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Volume 29 - Number 3 - June 1998

EDITORS, DESIGN & PRODUCTION Bill and Judith Baker EDITORIAL Address all correspondence to; This month we say goodbye to another Australian The Editor, AHSA, Aviation legend - The Jindivick. Sold down the river, P.O. Box 2007, gone is the manufacturing capabilities, the trained flying South Melbourne 3205 Victoria, Australia. controllers. To be replaced by an American product. 03 9583 4072 Phone & Fax Sound familiar? Nomad, Victa, Wamira and on and on! Subscription Rates; What is wrong with our, as in most of afore mentioned Australia A$40. products, service personnel who are responsible for Rest of World A$50. Surface Mail these decisions. As in the case of Wamira the goal A$65. Surface Airlifted posts were moved after the design criteria was A$85. Air Mail established. What to do about it? Overseas payment to be in Australian Ben Dannecker takes us through the steps of flying the currency by International Money Order or Jindivick and what is entailed in making everything work. Bank Draft. Overseas personal cheques cannot be accepted. Now an apology to John Wilson, somehow we managed in the last Issue to repeat one page of the text. This Articles for Publication; Are to be on an however did not detract from John’s big effort. Australian theme. The Editor reserves the right to edit any The Editors wish list;(still wishing) article accepted for publication. Any facet of Australia’s aviation history. Compass Payment is not made for articles. Airlines, GAF Nomad, DMA Drover, Korea, Vietnam, Please Include sufficient postage for the anything that interests you and can be printed. return of originals if that is required. A - H and the Computer; Contributions for the Journal are most welcome in any form, Cover; Jidivick N22-742 being put on the transport but if you have a computer, exported on a vehicle after recovery. 3V2" disc in ASSCII format (plain text), or WIN 6, would be just great! (Include hard Contents; copy also).

95 Flying the Jindivick - Ben Dannecker Disclaimer; 1. Whilst every effort is made to 104 The RAAF Metrological Flight - Heffernan check the authenticity of the material and 107 de or De - Warwick Henry advertising printed, the Publishers, Editors, 108 Air Services in Australia - Howard G. Quinlan and the Aviation Historical Society of 121 Talkback Australia and its Office Bearers cannot 123 Dulgan and Roe - Phillip Jarrett accept responsibility for any non­ 129 Australia’s Junkers Ju 86 - David Eyre performance. 2. The views expressed in 'Aviation Heritage’ are not necessarily those of the AHSA or its Editors. Meetings of the AHSA;

Melbourne Branch: The fourth Wednesday in every month, 7:30 at the Airforce Association, 4 Cromwell AVIATION HERITAGE Street, South Yarra. Further Information - Keith Meggs ISSN 0815-4392 9580 0140. Print Post Approved PP320418/00017 NSW Branch: The first Wednesday in every month © 1998 By the Publishers; 7:45 Studio 1 at the Powerhouse Museum, enter from AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF the Macarthur Street end. Further information - Gordon AUSTRALIA INC., A0033653P Lasslett 9416 7603 P.O. BOX 2007 SOUTH MELBOURNE 3205, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

94 AHSA Aviation Heritage

FLYING THE JINDIVIK By Ben Dannecker

The Jervis Bay Range Facility aerial view looking north. DRONE TARGET BASE sight for the Australian program with perhaps a year to Jindivik flying at Jervis Bay first commenced on 7th go, although Britain plans to continue operation of the February 1967, when No. 496 took off for its range ac­ type for the foreseeable future. For missions specifying ceptance trial flight, with the aircraft, operating and sup­ high-speed airborne target presentation, the subsonic port crew and equipment all here on temporary detach­ Jindivik is quite versatile and able to perform a variety of ment from Woomera, South Australia. After 23 years at tasks. No doubt this feature coupled with its relative its original Woomera base, the permanent home of Aus­ economy has contributed to its record long service life. tralian Jindivik operations moved to its present site at The Australian-made Jindivik is unique in that it is the Jervis Bay in August 1975. Located at the Royal Austra­ only current drone aircraft using a discrete command lian Navy airfield on Bherwerre Peninsular, bordering the control system (signal blips) as opposed to a proportional southern edge of Jervis Bay, New South Wales, it is a command control system (constant signal), which is former World War 2 Beaufort bomber base and is termed standard for drone aircraft operations worldwide. The pre­ officially as the Jervis Bay Range Facility. Situated some sent ground control setup is essentially the original 36 kilometres south-east of the Navy’s major aerodrome Woomera system (yes, after four and a half decades!) at HMAS Albatross, near Nowra, Jervis Bay also doubles and a new state of the art, fully air portable control array as a satellite airstrip for Albatross with Army, Navy and could have allowed the Jindivik to continue well into the Air Force aircraft plus foreign defence force aircraft mak­ next millennium, let alone permit the type to become a ing regular appearances. In the nineties a variety of air much more saleable export product. This was not to be, traffic regularly flies into the field with the Cl30 Hercules and thus a potent, long proven and uniquely Australian being the current largest user. Falcon 900, Caribou, Da­ aircraft has been allowed to fade away unnecessarily. At kota and HS748 aircraft plus helicopters of all types, in first glance, the Jindivik looks just like any other small jet, addition to civil aircraft, are also seen here. The proximity particularly when airborne. However, up close the differ­ of the RAN Naval College at HMAS Creswell has resulted ences which distinguish it from a normal aircraft become in various RAAF VIP aircraft from Canberra making fre­ apparent: lack of a pilot’s cockpit, the special take-off quent visits over the years, including the Convair 440 and trolley on which the aircraft sits before flight and the ex­ the regular Falcon 900 trijet. The largest recorded turbo­ tended skid on which it perches after landing. The vividly jet aircraft to land at the drone base was the BAC 1-11, bright colour scheme of red and yellow (to assist in whilst in the seventies, the odd civil Bristol 170 Freighter maintaining visual contact with the plane in the circuit delivered new Jindiviks direct to the site from Melbourne. area) coupled with the stated features, ail add up to a most unusual aircraft. To briefly recap on some of the THE AIRCRAFT technical attributes of the bird - its powerplant, the Rolls At the time of writing (July 1997), the Jindivik was Royce Viper 201 axial-flow turbo-jet engine produces a celebrating its 45th year in operation, still being flown by nominal 2,750 lb thrust (the Viper used by the Macchi both the Australian and British defence forces, and having trainer, has less power). Average all up weight for take-off the honour of being the last fixed-wing turbo-jet aircraft in is around 3,800 lb dependant on the stores load under­ the Royal Australian Navy’s inventory. Sadly the end is in wing and internally. Initial rate of climb after take-off is

95 AHSA Aviation Heritage

on TONIC presentations and are able to be wound in again, whereas the longer cables for HUTTS presentations nnust be dumped after completion of the exercise. Considerable use of the Jindivik target system is made by the Navy and RAAF with missile firings throughout the year, whilst the Army is a customer on a less frequent basis.

BASIC ESSENTIALS How does one fly a full-sized high­ speed jet aircraft entirely from the ground? What are the special problems that must be addressed? What technical support is required to mount a sortie? What tasks is such an aircraft used for? What are the limitations on the Jindivik’s operations? The following text attempts to answer Close up of the HUTTS (Hayes Universal Target Towing System) target some of these questions and is a supple­ and wing mounting rail. ment to the technical description and his­ most impressive, over 9,000 fpm at an indicated airspeed tory of the aircraft which appeared in the of 230 Kt up to 25,000 ft. The aircraft can achieve Mach AHSA Journal Vol 22 No 2. .86 at 520 Kt in level flight. The first essential infrastructure item for the current In its role as a pilotless target tug (originally It was the Australian drone target system is a 5,000 ft hard surface target, but cost considerations have precluded using the runway with flight paths clear of built-up areas, with an multi-million dollar aircraft for just one missile shot), the associated restricted range area able to meet all Jindivik Jindivik excels. It is able to carry a variety of underwing operational requirements with no altitude limitations. This stores representing a multitude of threat targets, by way is achieved by the combination of the Naval Airfield at of active and passive radar, infrared reflectors, smoke Jervis Bay Range Facility (JBRF) and the adjacent East­ and light (flame plume) generators, at cable lengths from ern Australia Exercise Area (EAXA), the boundaries of 150 ft to 8,000 ft and longer. The shorter cables are used which extend from the airfield to 100 nautical miles east and 100 nautical miles south, and encompasses the five nautical mile radius circuit area. Known as Restricted Area 453 (or colloquially “Romeo 453”), it is divided up into sections labelled alphabetically from A to P. For standard local training flights, only areas A and B are used up to 5,000 ft altitude. Approval for any height re­ quired to carry out the Jindivik’s tasks on target flights in areas C to P are granted subject to the requirements of other operational missions being carried out in the area. These can include Australian and foreign air and naval forces plus civil target tugs such as the Learjet and Westwind. Jindivik flying is normally granted priority when it does fly, which generally speaking is not an in­ tensive program, other than at certain times of the year. Next, a landline link between all airfield crew posi­ tions and the Ground Control System is required. Situ­ ated on Bherwerre Ridge, this is the location for all tele­ command, radar and radio control equipment and transmitters/receivers and their tower-mounted aerials, associated technical personnel and the two instrument controllers. It is vital to the operation of the Jindivik. A tracking radar which follows the Jindivik’s transponder is the primary navigation device, in this case a modified Selenia weather radar mounted at Bherwerre Ridge. High-powered binoculars are an essential tool in visually controlling the Jindivik. These are 10 x 50 Barr & Stroud 45° elbow binoculars incorporating a precise graticule showing a graduated field of 4° In elevation and azimuth alignment marks coinciding with the run­ way sides. These glasses are able to be used by both Bats and Pilot at their respective airfield positions. All weights, volumes and distances are quoted under the British Imperial system still in use for this program.

96 AHSA Aviation Herit^e

Abbreviations and definitions are as follows:- particular box, ie. not in the Observer position on the box nm = nautical miles; ft = altitude in feet; Kyd = thousands being used, and in reverse control if in the Batsnnan posi­ of yards; Trials = any operational flight other than test or tion on final approach. The master box in either case can training; gal = imperial gallons; fpm = feet per minute override the slave box, when selected in and this feature (climb or descent); lb = pounds (weight or thrust); rpm = is used when training - giving the instructor the capability revolutions per minute (engine speed). to taking over control should he need to. To operate a Jindivik flight, more than a dozen “hands-on” technical and support personnel are required FLIGHT CREW encompassing radar, telecommand, transmitters, autopi­ Selection criteria for a Jindivik Controller appointment can lot, engine and airframe specialists, with the four Jindivik be gauged from data applicable to the five current incum­ flight crew additional to these. All of the aforementioned bents - age 42-63, flight hours as pilot between 4,000 and must be present at their respective crew stations/work 8,000 hours, all except one being ex-military officers of sites before the take-off sequence may be commenced. which three are ex-Fleet Air Arm pilots. Strict medical The minimum flight crew for a Jindivik sortie is:- standards and security requirements must also be met. SKIPPER Instrument Controller on Bherwerre Ridge, using an indoor control panel, commands the flight, oper­ OPERATING LIMITATIONS ates the majority of controls, selects crew combinations When considering the launch and retrieval case, the for control. Jindivik is purely a visual flight aircraft, with minima for NAVIGATOR Instrument Controller on Bherwerre cloud over the airfield being 2/8 cover or less at 2,000 ft Ridge using an indoor control panel, responsible for azi­ or higher, 10 Kilometres or better visibility, no significant muth control in the range area and for the circuit when haze and no rain. During operational flights in the range designated. area, which extends 100 nm east and 100 nm south, oc­ PILOT Visual Controller at the airfield, using open air casional rapid weather changes can considerably reduce tower-mounted binoculars, initiates the take-off and actu­ these minima, making the task of initial acquisition, ap­ ally lands the aircraft, using pitch attitude and throttle proach and landing quite difficult at times. These are the control, responsible for the take-off and approach part of times when the two visual controllers stationed at the air­ the circuit. field really “earn their crust” so to speak! Wind limitations BATSMAN Visual Controller at the airfield, using open include a maximum gust value of 30 Kt from any direction air tower-mounted binoculars, responsible for azimuth at the runway, with a maximum crosswind of 15 Kt for the control on the runway and in the circuit. standard stub-wing version and 10 Kt for the two ex­ Both airfield crew positions have master (primary) and tended-wing versions, or when crew training is in prog­ slave (secondary) control boxes each with three function ress. Maximum-weight landings are possible but generally selections available - Off, Observer and Pilot (or Bats as only as an emergency procedure due to the risk of over­ applicable). Each controller must ensure that he has se­ running the landing strip. In the air the Jindivik can reach lected the correct function and switching applicable to his heights above 60,000 ft for certain tasks but this is de­ pendant on the actual payload being carried, with 45,000

97 AHSA Aviation Heritage ft being the usual nriaximunn trials altitude with a tow target extended. All trials are carried out over water in the Jervis Bay Range area known as “Romeo 453” working either with ships or aircraft, and the shooters are colloquially termed as “playmates”. The Jindivik can be safely flown as low as 50 ft altitude but a range distance limit of 30 nm from the radar site is then imposed to maintain safe tracking parame­ ters.

CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS Compared with a drone or pi­ lotless aircraft, a normal aeroplane requires far less crew on the ground due to one simple fact - the onboard human pilot. This live op­ Jindivik Nil-742 on tiedown point, runway 08 at Jervis Bay, in take-off prepara­ erator (U.S. Navy parlance, the tions opposite being no live operator or nolo for short), is able to assess all the various flight con­ originated in the aircraft, and occurs only after a preset ditions being experienced, in addition to monitoring the speed or height is reached such as the UNSTICK aircraft’s actual performance and systems function (or SEQUENCE on take-off when the trolley release is ef­ malfunctions!) - then make the appropriate control re­ fected or on touchdown, when a RAPID FLAP UP is se­ sponses at the right time - to keep the machine flying in lected as the stinger on the landing skid contacts the run­ the most efficient manner. In the pilotless aircraft case, all way, for a total of 8. that has to be done by remote control. The entry argu­ ment is to provide a stable platform in flight, able to hold TELEMETRY the aircraft in a steady state (eg straight and level or Ground monitoring of the aircraft’s behaviour is climb) at a constant airspeed and wing bank angle. This achieved by a multi-channel airborne telemetry system is achieved by a special onboard automatic pilot which is which transmits information from the aircraft to ground able to hold the Jindivik in a number of preset conditions control, using seven separate channels in the UHF fre­ quency band. Channels 1-6 are in continuous use to pro­ of flight, including climb, level cruise, turns, descent and approach. Sophisticated gyro-stabilising systems are vide data on aircraft performance and engine r.p.m. found in this auto-pilot, the Marconi-Elliott L5, and bank Channel 7 is time multi-plexed to provide 31 additional angles up to 60 degrees are possible, with the normal information channels and is displayed as a histogram on a Cathode Ray Oscilloscope. The primary function of the bank angle for turns being 35 degrees. The auto-pilot ac­ airborne telemetry system is to measure data related to cepts commands transmitted from ground control through a radio link provided by the telecommand system which aircraft and autopilot behaviour and then to convert these measurements to frequency intelligent sub-carrier signals sends each control signal V\a a three-tone encoder. The aircraft receiver detects this audio group and and to mix and transmit these signals over a radio link feeds it to the desired individual control (eg. throttle) via a back to ground control. decoder. Control is effected via two methods of signal The function of the ground telemetry system is com­ switching - PRIORITY, where a command for azimuth plementary to the airborne equipment and is to receive, takes priority over another command for pitch sent si­ separate and identify ihe various channels on a frequency multaneously by two different controllers. TRILLING is the basis, extract the information and present it to the aircraft other method, where the Skipper elects to give each controller who requires and has the most data display, the crewman controlling pitch and azimuth, equal authority, Skipper. He is the overall commander of the flight, and by selecting TRILL mode. This is achieved by each signal has no less than 50 control signal options available to being sampled alternately 7 times per second. The relays him. The other instrument controller with whom he works in the aircraft are slugged (time delayed) so that each conjunction is the Navigator, who has but 6 control op­ signal appears continuous and the Jindivik responds tions. The navigation facility enables the NAV to monitor smoothly. TRILL is used at all times except when the aircraft’s position and heading. The system comprises PRIORITY is specifically required. There are three types of a Selenia radar antenna and equipment presenting a of radio command signals employed on the Jindivik sys­ display on a vertically mounted primary navigation plotting tem. Two are manually selected - the locking signal and table using a pen recorder chart, coupled with a Data the beep signal. The former commands are for steady Presentation Unit showing slant range, ground range, state responses such as CLIMB, LEVEL CRUISE, elevation angle, azimuth bearing, height and other infor­ DESCEND etc. for a total of nine. The latter commands mation. A telemetry direction finder using a dial and nee­ are used to vary the aircraft from one of the preceding dle display, coupled with a secondary navigation plot fixed attitudes and are only effective during the period of known as WRETARD (the acronym derived from Weap­ transmission of the signal. Examples are PITCH UP- ons Research Establishment Target Aircraft Range & PITCH DOWN, THROTTLE OPEN-THROTTLE SHUT, for Distance) provides an alternative method of navigation a total of 5. The third type of signal is an automatic one and homing in the event of a radar failure precluding the use of the main navigation plot.

98 AHSA Aviation Heritage

The final countdown of checks prior to take-off is JINDIVIK VISUAL FLYING known as ETOS (Enter Take-Off Sequence) and is com­ For all operations, a minimum of four flight controllers menced a nominal 15 minutes before actual take-off, al­ working as a team, are required to fly the Jindivik, with a though in practice this time is closer to 12 minutes. The pair of controllers working in tandem, one to direct the Jindivik is ready and secured at the runway tie-down point

POINT

TYPICAL HIGH ALTITUDE JINDIVIK FLIGHT PATTERN

aircraft in azimuth and one to direct it in elevation and on its 3-Wheel take-off trolley, held by a single anchor, speed, at any one time. A variety of combinations can be with a considerable span of preflight checking time in the set up at the discretion of the Skipper, and each controller hangar already accomplished. Several engineers and a must be ready to assume control from his post at all Navy fire truck are in attendance, and the starter trolley times, if he is not already so occupied. This requires con­ carrying compressed air bottles and the auxiliary jet fuel stant monitoring of the intercom using a headset and tank plus engine controls and monitoring dials, is parked boom microphone, to stay fully aware of the flight’s prog- next to the aircraft, with a number of leads and hoses and ress and situation state, facilitating anticipation of a need connected between them. At the Skipper’s call " to assume control as soon as requested. Non-standard ready for control checks", all manned positions vital to the approaches such as SKIPPER/NAVIGATOR or BATS flight call in, ETOS is commenced and subsequently the CALLED/NAVIGATOR FLOWN are practised regularly, as engine is started. When the Viper 201 springs to life, a are other types of emergency procedures. The two visual muffled bellow not unlike that from a bull is heard, created controllers Batsman and Pilot, both located at the runway, by changes to the tailpipe resonance due to variations in make up the flight crew of four and have 3 and 6 control exhaust airflow as the engine accelerates to self- options respectively. “Bats” is perched on a mobile tower sustaining speed. On completion of further checks in­ on the extended centreline just off the runway behind the cluding function tests from each Controler position, plus aircraft tie down position and the Jindivik will take off confirmation that the tool shadow board is full and that away from his location. “Pilot" is sited in a fixed elevated the trolley steering arm is connected, the Jindivik is ready tower alongside the runway opposite the touchdown to fly. With take-off clearance received from JERVIS BAY markings, initially at the upwind end, and then part way Tower, the Skipper commands Bats “send straight" and through the pre-take-off checks, will move to the down­ when sent confirms this with “is on the board” and then wind end for the actual take-off. Due to the complexity of advises “Pilot you are clear for take-off’. On receipt of describing the Jindivik system in greater depth, this text same. Pilot sends and calls “climb". This initiates the will confine itself simply to the actual flying of the aircraft automatic take-off sequence, spooling up the Viper turbo­ in the circuit area on a typical training sortie known as a jet engine towards maximum power. As 12,000 rpm is JCT. This Jindivik Continuation Training (flight) is vital to called by the Skipper, the engineer kneeling under the ensure that all operational and support personnel directly rear of the left wing, beside the take-off trolley, pulls the involved “hands-on” for Jindivik flying maintain their level lanyard holding the Jindivik at the tie down point, releas­ of proficiency. ing it, and the aircraft surges forward gathering momen­ tum very quickly. Power continues to be called by the Skipper as the engine accelerates towards full power. The TAKE-OFF

99 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Jindivik’s path on the runway, countering any crosswind separation sequence has begun. At this instant a snnall present, is maintained on the centreline by the Batsman’s ram under the forward fuselage lifts the nose of the air- judicious use of the LEFT and RIGHT toggle switch, ob- craft to the flying attitude whilst the flap extends simulta- serving the strict rule of not using the STRAIGHT com- neously. As the Jindivik smoothly ascends off the trolley mand at this time. Airspeed is called continuously at 10 Kt the three supporting arms automatically fold flat and the increments and at the point of lift-off from the trolley, at nosewheel centres, whilst the trolley’s automatic Maxaret around 125 Kt, a flashbulb fixed above the trolley’s nose- braking system brings the device to a halt. The angle of wheel gives a brief but intense flash, signifying that the climb out is closely monitored by the Pilot, who may need to send a small PITCH UP if the take-off is flat or a small PITCH DOWN if the take-off is steeper than normal. As all this happens the Pilot calls “flash - airborne", and the azimuth controller, the Batsman (old Navy term from carrier days) sends and calls the command “straight", to transfer di­ rectional control from the trolley to the aircraft. On the Skipper’s call of “150” (Kt), the Pilot reduces engine power and calls “throttling back". As the Skipper calls “73,000” (rpm) engine power is left at that by the Pilot, and he calls “climbing away OK Skipper" with the aircraft accelerating towards 190 Kt. If the Pilot observes the change to flaps up, he calls “flaps are up" but the Histogram Monitor sitting behind the Skipper will confirm this if Pilot has not called it.

I CLIMB, LEVEL CRUISE & HOLDING The Skipper now changes the crew selection, advising that “Skipper/Nav have control" and sta­ bilises the aircraft to fly level, selecting and calling “level cruise". An altitude of around 3,000 ft will now have been reached, (From an overshoot after an approach to landing, circuit height only will be reached as the climb away is at the lower maximum power setting of 12,000 rpm). The normal level cruise speed of 230 Kt is now adopted and the Navigator is in control of azimuth direction. If the aircraft was required for a target presentation at altitude, the climb would be continued, where the Skipper’s call would be “selecting climb, speed lock". The Jindivik is now held off the coast to the east of the field, whilst Bats and Pilot change ends, a process which takes about 8-10 minutes from launch. During this period the aircraft is pro­ gressively descended by the Skipper, firstly to “Transition Altitude" (1,700 ft) and then “Circuit Height" (1,200 ft). The Navigator tracks to inter­ cept the extended centreline of Runway 26 at be­ tween 12,000 yards and 15,000 yards (in local parlance; 72 Kyd and 75 Kyd), whilst advising the airfield crew of the aircraft’s position as a radial from the radar site. The aircraft is then placed into an orbit, generally from the centre-line to the north, to facilitate visual acquisition of the Jindivik by the Batsman and Pilot.

I CIRCUIT For a straight-in approach to runway 26 the aircraft will be positioned on the centreline at ' about 12 Kyd distance from the touchdown zone. The two visual controllers have by now re- positioned themselves at their landing locations, the Pilot simply moving to the other fixed Pilot Tower.

100 AHSA Aviation Heritage

The crew and their equipment very good reason. The aircraft is virtually side-on for most of the take-off roll and binoculars would not be practical, considering the high rate of transit of the accelerating Jindivik. For the approach to land it is of utmost impor­ tance for the Pilot set his binoculars up very accurately. Firstly he must align the specific marks on his graticule with the two horizon bars mounted on his side of the run­ way (one set at either end), some distance beyond his post, in the direction of the approach path to give an ac­ curate horizon and the vital 2° approach slope. The bin­ oculars also have a compass rose at the base, to permit alignment with the true runway direction. This will then assist in acquiring the aircraft following advice from the Navigator as to radial and altitude, plus heading - which is Peter Cox on SKIPPERS panel. translated by the airfield crew as a bearing and elevation from their respective positions. Even with binoculars some degree of difficulty is experienced in locating the fast approaching Jindivik travelling at 170 to 200 Kt, es­ pecially under conditions of limited visibility. Dependant on runway in use the Pilot may acquire visual sighting of the aircraft before the Batsman or vice versa, due to local terrain affecting field of view. Suffice to say that the in­ strument controllers will endeavour to position the Jindivik at the standard “gate” of 090° @12 Kyd @ 1200 ft. and the airfield crew know where to start looking. On first sighting by (eg.) the Batsman, the call "Bats contact" is made followed by "Pilot contact" when appropriate. The first approach to land is generally flown as a Bats con­ Graeme Hawkins on NAVIGATORS panel. trolled circuit, and Bats will request control when ready, having ensured that his function switch has been placed in reverse, as the aircraft is flying towards him. When the aircraft flies away from Bats, he will select normal on his function switch, but will re-select reverse when the aircraft makes its base turn to intercept final approach. The stan­ dard 14° offset from over the runway head at the upwind end is then flown out to 914 Kyd, with due allowance for any crosswind effect. The Bats has a slightly less complex task, needing to judge the angle of his teardrop downwind leg as accurately as possible, so that when the base turn is made, the Jindivik will roll onto finals as close to the extended centreline as practicable. Undershoots and overshoots of this turn can make life a little harder for the Ben Dannecker on PILOTS tower. Pilot too, as more turns will vary the aircraft’s rate of de­ scent during the approach compounding his regular problem of combating vertical excursions of the approach slope due to local turbulence and wind shear. If it is a low- level circuit this offset is increased to 22° plus or minus the crosswind and the base turn is made at around 6 Kyd, with the Pilot calling "Bats you are clear turn" after viewing the aircraft’s position in the graticule as being just above the slope in both cases. All flight crew constantly aim to position the aircraft in the optimum location and altitude/speed as applicable from their respective control positions, whether over the ocean, in the circuit or on approach etc.

Owen Nichols on BATS tower. APPROACH - BATSMAN The Batsman needs to disconnect and then tow his On a straight-in approach. Pilot and Bats will take mobile tower to the other end, reconnect the control & control at about the same time - with Bats usually a little communications cable and re-install the three triangular earlier due to his location being a mile closer to the coast, stabilising stands which hold his tower steady - a must calling “Bats ready for control”. Following a function when using high-powered binoculars. He is again estab- check, he then advises that “Safs has M confro/". lished on the extended centreline about 500 ft off the end Both visual controllers use the time honoured method of the runway but with the Jindivik flying towards him for of observe, control, wait & observe then control as re- the landing. A point to mention here is that only the Bats- quired. Over controlling can lead to all sorts of difficulties man needs his binoculars for both take-off and landing - and the golden rule for the azimuth (Bats and Nav) con- Pilot carries out his take-off duties with unaided eyes for a trailers is IF IN DOUBT SEND STRAIGHT! The Batsman

101 AHSA Aviation Heritage is aiming to provide a stable aircraft in azimuth for the direction, awaiting the aircraft to come in to his field of Pilot, who has more factors affecting his requirements view from the top. On a Bats-controlled circuit the Pilot and ievel of control inputs. will call Bats on to the base turn, advising “Bats you are The Batsman will acquire and maintain the extended clear to turn", upon which the turn is made and acknowl- centreline of the runway by small control inputs, aiming to edged by Bats counter the drift being experienced, so that the aircraft When ready, just as the aircraft nears the 2° approach tracks directly in line with the run- way. Corrections need to be antici­ pated promptly with the aim to locate the Jindi- vik as close as possible to the centreline at the instant of touch­ down by the Pi­ lot. On occa­ sions, some re­ sidual roll trim is still present in the aircraft, meaning that it will actu­ ally have a slight amount of bank on even when the command Mission completed! STRAIGHT is sent. Then the line from below in the graticule, the Pilot calls “Pilot ready usual task of needing to crab the aircraft into wind cou­ for control". Skipper makes the switch change and ad­ pled with the foregoing and local turbulence tends to vises “Bats & Pilot have control" then both visual control­ make for an interesting time as the threshold is crossed. lers acknowledge this on the intercom. Bats’ main task At the touchdown, the Jindivik will run In the direction in now is to keep the aircraft on the centreline, whilst Pilot’s which the skid is pointing and with drift on, a smart cor­ job is to intercept and maintain the 2“ approach slope. rection to align with the runway is required. However too This is commenced by sending and calling “approach" at much correction or not enough will cause the aircraft to the appropriate moment immediately after which he diverge considerably, and it must be kept on the hard sends but does not call a throttle shut. The Skipper ad­ tarmac at all times, as soft ground does not support the vises “is on the board, power is coming back with that skid-mounted Jindivik very well. Techniques to achieve a throttle shut and you’ll get (eg.) 6,200 (r.p.m.)t At this good landing roll from the viewpoint of the Batsman vary point the Jindivik is still in HEIGHT LOCK but has a falling slightly between individual controllers, but the results are airspeed due to the power reduction. The next call from the same. At the end of the landing run the Batsman calls the Skipper is “speed passing 145, 140, 135, 130" , at on the intercom “aircraft stopped" and everyone breathes which point the aircraft enters SPEED LOCK and noses a sigh. So much for the approach and landing from the down to maintain this standard approach speed. It is a Batsman position. matter of fine judgement by the Pilot at this stage, re­ garding when to send the second APPROACH command, APPROACH - PILOT and he bases this on three considerations. Firstly the po­ NOTE 1; Pilot has the Throttle toggle in his left hand sition of the aircraft relative to the approach slope, and the Pitch toggle in his right hand and a fine balance choosing to wait a little as it descends if it is a bit high or between the two is required, as only one command may sending the second command immediately if it is already be sent at any one time. Sending two commands simulta­ on slope. With good planning, there should not be any neously means that you get no response at all! Other surprises, always allowing for a little extra height above controls used by the Pilot are Climb and Approach but­ the slope at this early stage. The second consideration is tons, Overshoot toggle and Fuel Off rotary switch. the amount of turbulence/updrafts/downdrafts present on NOTE 2; The Pilot cannot accept control of the Jindi­ approach, as this increases the rate of descent, but can vik until the aircraft is within his binocular’s field of view. also bounce the aircraft upwards. Finally the amount of These have »^cen fixed in elevation to give the 2° r.p.m. established at the end of the THROTTLE SHUT glideslope representation, using the two ground mounted command has a bearing on approach slope control in that horizon bars as the master reference level if the figure is too low (ie. 6,000 r.p.m.) the engine spool- up time when the second approach command is sent will The aircraft flies into his field of view fairly late on the be proportionately longer, whilst the Jindivik continues downwind leg and not long before the base turn - meaning downwards in SPEED LOCK. Alternatively, if insufficient that the Pilot must keep the aircraft in sight with the naked power is taken off after the first approach command is eye for up to 314 nm - no mean feat in limited visibility. sent, then the aircraft will not slow down quickly enough However he is already aware of the predictable path that and it may appear to climb the slope whilst decelerating the Jindivik will follow on downwind and can scan in that at the higher power setting. This time we are well set up

102 AHSA Aviation Heritage and the second approach command has brought the aircraft may not accelerate quickly enough for the over­ power back up to 7,800 r.p.m. Assuming that we are sit- shoot/climbout before actually touching the runway with ting happily about ’’^degree above the slope, we await its skid-mounted stinger, which then causes a rapid flap developments.... and they are not long in coming! Under up condition and makes the climbout difficult. On JCT’s most conditions, the standard wing (no extensions) Jindi- four (and sometimes more) circuits and approaches to the vik tends to depart the slope in a downwards direction at overshoot point can be made before the final approach to this power setting, so a small THROTTLE OPEN is sent a full stop. During a day of operational trials with perhaps to give around 8,000 r.p.m. which will generally suffice, three flights planned for the day, the first approach is f/ie With a heavy payload of fuel or underwing stores, or landing approach and everyone involved must get it right downdraft effects, more power to the order of 8,500 or the first time due invariably to the aircraft having only a even 9 000 r.p.m. will be required, and a feather touch on minimum fuel state. For the actual landing the Pilot aims the throttle toggle is vital, to guard against too much to touch down opposite the Pilot Tower on which he is power being applied. Additions of just one or two hundred standing, located some 200 ft off the side of the runway, r.p.m. will usually be ample, dependant on conditions, some 550 ft in from the threshold. Assuming that all is The Skipper constantly calls engine r.p.m. and Kt air- well with the Jindivik definitely in the slot at the right speed during the approach, unless it is a practice no-tele - speed, the Pilot closes the throttle and sends little pitch up which simulates both an intercom loss and telemetry fail- commands to maintain a level attitude as the aircraft ure leaving the Pilot to Judge the entire approach without sinks smoothly onto the runway. As touchdown is made any reference to airspeed or engine power data passed to the flaps retract automatically when the stinger at the rear him. No, it’s not impossible, but does require skill and of the skid contacts the ground. The Pilot sends the experience on the part of the controller. The method here command FUEL OFF twice for certainty and calls “down, is to leave the aircraft in speed lock for as long as possi- fuel off”. ble (i.e. do not use the PITCH command) and apply en­ gine power only to maintain the approach slope - knowing FINAL CONTROL that the speed lock feature will maintain 130 Kt airspeed. The Pilot’s primary task is now over, but the Batsman However, speed lock must be broken in time to fine tune is still wrestling with the Jindivik continuing on its landing the latter part of the approach using pitch commands. The roll (slide?) and has the job of keeping it on the centreline desired approach slope angle to be maintained is 2° but with factors such as asymmetric stores load and cross- for emergencies such as flapless or skidless approaches, winds making things interesting. Below 50 Kt the aircraft the slope angle is reduced to 1.5°. Airspeed should be becomes ballistic ie. just a lead sled, rather than acting as kept at around 130 Kt and once the correct power setting an aerodynamic machine and the steering (via ailerons to give this speed and approach slope has been deter- only) becomes ineffective. The trick here is to set up the mined, on a calm day, the Jindivik will remain stable on course of the Jindivik so that it will slide those last few slope, on speed for most of the final leg. However totally hundred feet to the point on the runway at which it is de­ calm days are the exception and the Pilot has to work the sired to stop, ie. somewhere close to the centreline, and aircraft down the slope at the right speed, correcting for when this occurs the Batsman advises “aircraft stopped “. any vertical divergences, with intelligent use of Throttle The Skipper then calls the end of the flight and for all and Pitch commands. By about mid-finals SPEED LOCK points to check in their serviceability states. The airfield is broken by pitching out with the PITCH UP command, recovery party proceeds to retrieve the Jindivik immedi- Engine power should be able to stay at the selected level ately, towing out another take-off trolley and accompanied (but not always!), and the slope maintained by use of the by a mobile crane to lift the aircraft off the ground onto Pitch toggle. The old rule of controlling airspeed with atti- the trolley. The aircraft is then towed back to the hangar tude and rate of descent with power in manned propeller- for post-flight servicing, refuelling and preparation for the driven aircraft is reversed on the Jindivik and most other next flight, jet aircraft. Rate of descent (or maintenance of the ap­ proach slope) is controlled by the Attitude and airspeed by CONCLUSIONS Power - respectively the Pitch and Throttle commands The “raison d’etre” of the Jindivik is of course present- For the Pilot, his golden rule is observe, listen, control, ing targets at high subsonic speed to Australian sea and observe, listen, control etc. As the Jindivik arrives at air forces for missile firing practice. This tactical training about 900 yards from touchdown it is allowed to come role of the Jindivik in the Eastern Australia Exercise Area, below the 2° slope by about a quarter of a degree (to a R453, is directly carried out by the two instrument control­ slope of 1.75° but no lower), and it is must be stable, not lers,, Navigator, ^ , and Skipper with the latter having overall flattening out nor diverging further downwards. The Pilot control of the entire mission. Unfortunately space does not now comes off his glasses at about 600 yards. Skill is Permit a detailed description of their specific tasks tech-

the aircraft is doing right now is vital and little pitch ups Sadly these skills will be lost for all time in this country are sent, to give a smooth touchdown opposite the Pilot when the Jindivik is phased out later this month. tower. Should the need for an overshoot arise, as in nor­ Ben Dannecker mal JCT’s, then this must be carried out at the ‘'coming off Target Controller glasses “ point, unless the aircraft was badly out of toler­ Jervis Bay Range Facility ances earlier on in the approach. If wishing to overshoot any later than just after the ’’coming off glasses point”, the

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THE HEFFERNANARTICLES 4-

THE RAAF METEOROLOGICAL FLIGHT BY THE LATE AIR COMMODORE P. G.HEEFERNAN, O.B.E., A.F.C. Until 1928 the R.A.A.F. was equipped, in general, with answered any questions he might be asked, surplus aircraft from the 1914-1918 war. Various propos­ als were made to modernise the equipment. One such However, overcast days presented quite a problem. As proposal was to purchase eight Bristol Bulldog single- most people know, Melbourne has a range of hills to the seater fighters. The purchase was duly made and the air­ east and the north which go up to 4,000 feet within forty craft arrived during 1929. In those days one could almost miles of the city. Even to the west the land goes up to buy aircraft off the shelf - rather a change from modern 2,000 feet. Therefore, the only open space is to the south, buying procedure. over Port Phillip Bay. Let us assume that a south-west wind was blowing, as was frequently happening, at (say) Fighter Squadron was formed under the command of 25 m.p.h.; in a flight of one hour the whole air mass would Squadron Leader J. H. Summers, and one of the pilots move 25 miles to the north-east, right over the start of the was Flight Lieutenant F. R. W. Scherger. Naturally, there Great Dividing Range. One must also remember that once was much competition to get posted to the Squadron, as an aircraft is airborne it becomes part of the air mass. the Bulldogs were regarded as really hot stuff. They had a Therefore, on such a day, the pilot tried to allow for such a maximum speed at ground level of 172 m.p.h. and a ceil­ movement of the air by flying into the wind for about 45 ing of about 25,000 feet. The squadron's main role was minutes and then down wind for the last 15 minutes of the fighter-pilot training, consisting of gunnery, aerobatics, flight. Now, providing that the wind direction remained formation flying, low level bombing, and putting on dis­ plays all round Australia.

Some time during 1930 the Weather Bureau obtained Air Board's permission for a Bulldog to do a daily flight to 16,000 feet. During the flight the pilot took wet and dry bulb temperatures at each 2,000-foot level, noted cloud formations and any other meteorological data that could be of interest. The thermometers were strapped to the outer wing struts.

When the Bulldogs were first received there were no instruments for cloud flying, except a spirit level which indicated if the machine was flying with the wings in a horizontal plane, and a compass. Some two years later the first "bank and turn' instrument was fitted. This was a rather primitive instrument which, if it was functioning cor­ rectly, indicated a right-hand turn by a green light. The steeper the turn, the more the light showed. Similarly, a red light indicated a left turn. Owing to the uncertainty of the serviceability of this instrument, most pilots disre­ garded it and flew "by the seat of their pants". I might also mention that there was no radio and no landing aids, the general rule being that if you could see you could fly. Moreover, there were very few other aircraft around, so usually the pilot had the sky to himself once over 5,000 feet. These meteorological flights, which took on the aver­ age an hour, were done daily, except when the weather was too adverse to take off - and by "adverse" I really Paddy Heffernan kitted up for the Metrological mean adverse. The standard used was, if the windsock on flight the workshop hangar could be seen, then the pilot took off. In other words, a visibility of 150 yards was regarded as constant all the way up to 16,000, by using such a method the normal minimum. Believe it or not, despite these the pilot usually broke cloud somewhere in the vicinity of primitive methods, in the ten years these flights were done Point Cook. only one aircraft crashed - more of this later. To illustrate what dangers could befall the pilot on The aircraft would be started up at 0845 hours, ready overcast days, the story of one of my own flights will serve for take-off at 0900 if it was a clear day the flight presented best. On take-off the wind was from the south and the no problem, as one could choose any part of the sky to cloud base was variable at about 1,000 feet. I took off and operate in. In such case, the pilot after taking off usually flew in a southerly direction until I reached 16,000. As the climbed towards the north. At each 2,000 feet the aircraft wind had only been 15-20 m.p.h. on take off, I thought I was flown level for two minutes and the temperature had allowed enough and so turned and descended gener­ readings were taken and noted on a knee-pad. This pro­ ally in a northerly direction. On the way up I had broken cedure was repeated until 16,000 feet was reached, when clear of the clouds at 6,000 feet and, apart from a few the descent commenced and readings were taken again. scattered clouds at 12,000, had had a clear run. There Back at Point Cook, the pilot telephoned the Weather Bu­ was no indication at all of any change of wind direction reau and passed the information to the duty officer, and during the flight. Sometimes we would get a temperature inversion that would put us on our guard of a wind change.

104 AHSA Aviation Heritage

An inversion was when the temperature, after steadily About an hour later the wreck was spotted by Flying falling during the climb, suddenly rose a few degrees and Officer Macdonald, who directed some of the ground then commenced to fall again. A wind change would searchers to him. He had to be cut out of the wreck, and it sometimes accompany such a phenomena, although one took three hours to get him to the road where an ambu- could not tell the direction to which the wind had swung. In lance met them. They reached Bacchus Marsh at 1830 such a case, the pilot usually flew farther to the south to hours and finally Caulfield Hospital, Melbourne, at 2200. keep away from the hills. ______

On the descent I struck cloud again at about 6,000 feet and kept a very sharp look out for any darkening of the clouds, which would indicate that the ground was getting close. The 4,000 foot level was cleared and I was just about to level out at 2,000 when a break in the cloud showed a large clump of trees some fifty feet away from my starboard wing. I rammed on full power and climbed madly in a climbing turn to the port back to 5,000 feet. Here I turned south again and flew for some fif­ teen minutes while I tried to work out what hills these had been. I came to the conclu­ sion that they were the Dandenongs, so at the end of the fifteen minutes cautiously lowered myself towards the ground. My Lined up at Point Cook. calculations had been correct and I broke Altogether, Read was in the wreck for thirty-one hours. He out of the cloud somewhere near Tooradin, on Western- had managed to collect drops of rain water in a rough port Bay. In this case the wind had swung to a fairly strong scoop he made from a bit of the plane - this was the only westerly somewhere during the flight and carried me over nourishment he had during that time. Anyway, you can't the hills. Back at Point Cook I had to land in a south-west keep a good man down, and he was back on flying duties direction and higher up the v^ind swing must have been within a year. In his case, the wind had swung to the south further to the west. and, increasing in strength, had forced him much farther north than he had expected. It was pure luck that I did not end up in the hills, but similar luck did not hold for Eric Read. As I mentioned While on the subject of accidents during these flights, I earlier, there was only one crash on these flights, and should mention that meteorological flights were instituted Read's was it. It was in December 1936 and he had taken in Sydney in 1936, and Demon aircraft were used. During off in very similar conditions - scattered rain showers and the next four years, until the flights were discontinued a cloud base at 1,000 feet. The wind was from the west, there was only one forced landing, also caused by a dete­ and shortly after he took off it swung to the south. The rioration of the weather. In this case the pilot became lost weather deteriorated steadily during the flight and when he and landed on a beach near Gosford. The machine was broke cloud on the descent he found himself in a valley. wrecked, but personal injuries were slight. Eventually the cloud got thicker, and while trying to keep the ground in sight he hit a tree and crashed. He was The lack of suitable cloud-flying instruments naturally knocked unconscious for about half-an-hour and, when he caused some of the pilots to lose control of the plane while came to, found that both legs and his jaw were broken, all in cloud. In the case I am about to mention, the pilot went his front teeth had been knocked out, his left hand was into a spin at 11,000 feet and recovered control some crushed and, to make matters worse, he was trapped in three or four thousand feet lower down. On his return to the wreckage. Point Cook he was reading the temperatures to the Weather Bureau when the officer there remarked that When he did not return to the aerodrome at the end of there appeared to be some variation or irregularity in the an hour, searches were commenced for him, but the foul readings between 11,000 and 7,000 feet. "Sorry", replied weather prevented the aircraft from getting over the hills our pilot, "but that was the best I could do as I spun past where he was thought to be. Actually, Read had crashed those levels!" about fifteen miles to the north of Bacchus Marsh, in very hilly country. He kept a rough log on his knee-pad, and I However, in 1935 the aircraft were equipped with the quote it as written: first really accurate blind-flying instrument. It was made by 14/12/36 T/0 [takeoff) Reid & Sigrist in England and indicated angle of bank and 0810 low cloud and rain. the rate of turn. It was known among the pilots as the [Then follows the usual temperature readings] "wriggle and twist" meter, but once one got accustomed to Crashed 0910. using it, instrument flight became relatively easy. [The next bits are indecipherable] Heard Demons, too faraway to see me Another hazard of the flight was the possibility of an 1700 still alive engine failure while over cloud and not knowing exactly 1045 Tuesday [the next day] tried to get out of cockpit, where you were. Such an incident happened to me. it was pretty hard both legs broken. Good'oh. quite a good day, but at 4,000 feet there was a cloud layer Had lousy night [apparently the mosquitoes gave him of some 3,000 feet thick. I made the ascent to 16,000 and hell) was on the way down when, at 10,000 there was a loud 1335 heard Demons "expensive" noise from the engine and a cloud of smoke

105 AHSA Aviation Heritage emerged from under the engine cowl. On recovering from all the protective clothing that one usually wore, and relied my fright I realised that the engine was not on fire, but it upon a heavy woollen navy-type sweater. By the time I had lost all power although the airscrew was still wind- had climbed to 5,000 it was at freezing point and at 16,000 I recorded a record of minus 7 degrees Fahr­ enheit, or 39 degrees below freezing point. Naturally I froze, and believe me there's noth­ ing worse than getting colder and colder and not being able to do anything about it.

Bulldogs had nice open cockpits, with plenty of draughts, and this day every crack seemed to let in an icy blast. I sat first on one hand and then on the other, wriggled my toes in my shoes, bounced up and down, but still got colder and colder. I wasn't game to aban­ don the flight and admit that I had been caught out, so I just had to grin and bear it. The last few entries on the log were made by clenching the pencil in my hand as I could not use my fingers. On my return, half-an-hour in front of a radiator was necessary before I could ring up Bulldogs in formation near Point Cook. the Weather Bureau. Thereafter, I always pre­ pared for the worst. The usual clothing worn milling, i.e., turning around under the influence of the air on the flight was shirt and trousers, a heavy navy-type flowing over it. According to my calculations I was to the sweater, a winter flying suit, sheepskin thigh boots, inner south of Point Cook, so turned on to a northerly course. and outer gloves, a flying helmet and a scarf. Even then, The engine continued to make grinding noises, so I because of the limited amount of movement in the cockpit, switched off and a couple of minutes later it gave a final one became chilled. clank and stopped. Sometimes during a flight one would encounter huge I glided as slowly as possible and kept going north. towering cumulus clouds and it was a sheer delight to play The cloud layer had risen a bit to 8,000, so I cautiously chasing around then - through the valleys and then a dive poked my way down through it. Breaking clear at 4,500 I into a mass of cloud, a couple of minutes of clammy wet­ found that I was over the bay, about three miles south of ness and out into brilliant sunshine. In fact, we were not Williamstown. To make land I had to stretch the glide as supposed to do anything other than climbing and gliding, much as possible and started to look for a suitable place as there was some theory that violent manoeuvre upset to land. The rifle range was my first choice, but I would the thermometers, but it was very hard to resist the temp­ have had to land parallel with the firing mounds and on tation of this type of sport when it was offering; and, as I some pretty rough ground. Luckily for me, I spotted an old said earlier, because of the limited number of aircraft trotting oval, just across the road from the range. The around the sky in those times there was virtually no risk of Bulldog was a beautiful aircraft to land and, although it collision. was not fitted with brakes, it would pull up in under 150 yards. I landed along the long run of the oval and heaved One morning, however, I was engaged in frolicking a sigh of relief as I came to rest. The usual crowd of small around a big cumulus cloud and was actually trying to loop boys and dogs collected, so I gave one of them two shil­ the machine through a hole in it when, as I came over the lings and told him to keep his cobbers off the 'plane while I top of the loop I saw to my horror another Bulldog looping went to ring up. The aircraft had to be dismantled and in the other direction. Both of us were upside down and taken back to Point Cook by road, and when the engine pointing straight at each other. I've forgotten what type of was stripped it was found that a piston and connecting rod avoiding action we took, but I know I fell back into the had disintegrated, hence the loud noises. cloud and prayed that the other chap had gone the other way. On returning to the tarmac I was greeted by my The only other forced landing I can remember that oc­ friend, and we both made the same remark: "Were you the curred during these flights was caused by ice. Each fuel bloody fool that was mucking around that cloud?" There­ tank had an air vent on the top of the wing, and on this after we both treated cumulus clouds with a bit more re­ particular morning the pilot encountered very heavy icing spect. almost as soon as he became airborne. At about 5,000 the engine began to run roughly and finally cut out. Luckily With the outbreak of the war, the flights were discon­ for the pilot, the clouds were scattered and he had the tinued early in 1940. In point of fact, the weather people ground in sight. He glided down and landed in a paddock were able to use other means, including balloons, of pro­ near Werribee. As soon as he stood up in the cockpit to curing the information that we got for them. With the in­ get out of the 'plane he saw the cause of the trouble. Each crease in commercial aircraft movements, the pilots of air vent was still thickly coated with ice; consequently, as these aircraft were required to note air temperatures at no air could enter the fuel tank no petrol could get out, and their operating altitudes, and this gave the Bureau the the engine stopped. information it required. Our flights served an excellent pur­ pose during the time they were in operation, as well as Nevertheless, the meteorological flight was always in­ giving pilots good experience in all types of weather; but, teresting and could usually be relied upon to produce much as one liked doing such things, it was a case of something out of the ordinary. One morning, a lovely mid­ "time marches on" or "the old order giveth way, giving winter day, clear sky and sun shining, I neglected to put on place to new".

106 AHSA Aviation Heritage

de Haviiland or De Havilland? By WARWICK HENRY In a letter in the A.H.S.A. Newsletter Vol. 13, No I also checked Jane's for 1940, 1941, 1943-44, 2, an A.H.S.A Member took exception to my re­ 1940-46 and 1955-56. In all these the small "de" is minding readers that de Havilland should be spelt used (with just occasional lapses). I suppose that de with a small "d" at all times. The member asserted Havilland had put them right. Also in each of these that only the family name warranted the small de, volumes there is at least one advertisement for the and that "De" should be used in the name of the company or its products and to quote from the texts, company and its products. Further, he claimed to eg 1940: “. . . the de Havilland Type of airscrew." have seen a photo of the company's head office 1941: ". . . the entire de Havilland organisation . . ." showing "De Havilland Aircraft" written thereon. 1942: The de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd Great Britain, After reading the assertion that the company Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South name is De Havilland I thought: "Could I and all the Africa". 1945-46:". . the de Havilland Enterprise, . . . other aviation buffs be wrong?" Certainly the quality are of de Havilland design." and in 1955-56: ". . . de U.K. aviation magazines, eg. Flight International and Havilland Goblin Engine". Aeroplane monthly use the small de. So on my next "Jane's 100 Significant Aircraft 1909-1969" (pub. trip to Canberra I spent a morning at Airservices 1969) lists the D.H. Moth and D.H. Mosquito and in Australia's very extensive library and embarked on each entry uses the small de in the text. some serious research "Jane's Encyclopaedia of Aviation " 1993 edition, First I Found "de Havilland Aircraft Since 1915, in its de Havilland entries uses small de throughout, published 1982, and "de Havilland Aircraft Since including in captions and when in bold print. 1909", published 1962, both by A. J. Jackson, in I found a series of large annuals "The Air Annual which throughout the text, except at the beginning of of The British Empire 1930" (etc), each of which had paragraphs the small de is used. paid advertisements for de Havilland. The 1930 edi­ Next “D.H. A History of de Havilland" by C Martin tion had an ad. for Gipsy engines and in the text Sharp, Pub 1960, 1982 by Airlife Publishing, Eng­ was: “The Moth is used at the de Havilland School of land. In this book the small de is used exclusively Flying. . ." The 1932-33 edition ad. is for "de Havil­ throughout even when commencing a paragraph. On land Moth light aircraft and de Havilland Gipsy light page 71: “The de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd was in­ aero engines." Al the bottom of the ad. the company corporated on September 25lh, 1920...” name: The de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd, Stag In "Bristol Aircraft Since 1910" (C.H.Barnes, Put­ Lane, Edgeware, England. nam, 1964) I found (PI46, 235, 292) ". . . the de Then in "The Air Annual of The British Empire Havilland Aircraft Company", (P44) “de Havilland 1937" the de Havilland advertisement had a photo of Engine Company Ltd", and (P292) "de Havilland a company building with the name in large letters. Airscrews". Probably the same photo that John Wilkinson claims "The Wooden Wonder" (Edward Bishop, 1959, as the basis for his big De. However it does not Parrish &Co, London) on PI 7 quotes from "The de show "De Havilland Aircraft" rather “DE HAVILLAND Havilland Gazette" an in-house magazine published AIRCRAFT" which of course does not prove any­ during the war and uses the small de throughout the thing because the company often printed its name in text when referring to the company and aircraft all capitals, however whenever they used small case types. letters in Havilland they used the small "de". "Yesterday's Wings" (A.O.P.A. [USA], 1970) P52 The Canadian Aviation Historical Societies latest & 54 regarding the Moth and Tiger Moth, small de newsletter picks up this theme when a member re­ used except at beginning of paragraphs. called that when he returned to DHCanada after "The Tiger Moth Story (Alan Bramson, F R Ae S WWII that the head of the PR Dept, impressed upon and Neville Birch, M Sc, F R Ae.S, Airlife, 1964 & him strongly that the correct convention was “de 1982). Throughout text, small de. Havilland”. This could only be modified under two What about the Jane's Annuals?, I thought. circumstances; 1, when the name started the "Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1935" was the first I sentence (“De Havilland”) and 2, when the name pulled down and, curiously, I found that the entries was capitalised (‘DE HAVILLAND'). listed that year alphabetically under "H" instead of A.J.Jackson, the noted British aviation historian, "D"! Anyway they used capital De in the listing of the went a step further and said when writing about the associated companies, ie. De Havilland Co of Aus­ de Havilland types it should be D.H., not DH et al. tralia, Canada, India, De Havilland Engine Co., etc. and In photo captions. However, in the text, small de. eg. ,(P64b) "The D.H. 60, otherwise known as the de Havilland Moth . . .” "Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1938" similarly used the capital D in the listing of companies but there is an advertisement (P24adv.) for "The de Haviiland Flamingo D.H. 95".

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AIR SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA GROWTH AND CORPORATE CHANGE, 1921-1996

by HOWARD G. QUINLAN Introduction required considerable amounts of Commonwealth subsidy Australia’s internal airlines^ have experienced phe- for their survival, nomenal growth over the 75 years since the first service began in 1921. In 1993-94, the latest year for which com- Other subsidised airline services followed but none of plete statistics are available at time of writing, the Austra- these had aircraft technically capable of tapping the major lian internal airlines performed 22.1 billion passenger market, that of providing direct connections between the kilometres^. This is equivalent to every person in Australia mainland state capitals. No government assistance was (as at the 1996 Census) having flown 1200km. given for direct intercapital flights as these would be in

Some 381 passenger airlines have been identified as having operated within Australia over the past 75 years^. For almost 50 years the Australian internal airline scene has been dominated by two families of airlines (hereafter re­ ferred to as the ‘Big Two’, currently represented by Ansett Australia and Qantas Airways). In 1993-94 these two families, comprising nine separate airlines, together contrib­ uted 98% of total passenger kilo­ metres, with the other 40 operating airlines in that year providing the remaining 2%.

This paper looks at the factors which moulded the industry during various evolutionary periods of growth and changes which oc­ DH Dragon, VH-URD, ‘Miss Launceston’ of Tasmanian Air Services, one of the fore­ curred in the corporate structure of runners ofHoHymans A.N.A. the industry. Special attention is given to the formation of the Big Two airlines which today direct competition with existing rail services. However, in dominate the internal airline scene in Australia. Some brief January 1930 Australian National Airways(1^‘) [ANA(1^^)] observations are then made as to how this phenomenal did commence unsubsidised direct flights between Sydney post-war traffic growth has been reflected in spatial terms. and Brisbane which were soon followed by flights from Sydney direct to Melbourne. This airline used three- The changing airline scene engined Avro Tens, aircraft similar to the ‘Southern Cross’, The growth in work done by the internal airlines from which had sufficient range to fly these distances non-stop. 1922-23 to 1993-94 is shown in Fig.1. The only erratic Initially, traffic volumes were such that they could operate movement from a steady growth trend is due to the effects profitably but revenues soon fell, and in June 1931 the of the 1989 pilots’ strike. The trend line shown in Fig.1 is airline ceased operations. This fall in revenue was a result very similar to one showing passenger journeys because of the effects of the economic depression coupled with the the average length of air journeys varies little from year to public’s loss of confidence in air travel following the disap­ year. pearance in March 1931 of this airline’s aircraft ‘Southern Cloud’. Early days, 1921-1945 This period covers that part of the trend line in Fig.1 In December 1934 the Commonwealth rearranged and which for many years lay on the base line, rising only dur­ expanded the subsidised internal network so that it con­ ing the years of World War 2 to record 227 million pas­ nected with the first overseas air service passing through senger kilometres for 1944-45. Darwin. In the 1930s there were many airline amalgama­ tions which, by the end of World War 2, saw one company From 1920 the Commonwealth licensed all pilots, air­ [Australian National Airways(2^^)][ANA(2'^^)] providing all craft and landing fields so that all early flying operations air services linking all the major Australian centres. could be undertaken in as safe a manner as possible. Soon after, the Commonwealth showed great foresight by By the mid-1930s it was found that the modern US all- subsidising early mail services in remote areas, the first metal monoplanes were needed if operations on the major from Geraldton to Derby commencing in December 1921 routes were to operate without subsidy. These new types and the second from Charleville to Cloncurry beginning in (Stinson ‘A’, Douglas DC2 and DC3) were far more ex­ November 1922. The aircraft used on these early services pensive than the wooden types then in use and the larger were of World War 1 vintage and were quite inadequate in airlines put them into service from 1936 onwards. Never­ terms of their performance and payload capacity to per­ theless, because the air travel market at the time was lim­ form economically. For this reason, ail early air services ited, some government assistance was still required for their operation in the years leading up to World War 2.

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Because these new metal monoplanes flew at much found unconstitutional if ever it had been tested in the higher speeds than the types they replaced, ground-based courts®. route navigation aids had to be provided by the Common­ wealth for their safe operation by day and night. This period saw the major airlines introducing the first pressurised aircraft (Convair 240 in 1948) and the first Figure 2 shows the number of airlines in operation at turbo-prop aircraft (Viscount in 1954). Turbo-prop aircraft the end of each calendar year from 1921 to 1996. During (Electra, Viscount and Friendship) came to dominate Aus­ this early period the number of airlines grew slowly to a tralian routes in this period. Nevertheless, many of the maximum of 12 at the end of 1930, before falling during less-trafficked routes were still the domain of the DCS. the worst years of the depression and rising to a second peak of 15 at the end of 1935. After that the number fell to While no financial assistance was given to the busier 9 for most years of World War 2. routes, this period saw Commonwealth subsidy used to develop a considerable network of outback routes in the Northern Territory and the adjacent part of South Australia, the Cape York, Gulf Country and Channel Country areas of Queensland, and the Pil- bara and Kimberley areas of Western Australia.

From 1945 the number of internal airlines grew to a maximum of 17 (from the end of 1947 to the end of 1951), and falling to 14 by the end of 1964 (see Fig.2).

Present day mature industry, 1965 to 1996 This period covers the very steep rise shown in the trend line in Fig.1, with passenger kilometres in­ Establishment period, 1946-1964 creasing from 2637 million in 1964-65 to 22097 million in This period covers that part of the trend line in Fig.1 1993-94. which shows a steady rise fromi 227 million passenger kilometres in 1944-45 to 2637 million in 1964-65. This From the time the first jet services began in November figure for 1964-65 is over eleven times greater than that 1964, jets quickly showed their increased productivity and for 1944-45. superior economics over the turbo-props then in use. By the end of 1996 Ansett Australia and Qantas Airways had The end of World War 2 was followed by a great de­ all-jet fleets although turbo-prop aircraft were still being mand for air travel. New airlines were formed and ail air­ used by the associated airlines they owned, and by many lines benefited from the supply of cheap ex-wartime airlin­ of the other airlines. ers, mainly DC3s, Hudsons and Ansons. With the passing of the years airline costs had risen The Commonwealth Labor government in 1945 legis­ appreciably and the slow DC3 aircraft, with consequent lated to nationalise the interstate operations to ensure that low productivity compared to later types, became uneco­ this, the most important part of the internal airline industry, nomic. By the late 1960s most DC3s had been withdrawn remained Australian-owned"^. This move was found to be from service and many centres consequently lost their air unconstitutional and in September 1946 the Common­ services. The airlines had experimented with the use of wealth began its own airline, Trans Australia Airlines small twin-engined aircraft flown by one pilot (Queen Airs (TAA). The veiled aim of this move was to achieve a mo­ and Portofinos) but found that these, too, were uneco­ nopoly by vigorous competition with ANA(2'''^) for which nomic. TAA would have virtually unlimited financial resources. Air charter operators, who have lower operating costs The competition of two major airlines in what was then than airlines, pressed for the opportunity to fly scheduled a limited market did weaken ANA(2^^) financially. When a services which the airlines could not provide. From July new Commonwealth Liberal government took office in 1967 they were allowed to operate ‘commuter services’ 1950 it chose to have traffic on all major routes shared by using small aircraft flown by one pilot. Some of these new two operators, one being government-owned and the other ‘commuter’ operations were over routes vacated by air­ privately-owned. To achieve this position it introduced lines but many were specially adapted to local needs, controls on competition (as part of the Two Airline Policy) such as those feeding traffic to and from regional airline to ensure the survival of both. This policy, especially after services. 1957®, was very successful in achieving its goal despite the fact that the enabling legislation might have been

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The large established airlines focused their attention uled services in Australia from 1921 to 1996 inclusive. on the busier routes where they could realise the full fi­ Omitting the 44 of these operational at the end of 1996, nancial benefits from operating larger jet aircraft. few of the remaining 337 passenger airlines which had ceased services had operated for any great length of time. Services provided by Friendships were gradually Some 66.8% of these airlines had ceased within 5 years, dropped and most of these were taken up by commuter 18.1% lasted for between 5 and 9 years, 10.4% between operators. As commuter aircraft grew in size all those car­ 10 and 19 years, and only 4.7% survived 20 years or rying ten or more passengers were required to have two more®. pilots. Eventually, the commuters (called ‘regional airlines’ from 1993) introduced larger turbo-prop aircraft types Some airlines during their period of operation had no such as the Saab 340, Dash 8 and Fokker 50. Some re­ corporate connection with another airline. Most do link with gional airlines have recently introduced their first jet air­ other airlines in one way or another and, in time, form craft (BAe 146 and Fokker F28). historic corporate chains involving various numbers of airlines. It is not possible in this paper to trace the linkages The Two Airline Policy which controlled the competitive of all 381 passenger airlines but in a following section the networks of the Big Two airlines expired in October 1990. full details of the 99 airlines which are linked to the present This Policy had become unpopular with the travelling pub­ Big Two airlines are shown. lic, mainly because of dissatisfaction with the limited range of discounted fares being made available, and by the in­ One way for an airline to fail financially is when, as a convenience of parallel scheduling^. result of competition, other airlines leave it with insufficient revenue to cover costs. The history of the Australian inter­ These shortcomings were addressed when the inter­ nal airlines reveals four periods of noteworthy competition. state services were deregulated. Since October 1990 any The first period, from 1946 to 1957, saw the financial col­ new airline can enter the market provided it is able to op­ lapse of ANA(2'^'^) and its purchase by Ansett Transport erate safely. Two new airlines have so far begun interstate Industries(ATI), the parent company of then-operating but both ceased c^erations soon afterwards [Compass(1^^) airline Ansett Airways. The financial difficulties that and Compass(2 j]. On intrastate routes, the Common­ ANA(2'^^) experienced were brought on partly by its choice wealth licenses airlines with regard to safety of operations of aircraft less popular with the public than TAA’s Vis­ but State governments may choose the routes over which counts and partly by the existence of additional competi­ each airline operates. tion on the intercapital routes by Ansett Airways and Butler Air Transport (which affected ANA(2'^^) more than TAA). During this period the eight airlines which were oper­ ating at the beginning of 1965 had been reduced to just The second period of competition lasted from 1957 to two (now Qantas Airways and Ansett Australia). Many 1990 when, under legislation setting up the Two Airline small airlines commenced scheduled service from July Policy, only the Big Two airlines could operate interstate 1967 but most of these ceased after only short peri­ Figure 2 - Air services in Australia; Number of airlines operating at end of year, ods of operations. The great­ 1921 to 1996. est number of airlines oper­ ating at any time in this pe­ ■ 80 - riod was 68 at the end of 1980; the number at the end of 1996 was 44 (see Fig.2). r 60 ------CO Airline corporate changes

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This third period has so far seen two new entrants Ansett-ANA and TAA. Butler Air Transport and Queen- [Compass(1^^) and Compass(2'''^)] and each was met with sland Airlines were both taken over by ATI in February fierce competition from the Big Two airlines. Both new 1958 and Guinea Airways in August 1959. Control over entrants failed because neither had the financial resources MacRobertson Miller Airlines was achieved in April 1963 to survive in the longer term. and the last, East West, remained independent until it came under Ansett control in July 1987. Earlier, in June 1980, East West had acquired Connair but the new airline born out of this take-over. Northern Airlines, failed in February 1981.

In order to keep its share of the market with the rise of the commuter airlines, Ansett purchased Aeropelican Inter­ city Commuters (which oper­ ates from the Newcastle sub­ urb of Belmont to Sydney) in June 1981. A Western Aus­ tralian operator, Skywest Air­ lines, was purchased in July 1987 and a New South Wales operator, Kendell Airlines, in 1990.

Western Air Couriers Short Scion VH-UTV. Ansett began international operations in September 1993 but this development is out­ The fourth period for unrestricted competition is not side the scope of this paper. identified by time and occurs whenever a state govern­ ment allows free access for new airlines to some or all In 1993-94 the Ansett Family of airlines performed 12.1 intrastate routes under its control. In the 1980s this oc­ billion passenger kilometres within Australia, or 54.8% of curred in South Australia when many smaller airlines of­ the industry total. fered lower fares and more frequent services in small air­ craft. This competition so severely affected the established (b) Qantas Family Airlines carrier. Airlines of South Australia(2'''^), which had been Qantas origins go back to the second Australian air using relatively-large Friendships over a network which service which Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial included many lightly-trafficked routes, that it ceased op­ Services began from Charleville to Cloncurry in November erations in June 1986. Not all of the smaller airlines which 1922. In 1934 this airline was reformed as Qantas Empire had been engaged in this competition survived either. Airways, with a half share owned by Imperial Airways (UK). In July 1947 the Commonwealth Government pur­ Proponents for competition like to show that competi­ chased all the shares, including those owned by Imperial tion generates more traffic by lowering fares and increas­ Airways. ing flight frequencies. This did occur at Mildura where passenger numbers are now at a much higher level than Services by the new Commonwealth carrier TAA be­ when only Ansett operated Friendship services to that gan in September 1946. In April 1949 Qantas Empire Air­ airport. ways transferred all of its internal routes to TAA, and the Qantas name was no longer part of the Australian internal The Big Two airlines airline scene until September 1992 when Qantas Airways Until recently the Big Two airlines were Australian- (as it had been renamed in August 1967) took over Aus­ owned but recent events have seen Qantas one quarter- tralian Airlines (as TAA had been renamed in August owned by British Airways and Ansett Australia one half- 1986). owned by Air New Zealand. (a) Ansett Family Airlines. TAA gained control of Air Queensland in March 1985 Origins go back to the first air service in Australia, that but this operator ceased operations in April 1988. The final begun by Western Australian Airways from Geraldton to Air Queensland routes were divided and passed to Aus­ Derby in December 1921. This airline became part of con­ tralian Airlines, to a new airline owned by Australian Air­ solidations that formed ANA(2^^). Similar consolidations lines named Australian Regional Airlines Queensland, and were made around the same time to form Airlines of Aus­ to Sunbird Airlines. Australian Airlines gained control of tralia until it, too, became part of ANA(2'''^) in 1937. The Eastern Australian Airlines in June 1990 and Sunstate financial collapse of ANA(2'''^) led to it being bought by Airlines and Sunstate Airlines (Mildura) in October 1990. Ansett Transport Industries (ATI) in October 1957 with the Sunstate Airlines (Mildura) was renamed Southern Austra­ formation of a new airline, Ansett-ANA, from the fleets of lia Airlines in December 1991. ANA(2^^) and Ansett Airways. With ATI becoming a sig­ In August 1992 Australian Airlines began a new opera­ natory to Two Airline Policy legislation of 1957, it was es­ tion called Australian Airlink using jet aircraft with their sential for ATI to gain control of all other non-government crews leased from National Jet Systems. This airline was airlines in order to prevent them from competing against renamed Airlink in July 1994.

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Since it began its first overseas service to Singapore in at any time in 1963-64, and in October 1996. The greatest 1934 Qantas has developed into a considerable interna­ number of airports served would have occurred in the tional operator, but these activities are outside the scope 1960s due to the extensive network of outback routes then of this paper. In 1993-94 the Qantas Family of airlines in operation, and the 419 which received services during performed 9.6 billion passenger kilometres within Austra­ 1963-64 is possibly the largest number ever served. It is lia, or 43.2% of the total. interesting to note that the latest figure of 216 for October 1996 is slightly less than the number of 233 recorded for Spatial considerations January 1948. Route network development The early routes were in ‘outback’ areas where terrain Table 2 shows the number of passenger movements was flat and the early aircraft could land easily if they de­ through the 30 busiest airports in 1963-64 and 1993-94. In veloped mechanical problems. These first services soon 1963-64 the six busiest airports were at the mainland became ‘regional’ when that from Geraldton was extended capital cities which generate traffic in their own right as back to Perth in 1924, and that from Charleville was ex­ well as being places where persons transfer between tended back to Brisbane in 1929. flights. However, 30 years later, Perth had risen from #6 position to #5 position and Canberra had fallen from #5 In 1924 the third subsidised air service to commence position to #8 position. Airports in #6 and #7 positions in began the first intercapital flight, from Adelaide to Sydney 1993-94 were Coolangatta and Cairns respectively, both with Intermediate ports of call. However, the following year of which had become prominent tourist destinations in the route had to be shortened and the eastern terminus recent years. Further examination of Table 2 reveals that moved from Sydney to Cootamundra because of the diffi­ the first 30 airports for 1993-94 also included a number of culties of operating DH50 aircraft in all weathers over the other significant tourist destinations not included in the first high terrain of the Blue Mountains. The second subsidised 30 airports for 1963-64, namely, Alice Springs, Darwin, intercapital service from Perth to Adelaide via intermediate Hamilton Island, Ayers Rock, Maroochydore, Coffs Har­ ports of call began in 1929 using three-engined DH-66s. bour and Broome.

The first non-stop and unsubsidised intercapital flights Service types were made by ANA(1^‘) in 1930 using three-engined Avro The proportional distribution of Australia’s population Tens. This airline ceased in June 1931, one reason for its has been changing slowly since World War 2. Most of the failure being that ground based navigation aids which population lives in the mainland capital cities, with most of could be used In instrument flight conditions had not then the remainder located in a scatter of larger regional cen­ bee tres which in turn are surrounded by smaller local centres. n invented. The populations of the mainland capital cities and of most New US metal monoplanes were introduced into serv­ larger regional centres are increasing, while populations of ice from 1936 onwards. By the time World War 2 began the smaller local centres and rural areas are decreasing. they were operating all direct eastern intercapital services. The provision of direct services between Perth and Ade­ Table 3 lists for 1993-94 the 30 busiest stages flown in laide had to wait until 1946 when an aircraft (the DC4) was terms of passengers carried and shows the concentration introduced which had sufficient range to fly this stage di­ of airline work that is being done over a small number of rect. Much later, as passenger numbers grew, other direct stages. The ten busiest stages account for 60.6% of total links were introduced between Melbourne-Brisbane, Mel- passenger kilometres, the 20 busiest for 77.8% and the 30 bourne-Perth, Sydney-Perth, Brisbane-Adelaide, etc. busiest for 86.6%.

Airports served Throughout the post-war evolution of Australian inter­ Early aircraft used natural surfaces and could land al­ nal air transport it has been possible to recognise the op­ most anywhere a cleared space was available. Many erations of three basic types of air services provided, places appearing on pre-World War 2 airline maps were namely: refueling-stops only (eg Forrest, Mt Eba) and ceased to be . intercapital services (those directly linking all ports of call as soon as longer-range aircraft were intro­ mainland capitals) duced. . regional services (other services to/from one of the mainland state capitals): and In the post-World War 2 airline expansion the network . outback services (those serving the needs of remote grew greatly with cheap ex-wartime DC3s and smaller communities from recognised gateway ports) types servicing airports with natural surfaces, and larger modern types (with higher tyre pressures) confined to Table 4 sets out the share of work done by each of services between the larger centres (where sealed strips these types of service in three representative years, 1944- capable of taking the higher aircraft weights had been 45, 1964-65 and 1993-94. Change over time can be best built). seen by noting the changes in the proportion of total pas­ senger kilometres for each type of service. Intercapital Since 1945 there has been a race between airlines services, as proportions of total traffic in each year, rose wishing to introduce heavier aircraft with ever Increasing from 52.4% for 1944-45 to 61.8% for 1963-64, but fell tyre pressures and airport authorities needing to build slightly to 58.7% for 1993-94. This recent fall is possibly stronger pavements at airports where they were to oper­ due to the marked expansion in recent years of regional ate. To give them access to more airports, Viscounts in services to major tourist destinations. For regional serv­ Australian service were fitted with larger low-pressure ices, the proportion of total traffic in each year fell from tyres than those used overseas. 46.7% for 1944-45 to 37.6% for 1964-65 and then subse­ quently rose to 41.2% for 1993-94. For outback services, Table 1 sets out the number of airports in each state the proportion of total traffic have been declining for the and territory receiving airline services in December 1948, past 49 years and is now at insignificant levels.

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Prospects ber of services provided can be expected to remain at The dominant position of the Big Two airlines is likely present low levels. to continue assuming that both can continue to operate profitably. At present their profitability is low, but the recent In 1993-94 there were three airlines not owned by the infusion of overseas capital into each, together with pros­ Big Two which stood out in size from the remainder. These pects for even greater levels of domestic tourism, espe­ three airlines were (with 1993-94 passenger kilometres cially that connected with the 2000 Olympic Games, performed in brackets): Hazelton (134 million), Flight West should ensure a bright future for each. (129 million) and Impulse (66 million). If past experiences continue, it is likely that these will soon be included within They have shown from their handling of the two Com­ the airline families of the Big Two, with a similar prospect pass challengers that they will fight to prevent inroads to facing other independent airlines as they emerge as sig­ their market from new entrants. Also, they have in recent nificant carriers. years taken action to woo their loyal customers by provid­ ing private passenger lounges for regular travellers and by Undoubtedly, the single most important feature of the awarding frequent flyers points for using airline and other present Australian internal airline industry is the domi­ related services which can be used to gain free air travel. nance of the present duopoly. This can be traced back to the setting up of a Commonwealth-owned national airline With regard to the regional services, much slower in 1946. This duopoly has survived for 50 years during growth can be expected at those centres not recognised which time there has been a massive rise in passenger as tourist destinations, and in the outback areas the num- kilometres performed. It is unlikely that any external factor will arise in the forseeable future which will see the pres­ ent duopoly changed into either a monopoly or a triopoly.

Footnotes

(*1) An airline is defined in this paper as the licensed operator of a scheduled service which is available to the public. All closed charters are excluded, even if they are scheduled.

(*2) The passenger kilometre statistic is the sum of the distance travelled by all embarked revenue passengers. It is the best measure of the work done by a passenger airline.

(*3) A listing of these airlines showing the dates when they commenced and ceased scheduled services can be obtained by writing to FDF Management Pty Ltd, 69 Grey Street, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002.

(*4) Australian National Airways(2'^'^) was partly owned by overseas shipping interests and the Commonwealth government of the day feared that, without intervention of this sort, Australia might lose control over the greater part of its internal airline industry.

(*5) The first Two Airlines Policy legislation took effect in 1952 but its provisions did not prevent the financial collapse of Australian National Airways(2'''^). New legislation introduced from 1957 was effective because it, amongst other things, tightly controlled the ca­ pacities that each airline could provide and required the airlines to cross-charter aircraft to each other to more or less in balance the numbers of various aircraft types in each competing fleet.

(*6) The operation of the Two Airline Policy depended on contractual agreements between the two parties, namely, the ‘commission’ (initially TAA and later Australian Airlines)) and the ‘company’ (initially Ansett Transport Industries and later TNT/News Corporation). The former signed because it was managed by a board of Commonwealth appointees who followed the Commonwealth’s directions, and the latter signed because it gained Commonwealth government guarantees for loans to purchase new aircraft. This guarantee enabled loans to be negotiated at a rate lower than the prevailing market rate.

(*7) Each of the Big Two airlines tended to schedule flights to the same destination at the same time. This action occurred be­ cause, if they chose different departure times, there would be loss of income to the airline choosing the less- popular departure time. There was no provision under the provisions of the Two Airline Policy for any compensation to the airline financially disadvantaged by such action.

(*8) Of the 44 passenger airlines which were operating at the end of 1996, 25.0% of these had been operating for less than 5 years, 31.8% for between 5 and 9 years, 36.4% for between 10 and 19 years, and only 6.8% had been operating 20 or more years. (*9) Further details relating to these basic types of air services are included in H.G. Quinlan, ‘The geography of Australian internal air passenger services’. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Department of Human Geography, ANU, 1968, pp.112-52.

TABLE 1 - NUMBER OF AIRPORTS SERVED BY AUSTRALIAN INTERNAL AIRLINES Octoberl 948(a) Decemberl 963-64(b) 1996(c) New South Wales 28 52 54 Victoria 6 12 8 Queensland 59 113 54 South Australia 13 24 20 Western Australia 73 89 43 Tasmania 5 9 9 Northern Territory 48 119 27 Aust. Capital Terr. 1 1 1 TOTAL 233 419 216

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(a) As scheduled in Official Airline Guide, December 1948.

(b) Special compilation of numbers of airports which received airline services at any time during 1963-64. Derived from data in Appendix B of H.G. Quinlan, The Geography of Australian Internal Air Passenger Services', unpublished Ph.D. thesis, A.N.U. (1968)

(c) Airports receiving services at 31 October 1996. Details for Ansett and Qantas family airlines from their operating timetables at that date. Details for other airlines from 'Regional Airline Directory,No.17', Australian Aviation, December 1996, pp.60-79.

