Warbirds

From Temora, the Temora Aviation Museum brought its Spitfire, Hudson, Boomerang and Cessna Dragonfly. HARS was not at Avalon this year.

Other flying warbirds were a Mustang and Kittyhawk from Tyabb. Another interesting exhibit was a Jet Provost along with what can be described as a big water bird, a Grumman G-111 amphibian VH-NMO. From the Latrobe Valley Jeff Trappett brought his Vietnam camouflaged C-47. Another big warbird was the Avalon Canberra 232 — an Avalon permanent exhibit.

There were various groups of interest including the Airtourer and CT4 associations. The Moorabbin Air Museum had an F-111 cockpit that attracted a lot of interest from youngsters who sat in it. The Antique Aeroplane Association, the Aviation Historical Society, the TAA Museum and the Harry Hawker Memorial Group all had stands to promote their wares. A lot of interest was generated by people wanting to sit in the cockpits of three former fighter aircraft, an F4 Phantom, a MIG-21 and a Hawker Hunter.

The RAAF Museum was present in a huge tent near the entrance. Inside were two trainers, a PC21 of 2019 and a Deperdussin monoplane of 1914. A remarkable difference between the two and the only connection that they are trainers.

Mike Smith had his remarkable Searey amphibian N473XP, on display. Mike flew this aircraft around the world in 2016. The first person to fly solo around the world and at 80kts. If he had been an American Mike would have been given the key to the White House but as an Australian he has not received the national recognition he should have. His aircraft should be obtained and put in a national Australian museum but it is understood that it is to go to a museum in Florida.

The Antique Aeroplane Association had a number of member aircraft on display. These included several Austers, Aeronca, a Cessna 190 and 195, a DHC-1 Chipmunk, Piper PA22, Cessna 140, a Boeing Stearman biplane and several CAC Winjeels. They can be described as the interest aircraft of yesteryear. There were also a number of Cessna 180 and 185 aircraft on static display, such is the age of these aircraft. A Cessna of particular interest was Cessna 172 VH-SNU built in 1956 and still flying, 63 years young.

A big exhibit that did not fly was Lockheed AP-3C Orion ex-A9-659, destined for the Australian War Memorial. With its size it is little wonder that the AWM is to be enlarged.

Of the five PC-9 trainers put up for auction all are reported to have been sold to a South African civilian buyer, not military. The aircraft were minus instruments, some with props and engines. Are they to become civil warbirds? Only time will tell.

Avalon may be over for 2019 but the 2021 event promises to be an even bigger show as it will be the 100th anniversary of the RAAF.

Planning is already underway for that. Indeed the airshow has to be described as the best recruitment tool that the ADF has in its inventory.

Ex Aus Airacobra Flies in NZ

From New Zealand comes the news that an ex Australian Bell P-39F Airacobra has taken to the air. The P-39F made its last flight on May 1 1942. The aircraft was in a group flying north when it became lost and made a forced landing on the Cape York Peninsula. It was recovered and after several owners started being rebuilt by Murray Griffiths at his Precision Aerospace workshop at Wangaratta, Victoria. Following his passing the aircraft was moved to Pioneer Aero Ltd at Ardmore, New Zealand in May 2015.

It took several years to complete the rebuild but on February 26 Frank Parker took the aircraft to the air for the first flight in 77 years. The machine was originally 41-2175 and returned to flight with the tail carrying the serial 220341. It was registered as ZKCOB.

After test flying the aircraft will be shipped to its new home and owner, Jerry Vagen and his Military Aviation Museum at Pungo, Virginia, USA.

Museum Aerojumble a Success

The Australian National Aviation Museum, also known as the Moorabbin Air Museum, held a successful Aerojumble over the weekend of February 16 and 17.

Now readers may well ask what is an Aerojumble? The title is basically an English expression whereby aeronautical parts, aviation books, manuals, clothing, instruments etc are sold in much the same way as a Trash & Treasure meet. Some aircraft parts sold may even get back into flyable aircraft.

The event, at the museum, attracted some 17 stands including the B24 group from Werribee and the Ansett Museum group. The weather was pleasant and sunny.

Some of the stands were selling instruments while others sold books and manuals. The museum was also selling several engine cases and cowlings that were surplus to requirements.

Highlight of the event was the sale by tender of Sabre A94-989, a Kiowa helicopter and a complete single seat Volksplane VP-1 homebuilt.

The Sabre has been replaced by another Sabre but in better condition. The auction Sabre was sold to a museum group at Mildura. The Volksplane and the Kiowa were also sold, the Volksplane to most likely fly again.

Commenting on the event museum President, Ashley Briggs, said that the whole event was a success and that it had raised some good funds for the museum.

It is planned to hold another Aerojumble in 2020 and it is expected that the next event will be even bigger.

New Ryan in Australia

A new Ryan has been put on the Australian civil register a model ST-A, built in 1936, and newly registered in Australia as VHROM.

It was placed on the register on January 30 to Peter Nelson of Mapleton, Queensland. The aircraft has been based in England since October 2010 with American registration N14986. In the UK it was owned by Alain Grisay of Kemble, Wiltshire. In 2017 the machine was purchased by Peter and Sarah Nelson. According to the Geoff Goodall History of Ryan Aircraft in Australia there were problems in exporting the aircraft from the UK given that it was a foreign-registered aircraft seeking a British Export Certificate of Airworthiness.

For the record there are some 12 Ryan aircraft registered in Australia. There are also a few under rebuild. A few have been exported.

The Ryan’s on the register at present comprise the sole Ryan model SCW-145 VH-SCW, a cabin monoplane. There are two Ryan ST3-KR models powered by Kinner radial engines, VHNEA and VH-RPT. There is one Ryan Navion VH-WRM. The rest comprise the Ryan ST series, VH-RYS, VH-AGW, VH-AHD, VH-AWG, VH-DBD and VH-RYS plus S/T/M model VH-RYS and STA-Special, VH-SQD. The latter aircraft was badly damaged in an accident on November 15 2016 near Frankston, Victoria after an engine power loss.

Register News

Nothing from New Zealand this month but in Australia the Paul Bennett Airshows was doing a bit of housekeeping with the change of ownership of several of their aircraft on the civil register to PB Airshows on January 2. The aircraft moved to PB Airshows of Cardiff, NSW were North American T-28B VH-FNO, Grumman TBM-3E Avenger VHMML and CAC CA16 Wirraway VH-WWY.

Also of interest was that Aeronca 7AC Champion VH-LDT was struck off the register on November 9 but has not been lost.

It took up RA registration 24-1563.

Hars Orion Takes Flight

Albion Park, NSW, on Wednesday March 6 was the place to be to see the HARS Lockheed AP-3C Orion VH-ORI, ex A9-753, take to the air for the first time after being civilianised. With an overcast sky the big former maritime patrol aircraft took to the skies and later did several touch-and-go landings.

The flight went as planned. Yet another big aircraft to join the ever-expanding HARS fleet.

In Brief

The Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia is to hold its annual fly-in gathering at Echuca, Victoria over the weekend of 22-24 March.

This year is the Year of the Auster (aircraft) and a mass fly-in of Austers is expected from Tocumwal on the Friday. Other aircraft reported to be planning to be present are the Curtiss Robin VH-JUV from Tyabb, the late Dick Knell’s Stampe biplane VH-BVU, over from WA and Dick Smith’s Westland Widgeon monoplane VH-UGI, that was built in 1929 (but rebuilt since then).