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SPECIAL: AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MUSEUMS GUIDE
The forgotten Mustang
Rare variant
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A-36 DIVE BOMBER
Shturmovik
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Daks return to Normandy
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18
Contents
Volume 31 Number 1, August-October 2019
Features
12 The New Kids on the Block
Aero Legends has become one of the premier providers of
historic aviation experiences in the UK.
Andrew Critchell
talks to some of the people behind the operation and takes a
look at the growing fleet of hard working classic aircraft.
60 The vast enterprise
Australia had the fourth largest air force in the world at the
end of W.W.II.
Tony Brady
summarises Australia’s contribu-
tion to the Empire Air Training Scheme, highlighting the
careers of several unsung heroes in the process.
18 North American A-36
Matt Willis
busts some myths about the earliest opera-
tional incarnation of the Mustang and details its short, but
effective combat career with the USAAF in the Mediterra-
nean and the China-Burma-India theatre.
66 Berlin Airlift 70
Stefan Schmoll
reports on the events held in Germany to
commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
70 ‘Ilyusha’ of the Arctic
28 Leading at the front
The first Australian unit on the ground in France, following
the Normandy landings, was 453 Squadron RAAF. Its
Spitfire pilots were kept busy for the next few months as
described by
Adam Lunney.
The recovery of lost aircraft from Russia’s many
freshwater lakes continues to save important aircraft
for future generations.
Mark Sheppard
reports on last
year’s recovery of a substantially complete single-seat
Il-2 Shturmovik.
34 Daks over Normandy
One of the greatest historic aviation adventures in recent years
saw the gathering of many flying DC-3 variants, from across the
northern hemisphere, in the UK and France.
Luis Drummond
headed to France to witness the events in Normandy.
Regulars
04 News
24 Personal
Effects
26 Photopast
68 Historic
Australian
Aircraft
76 Airshows
F L I G H T PAT H
| 3
39 Museums of Australian Aviation
49 Two Boomers Missing
As the weather starts to warm up, it’s time to hit the road or
sky to visit your favourite aviation museum. Here’s a
selection always worth a visit.
Two RAAF pilots and their CAC Boomerangs remain
missing following an encounter with Japanese Army
aircraft on 26 November 1943.
Michael Claringbould
looks at Japanese planning and operations of the day and
the mystery still surrounding the loss of the Boomerangs.
54 We flew the recce Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon’s role as an excellent ground attack
aircraft is well known.
Colin Ford
discusses a rare,
partially successful variant and the only two Australians
known to have flown it operationally.
COVER:
Following its
participation in the D-Day
and Berlin Airlift
anniversaries, the only
C-41A built, ‘Hap-Pen-
stance’ (serial 40-0070,
N341A), was beautifully
captured by Luigino
Caliaro over Venice, Italy.
News
Farewell Flightpath
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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the controls of
the 1953
Cessna C195A.
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FLIGHTPATH
is published four times a year by
Yaffa Media Pty Ltd
ABN 54 002 699 354
17–21 Bellevue Street,
Surry Hills NSW 2010.
All Mail to:
GPO Box 606, Sydney, NSW 2001
YAFFA AVIATION GROUP:
Australian Flying, Flightpath
Publisher:
Chris Yu
Production Director:
Matthew Gunn
Art Director:
Ana Maria Heraud
Studio Manager:
Lauren Esdaile
Designer:
Ruby Ren
Images should be supplied with a separate list of
captions and each image should have a name and
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of images are all acceptable, but please note that
digital images MUST BE SUPPLIED AT A
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ISSN 1320–5870
It was July 1998, 21 years ago, that I assumed
the big chair at
Flightpath.
As momentous as
this anniversary should be, it’s my sad duty to
inform you that this, my 84th issue, is the sec-
ond last edition of
Flightpath.
After 31 years
of bringing the historic aviation movement
into the homes of you, our loyal readers, from
this November
Flightpath
will be no more.
I have endeavoured, with the help of many
talented contributors from around the globe,
to maintain the magazine’s position at the
forefront of Australia's historic aviation move-
ment. From my first edition, I’ve kept our fo-
cus on the preservation of aviation heritage,
covering the latest antique, vintage and war-
bird aircraft news worldwide, including de-
tailed historical and technical feature articles,
to keep readers current on aviation’s past.
When I began, it was really a one-man
show, the learning curve was vertical, and it
became very apparent recruiting like-mind-
ed ‘devotees’ and building a team was a pri-
ority. First on board was Michael Claring-
bould (we were both long-time contributors),
followed later by James Kightly, Ron Watts
and Andy Wright as contributing editors.
Without their talents it’s doubtful I, or
Flightpath,
would have prevailed. I am in-
debted to them all, what they brought to the
table, and am proud to call them friends.
Together we have watched the preserva-
tion movement grow to its present lofty
heights. Who could ever have imagined the
numbers and diversity of historic types re-
stored to flying condition (potentially five
g
Spitfires flying here!)? Bringing our
rich aviation heritage to life,
we’ve been privileged to bear
witness to rare and unique
restorations once thought in-
conceivable: the Me 262s,
Hawker biplanes, Russian re-
coveries, the P-38 ‘Glacier
Girl’ pulled from the ice, the
Mosquito trio, and the expo-
nential growth of rarities
from the Great War. We all
owe a huge debt of gratitude
to the dedicated and passion-
ate owners who have funded
these celebrated aircraft and
the restorers, maintainers
and pilots who keep them fly-
ing.
Flightpath
enjoys an amaz-
ing, numerically large reader-
ship and it has been this huge-
ly loyal support that has seen
it gracing newsagents’ shelves
for as long as it has. However, a
large, loyal following has not
been enough to see produc-
tion continue and manage-
ment has made the decision to
suspend printing
Flightpath.