TABLE 2 - INTERNAL PASSENGER MOVEMENTS AT THIRTY BUSIEST AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS ('000) Airport 1963-64 Airport 1993-94

Sydney 1802.6 Sydney 11630.9 Melbourne 1393.2 Melbourne 9012.5 Brisbane 635.5 Brisbane 5894.0 Adelaide 539.3 Adelaide 3034.2 Canberra 263.3 Perth 2361.1 Perth 175.4 Coolangatta 1711.4 Hobart 143.1 Cairns 1535.2 Launceston 142.5 Canberra 1514.4 Townsville 11.2 Alice Springs 893.1 Cairns 69.9 Hobart 734.7 Coolangatta 61.9 Darwin 593.3 Cooma 46.9 Launceston 516.9 Rockhampton 46.5 Townsville 508.8 Mackay 45.3 Rockhampton 303.2 Wagga Wagga 41.1 amilton Island 284.0 Dubbo 40.8 Ayers Rock 250.0 Woomera 40.2 Mackay 243.4 Devonport 39.4 Maroochydore 214.6 Tamworth 36.9 Karratha 189.0 Darwin 34.2 Coffs Harbour 161.5 Port Lincoln 33.9 Port Hedland 145.6 Kingscote 32.8 Broome 138.5 Burnie 32.0 Albury 134.1 Mt Isa 30.5 Kununurra 122.4 Broken Hill 27.8 Devonport 119.1 Cowra 24.4 Wagga Wagga 118.7 Bundaberg 22.7 Kalgoorlie 113.4 Alice Springs 22.6 Williamtown 102.9 Parkes 21.2 Gladstone 93.4 Orange 21.1 Belmont 92.8 All other 535.8 All other 1048.7 All airports 6514.0 All airports 43815.8 100.0% 100.0% 10 busiest airports* 5276.0 81.0% 38321.5 87.5% 20 busiest airports* 5709.2 87.6% 41586.2 94.9% 30 busiest airports* 5978.2 91.8% 42767.1 97.6% * In terms of passengers.

Sources: Official airline statistics produced by the Department of Civil Aviation (for 1963-64) and by the Department of Transport and Regional Development (for 1993-94).

TABLE 3 - THIRTY BUSIEST STAGES* FLOWN BY AUSTRALIAN INTERNAL AIRLINES, 1993-94 Stage Passengers Passenger kilometres (Both directions) ('000) (Million) 1. Melbourne-Sydney 3631.3 2567.3 2. Brisbane-Sydney 2421.1 1820.7 3. Coolangatta-Sydney 1210.4 821.9 4. Adelaide-Melbourne 1113.5 716.0 5. Brisbane-Melbourne 1066.8 1473.3 6. Adelaide-Sydney 839.8 979.2 7. Canberra-Sydney 773.7 183.4 8. Brisbane-Cairns 674.4 938.1 9. Melbourne-Perth 664.6 1798.4

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10. Perth-Sydney 636.3 2089.6 11. Hobart-Melbourne 619.0 382.5 12. Canberra-Melbourne 592.4 278.4 13. Coolangatta-Melbourne 461.3 613.5 14. Launceston-Melbourne 445.8 212.2 15. Brisbane-Townsville 387.8 431.2 16. Adelaide-Perth 347.4 736.5 17. Cairns-Sydney 313.3 617.2 18. Brisbane-Rockhampton 219.5 113.7 19. Alice Springs-Ayers Rock 186.9 62.4 20. Alice Springs-Sydney 177.3 358.5 21. Maroochydore-Sydney 168.7 141.0 22. Brisbane-Mackay 167.8 133.7 23. Adelaide-Alice Springs 156.9 206.5 24. Alice Springs-Darwin 153.7 200.6 25. Karratha-Perth 143.8 179.8 26. Brisbane-Darwin 134.4 383.3 27. Hamilton Island-Sydney 132.6 202.2 28. Alice Springs-Cairns 130.3 189.7 29. Adelaide-Brisbane 118.8 192.9 30. Hobart-Sydney 106.1 110.3 All other stages 3712.1 2963.5

ALL STAGES 21907.8 100.0% 22097.5 100.0% 5 busiest stages* 9443.1 43.1% 7399.2 33.5% 10 busiest stages* 13031.9 59.5% 13387.9 60.6% 20 busiest stages* 16782.6 76.6% 17194.0 77.8% 30 busiest stages* 18195.7 83.1% 19134.0 86.6% * In terms of passengers. Source: Department of Transport and Regional Development, Air Transport Statistics, Digest of Statistics, 1993-94.

TABLE 4 - PASSENGER KILOMETRES PERFORMED BY AUSTRALIAN INTERNAL PASSENGER AIRLINES, BY TYPE OF SERVICE (Million) Year Type of service Intercapital Regional Outback Total 1944-45 119 106 2 227 (a) 2.4% 46.7% 0.9% 100.0%

1964-65 1631 992 15 2638 (b) 61.8% 37.6% 0.6% 100.0%

1993-94 12972 9113 12 22097 (c) 58.7% 41.2% 0.1% 100.0%

(a) Derived from scheduled aircraft kilometres over routes at January 1945 and available seat capacities of aircraft types operating.

(b) Derived from official airline statistics produced by the Department of Civil Aviation (for 1963-64) and by the Department of Transport and Regional Development - c, (for 1993-94)

APPENDIX LIST OF AUSTRALIAN INTERNAL AIRLINES. 1921 TO 1996 (Letter after name indicates state in which based; “X” indicates a national airline.) Commenced Ceased Adastra Airways Ltd N Feb1934 Oct1940 Adelaide Airways Ltd S Aug1935 Novi 936 Advance Airlines Ltd N Sep1974 Aug1978 Advance Airlines of Australia N Aug1978 NOV1980 Aerial Services of Tasmania P/L T Jul1969 Jun1973 Aeropelican Air Charter Service N Sep1967 Sep1967 Aeropelican Air Services **1981 Continuing Aeropelican Inter City Commuters N Jun1971 ** 1981 Air Cairns Q NOV1993 Feb1994 Air Central Eyre S Jan1988 JU11990 Air Eastland N Jui1977 Aug1978 Air Facilities N Novi 992 Continuing Air Great Lakes N Jan1980 Jul1982 Air Hibiscus Q Jul1986 Aug1986 Air Kangaroo Island S Jul1990 Feb1996 Air Link N Sep1991 Continuing

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Air Maroochy Q Apr1992 Dec1994 Air Midwest N Oct1992 Aug1993 Air Mount Isa Q **1978 ** 1983 Air New South Wales N Jun1981 May1985 AirN.S.W. N May1985 Marl 990 Air Queensland Q Dec1981 Apr1988 Air Swift Q Marl 992 Continuing Air Tasmania(1^^T Jul1973 JUI1976 Air Tasmania(2^^)T JUI1976 Jun1981 Air Tasmania Commuters T JUI1981 Jun1985 AirTaxis(l") N Jul1929 Feb1931 Air Taxis(2^^) Q Feb1939 Novi 939 Air Tiwi NT Apr1996 Continuing Air Transit S Apr1984 Jun1990 Air Whitsunday Q Aug1982 Jul1988 Airchart Flying Services V Jan1973 Novi 974 Aircrafts Q Oct1929 Jan1949 Airfast Charter Q May1968 **1975 Airlines of Australia N & Q Oct1935 dull 942 Airlines of N.S.W. N Dec1959 Jun1968 Airlines of Northern Australia NT Mar1981 Aug1985 Airlines of South Australia(1 S Jan1960 Aug1968 Airlines of South Australia(2'''^) S JUI1981 Jun1986 Airlines of Tasmania T Jul1982 Continuing Airlines of Western Australia W JUI1981 Novi 984 Airlines (WA) W Dec1935 Oct1955 Airlink X Jul1994 Continuing Airnorth NT Jan1981 Continuing Albatross Airlines S Sep1979 Continuing Albury Air Service N Aug1952 Sep1952 Amber Air S Novi 972 Feb1975 Amity Aviation W Oct1981 Jun1982 Ansett. X Apr1981 Oct1990 Ansett Air Freight (Freight only) X Dec1986 Continuing Ansett Airlines of Australia X Novi 968 Apr1981 Ansett Airlines of New South Wales N Jun1968 Jun1981 Ansett Airlines of South Australia S Aug1968 Jul1981 Ansett Airways X Feb1936 Oct1957 Ansett-ANA X Oct1957 Novi 968 Ansett Australia X Oct1990 Continuing Ansett Express X Novi 990 JUI1993 Ansett Flying Boat Services N May 1952 Sep1974 Ansett N.S.W. N Marl 990 Novi 990 Ansett N.T. NT Aug1985 Feb1991 Ansett W.A. W Novi 984 Jul1993 Aquatic Air N JUI1981 Jun1993 Aquatic Airways N Sep1980 Jun1981 Arkaroola Air Services S Marl 972 Jan1974 Arkaroola Pty Ltd S Apr1977 Oct1977 Arnhem Air (Kakadu Air) NT Dec1995 Continuing Arnhem Air Charter NT Sep1968 Novi 995 Arrmunda Airways NT May 1983 May1986 ATI(Operations) (Newton Airways) W JUI1973 Dec1973 Augusta Airways S Aug1983 Continuing Aus-Air (Australian Air Charterers) V Novi 986 Continuing Austral Air Services Q Jan1935 Aug1935 Australian Aerial Services V Jun1924 Oct1934 Australian Air Express(Freiqht only) X Aug1992 Continuing Australian Airlines X Aug1986 Sep1992 Australian Airlink X Aug1991 Jul1994 Australian Commuter Airlines N Novi 994 Dec1994 Australian National Airways(1^|) N Jan1930 Jun1931 Australian National Airways(2^T X Novi 936 Oct1957 Australian Regional Airlines Q May1988 Sep1993 Australian Transcontinental Airways S Aug1935 Oct1935 Australian Transport Air Services W Aug1971 Feb1972 Avdev Airlines N Novi 980 Marl 984 Avior Pty Ltd W Aug1976 Jul1987 Avis Air Services Q **1970 Mar1971 Baker Aviation W Dec1930 **1930 Barrack Flelicopters W Dec1986 Apr1987 Barrier Reef Airways Q Apr1947 May 1952 Barrier Reef Airways & Safaris Q **1981 **1981 Bassair (Bass Air Aviation) V Sep1975 Aug1980 Bizjets (Business Jets) V Jan1971 May1980 Bowral Flight Centre N Jan1979 Novi 982 Brisbane Airways Q Jun1930 **1931

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Burnett Air Navigation Q JUI1931 Oct1932 Burnett AinA/ays Q Aug1971 Feb1976 Bush Pilots Airways Q Jui1957 Dec1981 Business Air N Oct1979 Jul1980 Butler Airlines Q Jun1977 Jun1981 Butler Air Transport N Dec1934 Dec1959 Cape York Air Q Feb1995 Apr1996 Cape York Air Services Q **1985 **1985 Central Australian Airways S Dec1970 Novi 976 Centralian Airways S Dec1935 **1936 Challenge Air Services Q Oct1988 Jun1989 Champion Air S Sep1980 Feb1981 Chartair(l")T Novi 967 Feb1969 Chartair(2^^) NT Dec1978 Jun1986 Civil Flying Services (WA) W Apr1968 Dec1978 Clubair N Oct1976 May1981 Coast to Coast Airlines N Apr1992 Aug1993 Cobden Airways N May1975 Jul1980 Coddair Airlines Q Apr1983 Jun1985 Commercial Aviation Coy S **1927 **1927 Commodore Airlines S May1979 Apr1986 Commuter Airlines V Novi 967 Dec1969 Compass(1^*) Dec1990 Dec1991 Compass(2'^^) Aug1992 Marl 993 Connair(l"|) NT Jul1970 Jun1980 Connair(2^^) NT Jun1980 Feb1981 Connellan Airways NT Sep1943 JUI1970 Corporate Air Services (Corpair) W May1983 Oct1983 Corporate Airlines Canberra ACT Oct1992 Feb1996 Country Connections Airlines N Sep1991 Continuing Countryair Q Aug1989 Oct1990 Countrywide Airlines N Jul1980 Feb1981 Courier Aircrafts Q **1927 **1927 Coveair S Feb1974 Novi 975 Crane Airlines N Oct1987 Jul1990 Curtis Madsen Airlines N Jan1949 Feb1952 Davey Air Services N Sep1967 JUI1981 Desert Air Safaris S Aug1975 Dec1976 Drennan Aviation S Dec1982 Aug1983 WT Dwyer (Freight only) V Oct1947 ** 1947 East Coast Airlines(1"‘) N Novi 971 Marl 972 East Coast Aviation Services N Jun1971 Novi 971 East Coast (Commuter) Airlines N Aug1978 Sep1985 East-West Airlines X Jun1947 Jun1993 Easter Air N May1981 Jun1981 Easter Airways N Jul1981 Dec1987 Eastern Air Transport N Feb1935 May1935 Eastern Airlines(1^^) Q Jan1974 Apr1983 Eastern Airlines(2^^) N Sep1985 ** 1986 Eastern Australia Airlines N **1986 Continuing Eastern Pacific Airlines N Novi 992 Jan1993 Eastern Victoria Airlines V Novi 975 May1977 Eastland Air Q Dec1989 Continuing Echuca Air Tours V Oct1978 Apr1979 Emu Air Charter (Emu Airways) S Jul1974 Apr1984 Emu Airways S Novi 991 Continuing Emu Airways (Broken Hill) S JUI1983 Feb1984 Execair W Feb1991 Aug1991 Executive Air NT Feb1994 Jun1996 Executive Airlines V Apr1968 Jan1981 Express Airways Q Jan1978 JUI1978 Eyre Charter S Apr1980 Aug1984 Eyre Commuter S Aug1984 Continuing Eyre Peninsula Airways S **1929 Oct1930 Falcon & Sopac Transport N **1978 Aug1980 Falcon Airlines Q Novi 987 Jun1990 Flight West Airlines Q Jun1987 Continuing Flinders Airlines S Aug1975 May1977 Flinders Island Airlines Novi 986 May1990 Forrester Stephen V **1973 ** 1973 Fortescue Air Charter W **1978 Novi 986 Gawne Airlines V Feb1979 Apr1994 Geelong Air Travel V Sep1977 Jun1979 Geelong Flight Centre V Apr1995 Continuing General Flying Services V Novi 968 Apr1970 Glenair Q Novi 967 Novi 967 Golden Eagle Aviation W Novi 995 Continuing

