Flightpath 2019-05-07.pdf

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FLY A SPITFIRE
The Biggin Hill
Heritage Hangar
RAAF Temora
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Airworthy XIV
Spitfire import
Restorations and rich history
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44
Contents
Volume 30, No 4, May-July 2019
Features
14 Durable and Simple
The Westland Widgeon showed great promise as a private
aircraft, but its production ceased in favour of a lucrative
military contract.
Andy Wright
looks at the type in Australia
and the local origins of four of the five known survivors.
home islands continued. Japanese forces had to be removed
and, as
Michael Claringbould
describes, life was certainly
no easier for the men involved on both sides.
56 The Firefly’s Nursemaid
20 British Aircraft & Klemm
The Fairey Firefly played a key role in the beginnings of the
Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in the late forties.
Matthew Willis
recounts how former test pilot Duncan
Menzies helped shape the RAN’s initial carrier aircraft fleet.
The patriotically named British Aircraft Manufacturing
Company Swallow was in fact originally a German Klemm
design.
James Kightly
delineates the forgotten, and famous,
designs of the two companies.
62 Fighters of the Fifth
Tim Hillier-Graves
describes how the other great
American naval fighter of the period, the Grumman Hellcat,
pulled its weight for the British Pacific Fleet.
30 The Nama-Namba Man
The remote New Guinea Highlands were apparently of little
interest to the Japanese. This belief changed when, in 1976,
an Australian patrol officer supervised the exhumation of the
remains of a pilot from his Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien.
Michael
Claringbould
reveals how and why the pilot died there.
68 Wolves in Technicolor
Following the P-47 Thunderbolt special features in the
previous issue of
Flightpath,
Nigel Julian
and
Peter
Randall
complete their colourful look at the famed 56th
Fighter Group with a selection of photographs showcasing
the unit’s earlier aircraft.
36 Spitfire Dreaming
The Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar is a relative newcomer to
the world of Spitfire preservation, but its impact and
accessibility has set new benchmarks. Its origins are now
more than twenty years old.
Robin J Brooks
and
Andy
Wright
look at its past, present and future.
Regulars
04 News
26 Personal Effects
28 Historic
Australian Aircraft
42 Poster
74 Airshows
F L I G H T PAT H
| 3
44 A place in history
Of the major restoration programmes undertaken by the
Commemorative Air Force in recent years, the return to flight
of a Douglas C-47 has certainly captured the most attention.
Luigino Caliaro
looks at the history of the aircraft as it is
prepared for the upcoming D-Day commemorations.
50 Enemies no more
The Wewak campaign effectively sidelined a large contin-
gent of Australian resources as the advance to the Japanese
COVER:
The Biggin Hill
Heritage Hangar’s stunning
T9 Spitfire MJ627.
Photographed by John
Dibbs, The Plane Picture
Company, for the BHHH.
News
Editor:
Rob Fox
Email: mail@robfoxphotography.com
Contributing Editors:
Michael Claringbould, James Kightly,
Ron Watts, Andy Wright
All letters and contributions should
be sent to the editor:
PO BOX 253 Bentleigh Victoria 3204.
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Striking Spitfire
on its way
A Spitfire that has been a star in the US
since its arrival there in 2006 will now call
Australia home. In a deal brokered by Plati-
num Fighter Sales (PFS), RN201, a Griffon-
powered high-back Mk.XIVe, has been sold
to a New South Wales buyer who wishes to
remain anonymous. The aircraft will be
based at Scone, NSW, under the care of Ross
Pay’s Vintage Fighter Restorations.
Built at Keevil in 1945, RN201 was allo-
cated to 350 (Belgian) Squadron in 1946,
but later returned to the UK to be placed
into storage. It went back to the Belgian
unit in 1948 and, although built as a F.XIV,
at some time while with the squadron the
wings were exchanged for those of an E
Wing armament configuration (a common
improvement built into later Mk.XIVs).
Unfortunately, in late 1950, the Spitfire
was damaged in a wheels-up landing and
allocated for display upon being declared
not worth the repairs to return it to the
air. Beauvechain Air Force Base became
its new home and the aircraft remained
there, on a pole and in various guises, for
forty years.
In May 1990 Historic Aircraft Collec-
tion’s Guy Black exchanged RN201 for a
Fairey Battle (R3950). After several years
in storage, the airframe was moved to Aud-
ley End in February 1998 for restoration,
following its sale to Karel Bos (Historic
Flying Ltd). Flying again, as G-BKSP, at
Duxford on 24 April 2002, RN201 was sold
to American Tom Blair in 2006 and sent out
to Kissimmee, Florida, going on to be
awarded the EAA Grand Champion Award
at Sun n’ Fun 2007.
The import of RN201 is the fourth Spitfire
sold to Australia via Platinum Fighter Sales.
The others were MH603 and MH415, both
Mk.IXs, and Mk.XVI TE392. Coincidentally,
all four have come from the United States.
Rob Fox
Customer Service Manager:
Martin Phillpott
Subscriber Services:
Liz Garcorz
FLIGHTPATH
is published four times a year by
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YAFFA AVIATION GROUP:
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Publisher:
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Production Director:
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Art Director:
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Studio Manager:
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ISSN 1320–5870
The performance of the Mk.XIV is thanks
to its Rolls Royce Griffon 65 and Dowty Rotol
five-blade propeller.
RN201 has been restored to original
W.W.II military configuration with the only departure
being modern radios.
4 |
F L I G H T PAT H
News
Temora joins
the Air Force
Australia’s premier collection of airworthy
historic aircraft has been donated to the
Royal Australian Air Force. In this major
move, it was announced that Defence (ADF)
has entered into an agreement with the Te-
mora Aviation Museum (TAM) to transfer
ownership of eleven historically significant
aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force.
‘Officially’ announced in a short post on
social media on 18 April, the donated aircraft
were listed as the English Electric Canberra,
DH.115 Vampire, Gloster Meteor F.8, both
Spitfires, Lockheed Hudson, CAC Wirraway,
CAC Boomerang, Cessna A-37B Dragonfly,
DH.82A Tiger Moth and the Ryan STM S2.
The Cessna O-2, second Dragonfly (VH-
DLO), and a recently donated Tiger Moth
will be retained by the museum.
Obviously, the ‘Avon’ Sabre, operation of
which was already a joint agreement be-
tween the RAAF Museum and TAM, will
become a solely RAAF-operated aircraft
now, and it is hoped the feasibility/risk as-
sessment study into its operation with a
non-active ejection seat has a favourable
outcome so it may fly as part of this col-
lection (Martin-Baker does not support
the seat variant currently installed).
Two of the historic jet aircraft, the
Vampire and Canberra, the latter under-
going deep maintenance, will both be re-
turned to airworthiness before being
transferred to the RAAF. Although both
the RAAF and TAM were contacted for
further comment, neither could reply be-
fore the deadline for this edition.
The Temora Aviation Museum was
RAAF heritage airborne, TAM founder
David Lowy flying the Mk VIII Spitfire
leads the museum's Vampire, Meteor
and Canberra.
[Rob Fox]
founded by Sydney businessman David Lowy
AM, and incorporated in late 1999. Construc-
tion of the facilities was underway in short
order and the first hangar completed in Feb-
ruary 2000. Shortly afterwards, Lowy donat-
ed the initial aircraft for what would become
a magnificent collection of flying machines.
It was stated that all aircraft in the collec-
tion would remain based at the museum facil-
ity in Temora. A five year contract between
both parties will see all aircraft continue to be
maintained by TAM’s engineering team, uti-
lising their expertise and specialist equip-
ment and knowledge.
The brief statement from the RAAF added
“As we approach our Centenary (of the RAAF)
in 2021, this agreement will ensure that these
historic aircraft can continue to be pre-
served, remembered and displayed.”
Flightpath
understands that all of the
current Temora Historic Flight Club en-
dorsed pilots will continue to operate the
aircraft. Within this team is a mix of civil-
ian, ex-RAAF, and serving RAAF pilots.
The museum’s popular ‘Showcase Days’ will
continue to be held at Temora, maintaining
pilot currency and aircraft serviceability.
With this news, planning for the RAAF
centenary is gathering pace with a major
anniversary display to coincide with the
Avalon 2021 Australian International Air-
show. All hope this agreement will ensure
the continued operation of this wonderful
collection.
Rob Fox
Historic DH.60 Gipsy Moth flies
Following an on-and-off restoration started in the mid-eighties,
the DH.60M Gipsy Moth VH-UQH made its first post-restoration
flight at Caboolture, in the hands of co-owner Ed Field, on 8
April 2019. Ed found the aircraft and two logbooks among a shed
full of Tiger Moth parts in the Western Australian wheatbelt
town of Trayning almost forty years ago. The Moth was damaged
in a cyclone in 1953 and stored, considered beyond repair. After
researching VH-UQH and discovering its historic significance,
Ed moved the aircraft’s remains to Melbourne, then Caboolture.
The restoration to its 1930s splendour was completed by Com-
plete Aircraft Care at Caboolture, including its original British
registration markings (G-ABHY).
The Moth’s (c/n 1685) first post-restoration flight was almost
88 years to the day after it arrived in Australia, piloted by Charles
William Anderson Scott. He broke the England to Australia solo
record, landing in Darwin on 10 April 1931 after a journey lasting
nine days, four hours and eleven minutes, breaking Kingsford-
Smith’s record by nineteen hours. It was the first of three such
records by Scott, the most famous being the MacRobertson Air
Race, at the helm of de Havilland Comet G-ACSS ‘Grosvenor
House’, with Tom Campbell Black.
English-born Scott left the RAF in 1926 to emigrate to Aus-
tralia and became one of the original pilots for QANTAS. Tim
Barron from the UK, the grandson of Captain Scott, participated
in a commemorative flight into Archerfield Airport on Sunday,
14 April as a passenger in VH-UQH.
Rob Fox
The Gipsy Moth, VH-UQH, on finals to Archerfield. It
was the first aircraft to land at Archerfield Airport
on its opening day in April 1931.
[ John Freedman]
F L I G H T PAT H
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