Warbirds

The new bulletin concerns the inspection of wooden structures.

It concerns all de Havilland Moth series aircraft. The bulletin is an advisory document and makes recommendations about airworthiness matters. The prime purpose of the bulletin is to alert maintenance personnel on how to inspect wooden Moth structures and in particular wings. CASA is concerned that internal wooden structures, eg wings and fuselages, may prevent quality inspection of the structure when painted over. CASA is recommending that the internals of the wings and fuselage have clear varnish applied to internal wooded structure for protection. This allows a better inspection while a painted surface may have the opposite effect.

The Wirraway in the Lake

For years locals knew that there were the remains of a WWII RAAF Wirraway in Lake Corangamite, near Colac, Victoria. The aircraft had flown into the lake during a night flying exercise during wartime training. The pilot, Vance Drummond, survived.

The wreck was found in 2005 when water levels dropped. The aircraft, A20-714, was initially discovered by local agricultural pilot Gordon Wilson. Now Rod Knights of Ocean Grove has got past the bureaucratic barriers and has obtained permission to recover the aircraft. Initially he wanted to display the wreck at his home property but now he is reported as saying that he wants to restore the aircraft to flying condition. Photos show the aircraft to be basically intact but missing the fin and rudder and the upper structure of the fuselage.

Fatal Yak Crash in Queensland

A Yak-52 disappeared on Wednesday June 5 after it took off from Southport aerodrome. The aircraft, VH-PAE, crashed into Morton Bay near South Stradbroke Island. The body of the pilot, Marcel Van Hattem aged 52, was recovered next day and that of his 31-year-old passenger a day later.

The Yak had taken off to conduct a local 30 minute flight and crashed not far from where the Yak-52 of Barry Hempel was lost in Morton Bay some few years ago. In that accident the two occupants were also killed.

Register News

From New Zealand comes the advice that ZK-DHC, a DHC-1 Chipmunk was struck off the register on May 19 as having been exported. Also of interest is that GAF N22C Nomad ZK-SNZ, serial N22C-104, was struck off the register on June 12 as having been withdrawn from service.

TVAL-built Albatross Dva-1, serial 0147, ZK-ALB, was struck off the NZ register on June 26 as having been exported. The UK is the likely place where it will turn up.

North American T-28B Trojan VH-SHT became VH-JUD on May 1. The aircraft is registered to Gecam Operations of Leongatha, Victoria.

Bell 206B-1 VH-XKY, serial 44532, was registered to Code Black of Mount Eliza on May 2. The helicopter is ex A17-032. PAC CT-4B Airtrainers VH-YCE, VH-YCG, VH-YCI, VH-YCZ and VH-YNZ , serials 101, 103, 105, 080, and 081 were struck off the register on May 20 as having been withdrawn from service. These aircraft had been used as trainers by BAE Systems at Tamworth, NSW.

Aviation Bookshop to Close

A note from the pages of the newsletter of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia is that Hyland’s Bookshop in Melbourne is to close. Hyland’s has long been the bookshop that aviation enthusiasts have gravitated to when wanting to browse for aviation book titles, new and used. Englishman Arthur Hyland opened the bookshop in 1965. Its stocked aviation books, civil and military, as well as army and navy book titles. Over the years the bookshop moved several times and Arthur passed away. The store was taken over by his son in law Neil Mckellar and he has operated it ever since. It was the mecca for aviation buffs seeking something a bit different that could not be readily found online. For many readers it was also a place where they could enjoy browsing and then find an interesting item that had been unknown until then.

Hyland’s was the biggest such aviation bookshop in Australia. Its passing will be missed.

Calling All Round Engine Lovers

A recent arrival into Queensland was Beech H18, a nose wheel version of the ’18. The aircraft, one of the last built by Beech, was purchased by Mike Spaulding / North Queensland Warbirds of Cairns/Mareeba. The aircraft, N26493, serial BA-764, was flown across the Pacific from the USA by well-known ferry pilot Steve Death. Someone has faith in P&W 985 radial engines. The aircraft was one of the last built and went to Japan Air Lines and delivered in 1969.

Expect to see it on the Australian register shortly.

Another Beech 18 is the E18S, VH-CII. It was during a takeoff at Caboolture bound for its new owner at Darwin when it aborted takeoff and ended up on its belly after what was said to have been kangaroos on the runway! During the repairs more work was found to be needed on the machine and that has caused a delay in getting it back in the air again. Meanwhile Beech D18S trigear N2500, that has been at Redcliffe for some time is now located at Caboolture. The aircraft is now off the US register so what becomes of it is unknown at this time.

DC3 VH-BAB is at Caboolture, Qld. The machine is reported as belonging to Peter Christoudias in WA. He sold his DC3 VH-CWS to a Korean Museum. VH-BAB was retired about 1970 and has been at several museums since that time.

It is said to be a restoration job to fly again.

Twin Pioneer VH-AIS can now be located at Coominya airfield, Qld. The aircraft has not flown for some time. Its owner passed away and the machine has languished ever since. The STOL twin-engine aircraft is a unique machine and the last of the type in Australia and probably the world.

Hawker Sea Fury VH-HFX is now in a warehouse in Winnellie near Darwin airport. The aircraft was at one stage VH-ORN. It is to have a new engine installed and then to go overseas to France.

Sopwith Snipe for Raaf Museum

The RAAF Museum at Point Cook is to get and fly the Nick Cauldwell built Sopwith Snipe replica, VHSNP.

The aircraft was built by Nick, now a former airline pilot and current flight instructor at the Peninsula Aero Club at Tyabb, over a nine year period. Nick lives at Mt Eliza not far from Tyabb.

His garage became his Sopwith aircraft manufacturing facility.

The Snipe will join the RAAF Museum Sopwith Pup replica and the TVAL built RE-8, all to fly on special occasions. With the RAAF Centenary coming up in 2021 the WW1 vintage aircraft will do the RAAF proud to show off what it was like in the old days and compare them with the likes of the Hornet and F-35. The Snipe replica is powered by a Continental 220 hp radial engine. The Continental is close in dimensions to the original Snipe engine, a Bentley rotary, that powered the type back in WW1. Nick made the first flight of the Snipe on October 17, 2017. It will be a worthy addition to the RAAF Museum aircraft.

In Brief

Tocumwal aerodrome NSW, once the home to many B24 bombers in WWII, is a rural country airport these days. Memories of WWII still exist with three huge wooden hangars that have lasted all these years. Items of interest are a few Hawker Hunter jet fighters in store, the last of a batch brought in from the Singapore Air Force many years ago. A few flew here but it would appear, no more.

The DH 104 Dove VH-OBI is being restored back to airworthy condition. When flying it will be the only one of its type flying in Australia. Another aircraft of interest in the Grumman UH-16C VH-MAH now reported to be VH-HSQ. This old warbird has been seen at various local airports in the past but is now reported to be in a hangar at Tocumwal with one outer wing off and the engines needing extensive work to get back to running or be replaced.

Also of Tocumwal interest is the DH89 Dominie/Rapide VH-UXZ.

The aircraft is stored in a hangar here and at last count was up for sale.

Corsair VH-III was recently noted at Tyabb Vic. having fuel calibration checks. The aircraft needs only a small amount more work to go back into the air once again.

Tyabb again. If you cannot buy one then build one. That was the case with visiting home-built Mustang VH-ZYC, a three-quarter scale of an RAAF Mustang complete with serial A68-51. The aircraft was recently visiting from Darwin with owner pilot Nick Belfield. The aircraft is powered by a Chev car engine developing some 400hp (300kW). From a short distance the aircraft looks all like the full size machine. It is guaranteed to gather attention at any refuelling station.