Page 104 - AA 2018_11

Warbirds Warbirds, classic aircraft,

museum and airshow news
WRITER: DAVE PROSSOR

on October 8. previously N9190K and NC9190K.
A replica of the World War 1 light Two aircraft to be removed
bomber known affectionately to its from the register are Cessna A-37B
crews as the ‘Harry Tate’, the RE8 Dragonfly VH-AZD, 43158, which was
was built by The Vintage Aviator removed from the register on May 2
Ltd (TVAL) in New Zealand in 2012 as withdrawn from service, and Piper
(with the registration ZK-RES). It (Taylor) J-2 VH-FZL, 1754, which was
then came to Australia for the 2015 deleted from the register on May 22
Avalon Airshow and was later bought with its transfer to the RAAus register.
by the RAAF Museum and carries the
registration VH-OTF. SHIFTING BEECHES
The Australian Flying Corps A trigear Beech H18, serial BA-764
operated some 130 of the type during and previously N26493, has been
World War 1. In all some 4,000 RE8s purchased in Florida by Mike
The Flying Fighters Hawker Sea WARBIRD AUCTION were built, but only two or three Spaulding of North Queensland
Fury has been put up for sale via Four aircraft from the former Steve survived after the war. Warbirds fame. Mike, it will be
auction. liquid asset management Hart/Flying Fighters collection have So the Point Cook machine, one of recalled, owned a Curtiss P-40
gone under the virtual hammer. three RE8 replicas built by TVAL, is a Kittyhawk at one stage.
Under instructions from the real time machine. One of the last of the Beech 18s
Australian Financial Security built, Mike’s machine was delivered to
Authority, Liquid Asset Management RAN FIREFLIES ON THE MOVE Japan Air Lines in November 1969. At
has been conducting an online auction The Fleet Air Arm Museum’s Fairey one stage it was based at Guam in the
of a 1953 Hawker Sea Fury Mk II, Firefly WJ109 has found a new Pacific. We look forward to seeing this
VH-SHF, 1954 North American home, with the aircraft headed to the aircraft grace Australian skies.
T-28B Trojan VH-SHT, 1949 North Australian War Memorial in Canberra Another local Beech 18 is D18S
American T-28D Trojan VH-AVC and before the end of this year. trigear, registered N2500. Based at
a static-display MiG-15. A gate guardian at HMAS Redcliffe north of Brisbane, it has
They were among 11 historic Albatross, Nowra from 1965 to 1972, moved to Caboolture and is reported
aircraft, four hangars, a Mercedes the Firefly would go on to be used to have new owners.
Benz classic car (a 1983 380SL as a source of spare parts, ultimately And a third Beech 18 is E18S,
convertible) and a number of including its engine, for the RAN VH-CII, owned by Geoff Hunt of
residential and rural properties seized Historic Flight’s airworthy Firefly, Darwin. This machine came to grief
from Hart, who in 2005 was found WD826/VH-NVU. when it hit a kangaroo on takeoff at
guilty of nine counts of defrauding With the recent disbandment of the Caboolture. It went into the hangars
the Commonwealth and sentenced to RAN Historic Flight, WD826 (which for repairs and is still there.
seven years imprisonment. Bidding hasn’t flown since the late 1980s) will No reports on the kangaroo.
started on September 27 and was due go on display with the Fleet Air Arm
to wind up on October 18, just after Museum, which means WJ109 can go IN BRIEF
this issue of AA went to print. to the AWM. » Following on from our October
A Yak-3M in the collection was sold WJ109 carries a Korean War issue update on HARS’s Fokker
off last year for $335,000. colour scheme complete with invasion Trimotor Southern Cross replica
So who will bid for what aircraft stripes, even though it never saw restoration, it can now be reported
and for how much? Will the aircraft action in Korea. Built as an AS.6 that on September 28 the aircraft’s
stay in Australia or be bought to go anti-submarine warfare variant and main undercarriage was installed
overseas? The Sea Fury in particular delivered to the RAN in 1953, it was and it is now standing on its own
should attract a lot of overseas interest later converted to be a target tug. gear. Next task is to fit the Fokker’s
and with the current exchange rate At present it is unknown if WJ109 rebuilt Jacobs engines.
‘So who will it would be a cheap acquisition for will go into storage or be put on » Caloundra-based Queensland Air
display at the AWM.
Museum has taken delivery of
an American collector. (As we went
bid for what to press it had attracted three bids, REGISTER NEWS former RAAF Macchi MB-326H
reaching $520,000.)
A7-072. The jet trainer, which had
aircraft and RAAF MUSEUM RE8 FLIES AGAIN We have a few older register been in storage at RAAF Wagga
Wagga, wears the iconic RAAF
movements to catch up on, including
for how The RAAF Museum’s Royal Stinson 108-1 Voyager VH-NNK, ‘Fanta can’ training scheme colours
Aircraft Factory RE8 biplane has
and 2FTS tail markings.
c/n 108-2190, which was registered on
much?’ returned to the air, flying from Point May 4 to David Ozanne of Paynesville, Contact Dave: flyer02@optusnet.com.au
Cook for the first time in some years
Victoria. Built in 1947 the Stinson was
104 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION