 5660, was built in 1978.

Remembering Bruce Andrews

Former airline and warbird pilot Bruce Andrews passed away on November 12 following a stroke. He was aged 77. Andrews will be remembered as the owner of Hawker Sea Fury VH-HFX between 1985 and 1991. It flew as RAN WH589/115NW and was later sold to Ray Hanna becoming G-BTTA.

Bruce was an Ansett Airlines pilot and in his time flew a range of aircraft from the DC-3 to the Boeing 747. Melbourne-based, he also owned a former RNZAF Harvard and was involved with North American B-25J N8196H, later VH-XXV (25!), when it arrived in Australia in December 1983. The machine flew until 1987 when it went to the Australian War Memorial. It was later sold and returned to the US, and is now with Yanks Air Museum at Chino, California.

Bruce will likely be best remembered as the first warbird owner to go through the process of getting a former military aircraft approved for flying in Australia in 1980 – a North American former RNZAF T-6D Harvard. He flew it up and down the east coast until 1985.

Register News

From New Zealand we learn that Nanchang CJ-6A 3151202 was registered as ZK-CAJ on November 7 to the Nanchang 52 Syndicate of Geraldine. A Bristol Scout D replica was registered as ZK-BTL to an F Parker on November 13.

SNCAN Stampe SV4A ZK‑BBV was struck off the New Zealand register on November 6. The reason was not given but the previous owner was a S Goldspink of Biggleswade, UK. So no guesses as to where the Stampe is going. This is a welltravelled aircraft. It was originally French registration F-BBVM and was imported into New Zealand by Lars Fehleman in July 2011. When Fehleman died the biplane was bought by Goldspink.

The Vintage Aviator Ltd – now fully active again following an internal reorganisation – had a recent export of an Albatros D.Va biplane to the UK. The former ZK‑ALI became G-WAHT owned by Oliver Wulff. The aircraft, powered by an original, restored Mercedes D.IIIa engine, was uncrated and assembled at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in September. It is to be loaned out and operated at such places as Old Warden and the new/old WW1 aerodrome of Stowe Maries.

From Australia we have register updates that go back into the year. Boeing Stearman, 75-2012, N61553 became VH-AQF on August 3 to Richard Rudd of Mareeba, Qld. Former US‑registered N9168X, an OHTM Farman type III replica, became VH‑FRN, with c/n 1, on April 16 to Andrew Carter of Wavell Heights, Qld. The big biplane, not unlike a Bristol Boxkite, is seen at Caboolture as part of The Australian Vintage Aviation Society (TAVAS) collection. Redfern Nieuport 24 replica NX333EL became VH-IJI on April 13, with c/n 261, again to Andrew Carter.

Cessna 140 c/n 11240 became VH-ISU to Tiffany Nutt of Mooloolah Valley, Qld on July 13. It is ex N76808.

Piper J3C-65 N28004, c/n 4541, became VH-LEU on September 13 to Toby Dorn of Bolwarra, NSW. Another Piper, this time an L4B with c/n 9377, became VH-OPY on February 22 to John Daley of St Georges Basin, NSW.

Now a few struck off the register: Harvard VH-JSZ, c/n CCF-4-542, was struck off on January 9. DHC-2 Beaver VH‑NOO, c/n 1535, was taken off the register on February 8. BAC Jet Provost VH-YZC, c/n EEP/JP/10, was struck off on November 9. And Iskra VH-ISX, c/n 1H0701, was taken off the register on November 9.

In Brief

The Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre’s Avro Anson W2364 is looking more and more complete. The aircraft now has the starboard wing attached and both engines made presentable. While much work remains to complete the restoration of the machine it is on its undercarriage and looking a whole lot better than when it was found as a bundle of scrap metal on a farmer’s property. The Anson shares the hangar museum with Wirraway A20-722 VH‑CAC that was formally handed over to the museum earlier this year.