Warbirds #390 | HARS reveals major B707 project update

However, HARS was luckily able to strike a deal to get him to donate the jet, still sporting its vintage Qantas livery, to the HARS Museum at Albion Park.

In 1958, Qantas became the first foreign airline to make an order for the Boeing 707, among the first of the jet aircraft. At the time, Qantas put in a special request for its 13 jets to be slightly shorter than the traditional 707 – almost a hybrid of the 707 and 717 types. This was because Qantas needed the flexibility to land on shorter runways in its international network, such as Nadi in Fiji.

After being pledged to HARS in 2017 by John Travolta himself, the aircraft is yet to make the journey to Australia due to maintenance requirements, airworthiness directives, and “extensive negotiations” with the US Federal Aviation Administration and CASA, according to the Museum.

The engines were removed from the airframe for safekeeping, and parts were unfortunately again required to be made-to-order by Boeing, which led to further delays. The COVID-19 pandemic saw much of the work on the project halted for some time while resources and attention on both sides of the Pacific were turned elsewhere.

HARS is now confident things are moving in the right direction, with both the FAA and CASA happy to approve a plan to ferry the jet from its current home in Georgia, USA to Albion Park. HARS also revealed that the engines will first see a full overhaul, and the livery will see a minor spruce up too.

The talented men and women working on this project have thanked all those who have donated to HARS to support the mission, and continue to thank spectators for their patience as they work hard to return the 707-138 to Australia.

Historic Qantas crash site rediscovered after decades

The 81-year-old site of a Qantas de Havilland DH86 that crashed near Archerfield, Queensland was rediscovered in July, after being ‘lost’ for six decades. On 20 February 1942, the DH86 was travelling from Archerfield Airport to Darwin, via Mount Isa with nine people onboard, including two pilots, an American soldier, an Australian Royal Air Force officer, and five civilians.

Just 10 minutes after take-off, the plane flew through extreme weather which ultimately saw the plane lose its tailfins. The plane crashed into the “hilly country” near Belmont, 12km outside of Brisbane, and all nine people onboard lost their lives.

At that time the crash site was quickly located, and the bodies and wreckage were recovered and removed. It is believed that aviation authorities at the time had the wreckage quickly destroyed, though it is unclear why. Some debris was left behind, though, and the site was forgotten.

In recent years a number of locals and aviation history buffs have been determined to relocate the site. A Brisbane local by the name of Fred Wimmer was the one to ultimately locate the decades-old site, using historical records, modern maps, and a number of tools including a shovel and metal detector.

The Aviation Historical Society of Australia was able to confirm that the site located was indeed that of the 1942 crash, based on a number of items located by Wimmer. This included an engine tag bearing the name Qantas Empire Airways – the name Qantas operated under from 1934 to 1967 – a pilots button, a penny, and a metal plate engraved with the name of the flight’s first officer L.S Marshall.

Notably, Marshall was a second cousin to pioneering aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, and a long-time Brisbane local. Wimmer and the Aviation Historical Society hope to see the name plate returned to the relatives of L.S Marshall and intend to give the remaining items and artefacts to the Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach. They also hope to see a plaque erected at the crash site to honour the victims.

Iconic warbirds head down under

Two iconic warbirds have made their way to Scone to join the ranks of the Hunter Fighter Collection (HFC), as the newly founded enthusiast and restoration unit continues to go from strength to strength. Late last year, HFC acquired a former North American P-51D Mustang (44-73415), which was flown by a RNZAF pilot, Flt Lt Jack Cleland, who was one of the few Commonwealth pilots that served a post in America. In fact, the aircraft’s current colour scheme is painted to honour Flt Lt Cleland.

The aircraft made its way to Scone just in time to surprise Flight Lieutenant Cleland’s daughter, Alison, for ANZAC Day this year. Alison’s family now live in Newcastle, NSW, just two hours from Scone. Her family are quoted to have said, “Of all the places in the world that Mustang could have ended up, it ended up just up the road from us.”

In other exciting news, a WWII Royal Air Force Vickers Supermarine Spitfire has finally begun its journey across the world, bound for Scone where HFC will endeavour to see the aircraft take to the skies once more. The aircraft has already seen early restoration work begin in the UK, before the mammoth journey Down Under. The Supermarine, serial X4009, was operated by No. 234 Squadron RAF as AZ-Q after its delivery in August 1940. It marks one of less than 200 remaining Spitfires around the globe, less than half of which are currently airworthy.

According to HFC, the Spitfire was loaded up onto a container on 29 July, 2023, and is due to arrive in Australia on 9 September just two days after the anniversary of Flt Lt Paterson Clarence Hughes’ death in 1940. If you’re not familiar with the name, Flt Lt Hughes was Australia’s highest-scoring ace during the Battle of Britain and among the highest in the war, and was killed in action in X4009 on 7 September, 1940.

It is thought the aircraft was struck by debris from a German bomber nearby that had been shot down. Hughes was later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, while the Spitfire was recovered years later and registered G-EMET.

The wreckage was verified and acquired by Ross and Ann-Maree Pay in 2021 before being donated to HFC, while most of the restoration work will be completed by Vintage Fighter Restorations. While the intention is to restore X4009 to airworthy status, it is not believed the aircraft will be used in flight displays, however shall be placed on display in Scone. Hunter Fighter Collection has dubbed the project as “unusual”, given that so much material was recovered for the wreckage.

 WWII-era Tiger Moth returned to Point Cook

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced that a historic RAAF de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth, dating back to 1943, has been returned to RAAF Base Point Cook after receiving a “significant refurbishment”. Following the year-long refurbishment, the RAAF intends for the aircraft, along with an additional Tiger Moth currently undergoing restoration, to soon join the ranks of 100 Squadron aircraft and be flown during interactive flying displays put on by the RAAF Museum and other commitments around the country.

This particular aircraft, (A17-692), was delivered to Temora Aerodrome in 1943, two years after the RAAF began training operations out of the airport. Over the next 10 years, that Tiger Moth was utilised by 5 Elementary Flying Training School, 10 Elementary Flying Training School, Central Flying School and 1 Flying Training School before later being transferred to the Royal Australian Navy for its final four years until retirement.

The RAAF said the aircraft underwent its refurbishment in Luskintyre, NSW, and was ferried back to Point Cook via a number of stops including Mangalore, Wangaratta, Mudgee, Parkes, Tocumwal and its original home of Temora.