Page 94 - AA 2018_09

TAVAS

a large and impressive aircraft that
immediately conjures up images of
Those Magnificent Men In Their
Flying Machines and as such will
be a major attraction at any event.”

The Great War exhibits are
anchored by:
» A Bristol F.2B, known as the
two-seat Bristol Fighter, sourced
from New Zealand’s Vintage
Aviator Limited via its original
repro build in the United States.
TAVAS has repainted the aircraft
and changed the serial number to
B1229, operated by Captain Ross
McPherson Smith of 1 Squadron,
Australian Flying Corps in Egypt
with subsequent links to the
campaigns of Lawrence of Arabia.
It is flown at the TAVAS airshows
by the now 88-year-old Jack
McDonald, a 60-year warbird
veteran.
» The all-red Fokker Dr.1, the
so-called Red Baron aircraft,
recognised as the only one of its
kind flying in Australia. Sourced
from the United States the only
deviations from true authenticity
include disc brakes, a tail wheel
rather than a skid, and a Lycoming
engine. TAVAS intends to replace
the engine with an authentic rotary
at the first opportunity.
» The E.III Eindecker, an authentic
reproduction with a German-made
airframe conforming to factory
specifications from 1915-16. It
boasts a Belgian-sourced linen
covering from the same family-run
business that was making fabric for
these aircraft 100 years ago.
» The rotary engine Fokker D.VIII,
known to the Allies as the Flying
Razor because of the configuration
of the wing sitting above the
fuselage. This example, fitted
with the genuine 160hp (120kW)
Gnome, is on loan to TAVAS
until 2030 from German Fokker TAVAS aircraft travel far and example of the bird-winged Gustave from the late 1700s. Today with
reproduction expert Achim Engels. wide to participate in airshows, Whitehead Plane 21, otherwise the internet, the concept of a static
such as Wings over Illawarra in known as the Condor. Carter points museum is dead. To engage young
A key post-war exhibit is the March this year. mark jessop to a growing body of evidence that people, you need to entertain and
Pietenpol Air Camper which has a Whitehead, rather than the Wright through entertainment educate. The
particular place in Carter’s heart as the Brothers, could lay claim to the first new TAVAS motto is that we will
first aircraft he bought after quitting powered flight. entertain, educate and inspire.”
his import/export business (and before Other aircraft in Carter’s sights, in For Carter, no matter what,
he realised he would have to keep terms of adding or rotating through authenticity is key when it comes to
working to help sustain the TAVAS the collection, include an example of the aircraft exhibits: “When you come
ambition). It was the first true budget the Type X1 monoplane flown by Louis and see our (aircraft) you are literally
aircraft, costing less than $500 to fly Bleriot across the English Channel, transported back in time,” he said.
in the 1930s when competitors were plus what he calls more examples of the “The fabric on those aircraft is
charging around $10,000. pre-World War 1 “stuff”. made by the same family-run business
Other projects in Hangar 106 “But what we really need to do that was making fabric for those
include an ambitious plan to convert is develop the interactive side of it. aircraft back in 1915, ’16, ’17 and ’18.
to flight status a current static display The concept of the museum comes The method of construction is exactly

94 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION