Warbirds #399 | Restorations, Warbirds over Scone, and a new museum

The new project joins the ranks and comes hot off the heels of Dareton Men’s Shed’s previous restoration victory – a 1954 RAAF CAC Sabre. The Sabre restoration took around two years, led by local members and retired panel beaters Neil McDonald and Greg Wood, as well as retired motor mechanic Phil Roeszler.

The same, now seasoned, team is set to take on the Vampire restoration. The team has said that while they expect this job to involve less mechanical repair due to the quality of the parts available to them, the Frankenstein-esque reconstruction will certainly require a lot of dedication, research and precision.

“The wings, tails and such, they’re all in very good condition,” Wood told local media. “There’s a lot of paint preparation and very little repair, but quite an assembly job because of the dual tail configuration. But it can happen, for sure.”​

RFDS to restore DHA Drover to former glory

’Tis the season for restoration news, it seems, with another exciting project taking place under the watchful eye of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Mount Isa, Queensland. After 45 years on display, a former RFDS de Havilland Australia Drover has been removed from its home in George McCoy Park to undergo a well-needed refresh. Work is already well underway to dismantle, repair, reassemble, and paint the aircraft to return it to its former glory, after spending 45 years suspended in the elements.

​A temporary workshop has been set up to complete the restoration work at the RFDS base in Mount Isa. Once completed, the plane is set to be placed on display at the base, as part of its Visitor Experience Centre. RFDS head of tourism, John Larkin, said the Drover’s current condition is certainly worse for wear, with worn, rusted, and missing parts. The plane’s interior is also said to have been riddled with cobwebs and bird nests. Once properly cleaned, the plane will be carefully repaired and reconstructed, with new parts and panels to be constructed as necessary. Over 500 corroded rivets have been replaced to date, and work is only just beginning!

The de Havilland Australia (DHA) Drover was designed and built throughout the 1940s and 50s as a replacement for the 1930s-era de Havilland Dragon biplane. The Drover’s design was largely based on the similar de Havilland Dove, with minor alterations to accommodate the Australian desert climate and flight conditions. Only 20 Drovers were ever produced in Australia, one of which has spent 45 years perched above George McCoy Park. The RFDS was one of four customers to receive Drover aircraft, including Qantas Empire Airways, Trans Australia Airlines, and the Australian government.

Total reform for Bristol Hercules engines in Brisbane

​While perhaps not a whole aircraft restoration, a Brisbane-based company, Historical Aircraft Engines, is making headway on its work to restore a series of Bristol Hercules engines. The Bristol Hercules is a complex 14-cylinder two-row radial aircraft engine, originally designed by prominent Bristol Engine Company engineer Sir Roy Fedden. The engine was revolutionary for its time, given its unique sleeve valve design, which resulted in a more powerful and reliable product. It was one of the more prominent engines utilised in Allied WWII-era aircraft, including the Bristol Beaufighter and Handley Page Halifax.

Today, the Historical Aircraft Engines team, led by Peter Brooke, has carefully disassembled several Hercules engines to begin its calculated engine restoration, working towards several airframe restoration projects. The unique complexity of these Hercules engines means it is no small task to disassemble, repair, and reassemble such a machine.

Brooke has already been careful to produce a custom-made crankcase, along with several other custom production line components, to ensure top-quality final results. Anyone with information, knowledge, or war-era drawings on the original engine construction process is encouraged to reach out.

Warbirds over Scone gears up for 2026 with Mustang joy flight giveaway

To drum up extra excitement about the 2026 Warbirds Over Scone airshow, organisers have revealed a new competition, giving one lucky winner the chance to take flight aboard an iconic Mustang warbird. Any airshow ticket purchased on this side of Christmas – including all tickets purchased before this announcement – will result in one free entry into the draw to win an adventure flight onboard VH-TF8 – an airworthy North American Aviation PD-51 Mustang, flown across the Pond from New Zealand late last year to be delivered to Pays Aviation. When not in flight, the plane sits on display at Hunter Warbirds in Scone.

The Warbirds Over Scone airshow is set to take place on 28 and 29 March 2026 at Scone Memorial Airport in the upper Hunter region of NSW. This year’s airshow is set to include the largest collection of Spitfires, Mustangs, and Kittyhawks to fly since WWII, with an array of solo and formation flight displays on offer.

Other key warbirds on display include the world’s only flying F4U-1D Corsair, Australia’s only flying de Havilland T.55 Vampire, and Australia’s only flying Hawker Fb.11 Sea Fury Southern Cross. Make sure to snag your airshow ticket before 11:59pm on 26 December for your chance to win that Mustang joy flight!

PNG to see brand new aviation museum

Papua New Guinea’s eminent military aviation history is set to be permanently honoured, with the unveiling of the new Aviation Heritage Centre at the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby. The new facility, a joint venture between the Royal Australian Air Force, the PNG Defence Force, and the PNG National Museum and Art Gallery, will preserve and showcase aircraft of note for both countries – including a WWII-era Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber and RAAF CAC Wirraway trainer plane – as well as photographs and books.

The opening ceremony was attended by Australia’s Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, alongside PNG’s Minister for Finance Thomas Opa. AIRMSHL Chappell said the centre, which will be maintained by parties in both countries, represents the “enduring defence relationship” between Australia and PNG, “forged through shared tenacity and sacrifice during World War II”.