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How a military plane crash-landed in the bush in 1947 and wound up as a musical camper-van!
The only musical DC-3 in the world!
Spotted at a car and air show near Toowoomba recently, this vehicle surely had a tale to tell... this is that tale – and I hope you find it interesting.
Editor
Current owner and custodian of the converted vehicle: Werner Kroll
It's got the unmissable nose of a plane, yet no wings. It's got four wheels, but there's nothing else like it on the road. Inside there is a pianola, a self-playing pipe organ and an accordion.
On the night of March 26, 1947, the DC-3 was on a flight from Sydney to Jakarta and brought down by a lightning strike It crashed in the Katherine Gorge. All 6 people on board survived, and the cargo was undamaged.
It took 6 weeks to get the plane out of the bush and to the main road where it could be towed the rest of the way.
It was a huge task to clear a 30’-wide track through the scrub, creeks and rivers – banks were levelled and wire mesh and logs laid on beds. But they were optimistic that the plane would fly again. The idea was to ship it to Sydney to a salvage company for restoration.
However, it never made it to NSW because KLM Royal Dutch Airlines based in in Brisbane decided it was ideal for testing out their engines. It spent 2 years in Brisbane and was then purchased by marine plumber Bill Chater in 1950 who immediately clocked it as a ‘half-made motorhome’, chopped it in half and that’s how it still is today. Sadly though, after 10 years Bill had a serious accident which meant he could not drive, so the ‘plane’ was mothballed for a few decades.
Coincidentally Bill met Werner Kroll when he did some work for his company. Werner spotted it, fell in love with it, and he and Bill became friends – both were ex Navy and both played music. The friendship lasted until Bill died in 1990 and to his amazement Werner found that Bill had left him the vehicle. He spent some years working on his dream motorhome including putting in a new diesel engine. In 1995 it was fit for travelling once again but he admits that it needs a lot of loving care to keep it mobile.
Werner also realises that he will have to one day pass it on to someone else – and just who that should be is a hard decision. “It's a problem for everyone with precious cars, heirlooms, for us to decide what happens when you pop off because it takes a lot of effort to get a thing like that – getting it and then restoring it and maintaining it.” Information from ABC News
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Pictures from North Territory Library