Warbirds

Aircraft of prime interest were the 1929 Curtiss Robin VH-JUV from Tyabb, Victoria and the Westland Widgeon III VH-UGI owned by Dick Smith.

The Widgeon was rebuilt in Sydney some years ago and its display at Echuca was probably the fi rst public showing of the aircraft.

At Victoria’s Latrobe Valley another Widgeon, VH-UHU, is having a total rebuild and it was hoped that both Widgeons would appear next to each other at Echuca event. Unfortunately, VH-UHU is still some way from completion.

This was the year of the Auster for the AAAA and there were no fewer than 22 of the type present – the biggest collection of Austers for many years. For good measure, the 22 included two Beagle A-61 aircraft. To the average enthusiast they look like an Auster. It was also of interest that there was a Taylorcraft BC-12 at the gathering.

The Taylorcraft was the aircraft from which the Auster was developed.

By the numbers, there were (about) eight DH Tiger Moths, fi ve Boeing Stearmans, a Globe Swift and a Porterfi eld LP-65 from Cowra. Other one-offs included a Stampe biplane, Stinson Reliant, Transavia PL-12 Airtruk, Ryan PT- 22, Piper L-4B, Avro 643 Cadet, Winjeel, TBM Avenger, Wirraway, DH87 Hornet Moth, DH85 Fox Moth, Interstate Cadet and an Aeronca Chief.

At the Saturday night dinner AAAA President Matt Henderson presented awards to a number of aircraft owners. The best Auster went to Graeme Smith for his VH-BYF while the best Stearman went to Brad Fisher with his VH-EYV. The president’s choice went to the Graham Hosking/ Jack Veres Curtiss Robin VH-JUV while Grand Champion went to Dick Smith’s Westland Widgeon VH-UGI, The Echuca Aero Club undertook the ground organisation and deserve a big thank-you for a smoothly run operation.

The next annual antique gathering will be held at Echuca on March 20-22 2020.

Bell P-39F New Zealand Update

From New Zealand we learn that Bell P-39F ZK-COB s/n 15-554, was taken off the Kiwi register on April 1 as having been exported.

The aircraft had been rebuilt by Pioneer Aero at Papakura and will now join the Jerry Yeagen Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, US. The Airacobra is a rebuild project based on a Soviet Air Force lend-lease machine recovered from a crash site in Russia in 1995. The aircraft has no known identity but has been restored as Bell P-39Q 42-20341.

The NZ CAA has put it on the register as a P-39F.

The Airacobra went on the New Zealand register on December 12 2018 and made its fi rst postrebuild fl ight on February 26. It carries an olive drab colour scheme.

The Warbirds Open Day at Ardmore included the yet to be completed aircraft much to the delight of the visitors that day.

Register News

CAC CA-16 Wirraway VH-CAC was struck off the register on July 24 2018 to be a new resident at the Nhill Aviation Museum at the Nhill airport. The registration was one coveted by other CAC devotees, but that was not to be. The registration was reserved by Borg and his son Anthony Sorenson and put on DHC-1 T Mk 10 Chipmunk c/n DHB/F/16, as VH-CAC. The aircraft had previously been VHASK.

The change of registration was effective on February 26.

Another warbird to fl y again under civil markings is the twinengine patrol and reconnaissance carrier-based Grumman S-2G Tracker previously N12-152333 ‘844’ with the Royal Australian Navy. Built in 1965, it was to have been part of the RAN Historic Flight out of Nowra but that did not eventuate and the machine was transferred to HARS at Albion Park. It was registered to HARS as VH-NVX on March 28. It is hoped that the restored aircraft will be able to fl y at the Wings over Illawarra Airshow on May 5.

Round engine buffs will be keen to hear the Tracker in the air if it can be made airworthy in time for the show.

Kiowa Sales

Avalon Airshow attendees would have seen a number of the former Army Kiowa helicopters ready to be auctioned off. Two of the Kiowas, A17-015 and A17-028 turned up at Boutique Helicopters at Moorabbin airport on March 12. They will be civilianised in due course. On April 3, -015 was being prepared for a road transport trip to Broome and its new owner. It is believed that this machine will not need much work to get it back into the air given it was fl own into Avalon in preparation for the auction.

Three of the other Kiowas have turned up on the civil register: A17-026, a CAC/Bell 206B-1, was sold to A. F. of Smithfi eld, Qld and was registered to Nautilus Aviation of North Cairns as VH-NKH on March 26, along with A17-046 which became VH-ZDI. CAC 206B-1 A17-047 was registered as VH-XKH on March 26 to Mount Gallipoli of Tyabb. This had been sold to warbirder Judy Pay.

In all, Gray’s On-Line auctioned off 22 Kiowas. A few went to museums while a lot were sold to parties who will get them back into the air and operate them in non-passenger carrying aerial work such as property inspection, patrols and surveys.

It is understood that future ADF disposals will focus on Avalon as the airport can provide secure undercover facilities, is close to Melbourne and Geelong, and has capacity without the issues associated with military base operations.

Douglas DC3 News

Douglas C-47B A65-86 has been restored at the Amberley RAAF Base and now takes pride of place at the base Aviation Heritage Centre. The aircraft started out as C-47B-30-DK USAAF serial 44- 76547 and was delivered in 1945.

It duly became A65-86. After long service at a number of locations with the RAAF, it was allocated the civilian registration VH-NVD for service with the RAN Historic Flight at Nowra, NSW.

In more recent times the Historic Flight was disbanded and NVD was transported by road to the heritage centre in February 2018. It was restored with the assistance of a team of volunteers, permanent and reserve Air Force technical personnel from Nos. 1,6,33 and 36 squadrons, and Boeing, which provided logistical support in the form of equipment and facilities. The aircraft now carries a colour scheme of olive drab on the upper surfaces and an underside in a light grey.

On the subject of Douglas C47s or DC3s, the future of DC3 VH-TMQ hangs in the balance.

The aircraft had previously been operated by Air Nostalgia as a tourist fl ight operations aircraft based out of Essendon. In recent times it had been operated by Ausjet as a charter and contract fl ying operation.

Late last year Ausjet went into voluntary administration. It had an injection of cash but went into receivership. During this time, the aircraft was fl own to Queensland as part of a Touchstone Disney fi lm production called Reef. The aircraft fl ew back to Essendon to fi nd its further operation in limbo.

When Touchstone wanted the aircraft again, its operation could not be arranged so the production turned, on short notice, to HARS and DC3 VH-AES to complete the fi lm work.