The digital world, for all its
virtues, has altered the pub-
lishing landscape, especially
sapping away advertising revenue. Print me-
dia in general is under threat, although in my
fifty year career I’ve worked on several that
have come and gone, but falling advertising,
compounded by increased production costs,
one example being a recent 17% rise in print
paper, has forced this decision.
Again, though, despite some rumblings late
last year, the commitment and imagination of
the editorial team, our many intrepid contrib-
utors, and the hugely supportive and enthusi-
astic readership, have helped the magazine
look and perform better than it ever has.
Looking back at my time as Editor, we have
done great things and the best we could with the
resources we had. I’m incredibly proud of the
features we ran, the history we recorded, and at
times rewrote, and, with one hand tied behind
our backs, I am still amazed at the heights we
flew to. I believe we succeeded in our aim, and,
again, I extend a heartfelt thanks to our talented
contributors, the Yaffa production staff for mak-
ing all this possible, and to you for your continu-
ing interest, critical eye and support.
Come November, when I sign off for the last
time and close the magazine, it will be with
some sadness, but no bitterness. It’s been a
privilege and an honour to be part of it over
the past 21-plus years.
Rob Fox, Editor
After the final edition, the subscription de-
partment at Yaffa Media will be in touch
with all subscribers with regard to any re-
funds etc.
LEFT:
August 1998 my first edition as editor.
ABOVE:
September 1988, the first edition.
4 |
F L I G H T PAT H
News
LEFT:
The Ryan on its wheels and
awaiting installation of the Gipsy
Major.
[Rob Fox]
BELOW:
Martin Susans and his
Ryan STM. He flew the Sabre,
Mirage, F-4 and F-111 in RAAF
service.
[Rob Fox]
BOTTOM:
An STM, believed to be
A50-1, at Albury during an Air Train-
ing Corps flying training day in
1944.
[ADF Serials]
Ryan Resurrection
Quietly making steady progress in a hangar
at the Temora Airpark, New South Wales, in
the hands of owner (Wing Commander ret.)
Martin Susans, a Ryan STM is nearing com-
pletion. This long-term project began when
Martin’s late brother, (Wing Commander
ret.) Geoff Susans, acquired the wreck of
Ryan VH-RAE (s/n 467) in 1974. A year later
the brothers bought another crashed STM,
VH-AGQ (s/n 473), and moved both to RAAF
Amberley, Queensland, where they were
serving at the time. The aircraft were later
relocated to Canberra where work concen-
trated on rebuilding a pair of wings. In 2011
the fuselage of VH-RAE was transported to
Wagga, NSW, for structural repair by the
late Mark Wallace of Encore Aviation. Mark
was also working on the restoration of Guy
Kendall’s STM VH-DBD at the time.
The Ryan Aeronautical Company STM
(Sport Trainer-Military) series is a military
version of the pre-war STA sports aircraft
built at Lindbergh Field, San Diego. The
Netherlands Government in Exile ordered
108 Ryans in 1940 for their Netherlands
East Indies Army and Netherlands Naval Air
Force
(Marine Luchtvaart Dienst).
The
Susans’ examples were STM-S2 models, fit-
ted for floats, delivered to the Netherlands
Naval Air Force (MLD). By the end of Janu-
ary 1942, with the Japanese threatening on
all fronts, the MLD decided to withdraw its
remaining Ryans to Australia to continue
the training of Dutch pilots. At least 37 Ry-
ans were loaded on the
MS Tjinegara
for
evacuation to Australia. Eventually, the
Royal Netherlands Military Flying School
was established in the US and the MLD
handed over its aircraft to the RAAF.
In Australian service, 473 (MLD S-37)
and 467 (MLD S-31) became A50-1 and
A50-2 respectively. All STMs received were
in poor condition and 28 were sent to Qan-
tas Empire Airways at Rose Bay flying boat
base, Sydney, and six to Australian
National Airways at Mascot, Sydney,
for remedial work prior to delivery to
RAAF units. The STM-S2 survivors
had their floats removed and con-
ventional undercarriage installed.
All were then used for communica-
tions and general flying duties.
The Ryans were among the first
RAAF types made available for dispos-
al early in 1945. Twenty-three Ryans and six-
teen spare 150hp Menasco Pirate C-4S en-
gines were on the first aircraft list. A tender
from Brown & Dureau Pty Ltd in Melbourne
was accepted for the entire Ryan inventory.
The refurbished aircraft were then sold
on the civil market and spent varying ca-
reers in a variety of roles. Ryan 473, as
VH-AGQ, crashed at Mullumbimby, NSW,
on 31 January 1949 and was later sold to
the Queensland Technical College in Bris-
bane as an instructional airframe. Con-
versely, 467 had a lengthy and colourful
civilian career, but then, as VH-RAE, it
crashed on 14 February 1970 at Clifton,
Queensland, during ‘unofficial’ dual in-
struction of the pilot under training. The
wreck was placed in storage until pur-
chased by the Susans brothers.
At some time in 1959-60, the Ryan’s Me-
nasco was replaced by a Gipsy Major, which
was lost in the subsequent crash. However,
the brothers later sourced a zero time Gipsy
10, from Austerserve in Sydney, which has
recently been issued a logbook by the Bunn
Brothers in Albury, NSW. This engine will be
installed during the rebuild of VH-RAE, but
the original appearance of the aircraft will
be preserved. With eight Ryan ST series air-
craft listed on the CASA register (not all are
flying), it will be great to see another of
these stunning machines once again grac-
ing the sky.
Rob Fox
F L I G H T PAT H
| 5

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