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Goldfields Air Navigation Dec1930 Oct1931 Goldfields Air Services May 1982 Jun1994 Guinea Airways S Feb1937 Jan1960 Gulf Aviation Services S Jul1947 Apr1948 Hart Aircraft Service V Apr1933 Feb1934 Hazelton Air Services/Airlines N May1975 Continuing Helitrans Australia Q **1975 Marl 984 Henebery Aviation Q Aug 1972 Aug1987 Hicks Airlines W Oct1968 Aug1971 Holyman Brothers T Sep1932 Oct1932 Holymans Airways T Oct1934 Novi 936 Horizon Airways W Sep1993 JUI1995 lllawarra Airways N Apr1959 ** 1976 Impulse Airlines N Marl 994 Continuing Independent Air Freighters (Freight only) V ** 1993 Continuing Inland Air Services Q Sep1947 Novi 949 Inland Airways N Jun1950 Jul1950 Intercity Airlines S Mar1980 Feb1981 Intercity Airways N NOV1936 JUI1937 Interstate Air Services N Jan1947 May1948 Ipec Aviation (Freight only) V **1977 **1993 Island Air Q May1975 Dec1980 Island Airlines V Novi 996 Continuing Island Airways Q Marl 969 Apr1972 Jan Beers Aviation W Jun1982 Marl 984 Jayrow Helicopters V Feb1983 Apr1983 Jet Charter Airlines N JUI1978 Dec1981 Jetair Australia Q Sep1969 Novi 970 Jetair Australia V Dec1969 Novi 970 L McK Johnson T Jun1932 Oct1932 Kendell Airlines N JUI1981 Continuing King Island Airlines V Jun1990 Continuing King Leopold Air W Jan1995 Marl 995 Lachlan Valley Farm Services N Novi 967 Marl 968 Lanhams Air Taxi Service Q Oct1968 Marl 969 Laurie Potter Airlines W Jul1987 Oct1987 Lincoln Airlines S Sep1987 Continuing Lindeman Aerial Services Q Jan1968 Dec1971 Link Airways N JUI1991 Apr1994 Lloyd Air Q Jun1987 Dec1988 Lloyd Airlines S Novi 985 Sep1990 Macarthur Airways N Oct1977 May1979 McDonald Air Services (TH McDonald) Q Dec1933 JUI1936 McDougalls Air Services Q Apr1982 Dec1982 Macknight Airlines N JU11971 JU11991 MacRobertson Miller Airline Services W Jun1969 JUI1981 MacRobertson Miller Airlines W Oct1955 Jun1969 MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company W ** 1927 Oct1955 Majestic Airways Q May 1994 Feb1995 Masling Airlines N Sep1967 Jan1971 Masling Commuter Services N Jan1971 Novi 981 Matthews Aviation Company V Jan1933 Feb1934 Melbourne Regional Airlines V May1992 Jan1993 Midstate Airlines W JUI1986 May1989 Midwest Aviation Q Aug1971 Oct1971 Missionary Aviation Fellowship NT * * 1973 Continuing Monarch Air N NOV1991 Jun1993 P.H. Moody Air Taxis Q JUI1938 Feb1939 Motor Development Ltd N Novi 936 JUI1937 Murchison Air Charter W Novi 968 Novi 972 Murin Airways NT **1982 **1983 Murray Valley Aerial Services V Feb1930 Feb1932 Murray Valley Airlines (1^^) N Dec1975 JUI1980 Murray Valley Airlines (2^^) V Feb1981 Oct1986 National Jet W May1995 Continuing Nationwide Air Services N Marl 969 Aug1975 Navair N May 1976 JUI1982 New England Airways (1^S N Jan1931 Jui1936 New England Airways (2^^) N Feb1947 May1948 New England Airways (3^^) N Dec1974 Aug1978 Newton Airways W Oct1971 Jun1973 Noeska Aviation W Novi 968 Jun1969 Noosa Air Services Q Jun1973 Dec1983 Norfolk Airlines N & Q May 1986 Novi 989 Norfolk Island Airlines N & Q Oct1975 Mar1991 North Coast Airlines N Jan1973 Jun1977 North Queensland Airways Q Jul1936 Oct1938

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North West Airlines (1^|) V JUI1981 Marl 983 North West Airlines (2^^) S Jun1988 May1989 North West Skyways V Novi 979 Jan1983 North Western Airlines N Marl 938 Oct1940 Northern Airliners N Oct1934 Dec1934 Northern Airlines NT Jun1980 Feb1981 Northern Airways N Jun1934 Oct1934 Northern Territory Air Charter NT Feb1981 Jun1984 O’Connor Air Services/Airlines Jul1980 Continuing O.K. Airlines V Feb1980 May1981 Omni Aviation (Freight only) V Aug1979 Apr1980 Opal Air S JUI1967 Aug1986 Ord Air Charter W Novi 977 Continuing Outback Air Q ** 1983 Jul1984 Overland Air Services N Sep1950 Marl 952 Oxley Airlines N Oct1976 Marl 994 Pacific Aviation V Oct1985 Dec1986 Pagas Airlines S **1972 JUI1982 Paggi’s Aviation W JUI1981 Aug1985 Par Avion T Sep1989 Feb1990 Peninsula Air Services V Sepi993 Feb1995 Phillip Island Air Charter V Apr1982 Aug1995 Phillip Island Airlines V Novi 995 Continuing Piccolo Airlines Q May1986 Oct1992 Pilbara Air Services W ** 1976 **1977 Port Augusta Air Services S JUI1967 **1972 Port Macquarie Clipper N Jan1950 Novi 950 Premiair Aviation N Oct1971 Jun1981 Promair V Novi 985 Novi 994 Q.A.N.T.A.S. (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services) Q Novi 922 Jan1934 Qantas Airways X Sepi992 Continuing Qantas Empire Airways Q Jan1934 Apr1949 Queensland Air Navigation Q Marl 930 Jan1931 Queensland Airlines Q Jan1949 Dec1966 Queensland Flying Services Q May1948 Feb1950 Queensland Outback Tourist Services Q May1982 Sep1986 Queensland Pacific Airlines Q Dec1988 Marl 991 Qwestair W Jan1989 Novi 995 Radford Silver City Airlines S Apr1979 Dec1979 Regional Airlines V Feb1983 Jul1986 Reliable Air Travel Q **1935 ** 1935 Rockhampton Aerial Services Q Oct1931 Sep1936 Rossair S Aug1979 Jun1986 Rottnest Airlines/Airbus W Mar1985 Continuing Rundle Air Services Q Feb1979 Apr1988 SAATAS (South Australian and Territory Air Services) S Jul1965 Marl 978 Sabair (South Burnett Aviation) Q Novi 982 Continuing Sandon Airlines (Nor East Charter) N Dec1978 JUI1980 Scheduled Airlines V Oct1978 Dec1979 Science Aids S Marl 972 Jan1974 Scruse Air (New World Aviation) N Sepi978 JUI1983 Seair Pacific Q Apr1988 Feb1991 Seaview Air N Jul1994 Oct1994 Silver City Air Taxis N Apr1976 Apr1979 Singleton Air Services N Marl 981 Sep1988 Sky Link Airlines S Jun1989 Apr1991 Sky Travel (Bishop & O’Sullivan) Q Novi 930 Feb1931 Skycharter Aviation W Jan1980 Jul1980 Skymaster Aviation NT Novi 984 Oct1985 Skyport NT Apr1991 Apr1993 Skytours Air Charter S JUI1980 Jul1983 Skyway Airlines N Aug1971 Aug1978 Skywest Airlines W Feb1980 Continuing Skywest and Pilbara Air Services W **1977 Jul1978 Skywest Jet Charter Air Services W Jul1978 Feb1980 HC Sleigh Airlines V Jan1981 Jul1982 Sopac Aviation N Feb1976 **1978 South Australian Regional Airlines S Jun1994 Sep1994 South Bank Aviation N Feb1977 JU11978 South Coast Airlines V May1978 Apr1980 South Coast Airways N Feb1950 Aug1953 South Queensland Airways Q Jun1938 Apr1940 South West Airlines W Jan1995 Jun1995 South Western Airlines S Novi 980 Feb1981 Southern Airlines (1^‘) V May1955 Novi 958 Southern Airlines (2"^) W Apr1968 Sep1970 Southern Airlines N Novi 991 Jun1993

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Southern Airlines and Freighters V NOV1936 Feb1938 Southern Australia Airlines V Dec1991 Continuing Southern Cross Air Services N Dec1977 Aug1982 Southern Pacific Regional Airlines Q Apr1991 Apr1993 Sovereign Airlines V Oct1976 Dec1982 Spirit Air Q Oct1989 Dec1989 State Air S Apr1986 May1989 Stayv\/ood Aviation V NOV1985 Marl 988 Stilwell Airlines W Dec1978 Feb1980 Stradbroke Gardens Air Charter Q Feb1971 JUI1974 Sunbird Airlines (1^*) Q Oct1978 **1978 Sunbird Airlines (2'^^) Q Marl 984 Oct1989 Suncity Airlines V Jun1986 JUI1987 Sungold Airlines Q Dec1986 Jan1989 Sunstate Airlines Q NOV1981 Continuing Sunstate Airlines (Mildura) V Oct1986 Dec1991 Survey & Inland Transport (EJ Connellan) NT Jul1939 Sep1943 Sydney Airlines N Jul1990 Apr1991 Sydney Harbour Seaplanes N Sep1993 Continuing Tamair N Aug1992 Continuing Tasmanian Aerial Services T Oct1932 Oct1934 Tasmanian Airways T Aug1934 **1934 Tennant Air NT Feb1980 Dec1980 T Thomas Air Transport Systems N Dec1980 Jun1982 Thorpes Transport Q Jun1972 **1984 Thunderbird Aviation N Oct1967 Novi 968 Tillair NT Aug1980 Oct1988 Torres Air Q JUI1990 Apr1991 Townsville and Country Airways Q Jun1947 Novi 953 Trans Australia Airlines X Sep1946 Aug1986 Trans Oceanic Airways N Oct1948 May1953 Trans Pacific Airlines Q Aug1996 Continuing Trans Regional Airlines S JUI1982 May1983 Trans West Air Charter W ** 1968 Novi 972 Trans West Air Charter (WA) W Novi 972 Jul1979 Trans West Airlines W Jui1979 Jan1982 Transnorth Air Charter NT Jul1982 Dec1982 Tropic Air Services W Aug1969 Sep1981 Tuggerah Lakes Air Services N Novi 979 Sep1980 Unionair Q Apr1972 May1978 Uzu AirQ Feb1994 Novi 994 Valley Air Australia N Sep1980 May1981 Victorian Air Coach Services V Dec1961 Aug1966 Victorian and Interstate Airways V Jul1936 Jul1940 Waratah Air Services N Jui1983 Feb1987 West Australian Airways W ** 1926 Jun1936 Western Air Courier N Marl 963 Oct1987 Western Air Navigation N Jul1967 **1968 Western Airlines (1^|) W Feb1980 Marl 981 Western Airlines (2'^'^) W May1989 Continuing Western Airways Passenger Service V Apr1947 Apr1947 Western and Southern Provincial Airlines (WASP Airlines) N Marl 935 Jul1936 Western Australian Airways W Dec1921 **1926 Western NSW Airlines N Apr1981 JUI1993 Westernair N ** 1968 May1970 Whyalla Airlines S Feb1990 Continuing Williams General Aviation N Feb1975 May1975 Williams Airlines S May1975 Marl 980 Wings Australia N Dec1981 Marl 983 Wittenoom Air Charter Services W Jan1976 JUI1978 Woods Airways W Marl 948 Dec1968 Wudinna Air Services S Dec1984 JUI1987 Yanda Airlines N Sep1988 Continuing

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the many helpful suggestions which Professor Rimmer has made regarding the presentation of this paper, which is an expansion of that read in January 1997. I would also like to acknowledge the great assistance given me by Roger McDonald with regard to the provision of airline information, and by John Streeter in commenting on the contents of the paper. Any resulting shortcomings are mine alone.

AFFILIATION STATEMENT

Howard Quinlan is an Associate Director of FDF Management Pty Ltd, 69 Grey Street, East Melbourne, Vic 3002.

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TALKBACK letters to the editor.

1. Western District Memories from MICHAEL K.HORNABROOK

John Hopton's 1921 & '22 Civil Register included ref­ Yangs. The pilot followed the railway from Geelong fairly erences to G-AUBY Sopwith Gnu, in which my father and low through the dag. Passing Laverton the covers were grandfather were passengers from Corio to Glenhuntly on being hastily pulled off the A. A. guns, which impressed 1.4.1920. I had not realised previously, that with seats for the passengers. 3 pax, it was then equal in accommodation to the LARGEST AIRLINER then flying in Australia along with The Percival Q 6, VH-ABY may be eligible for inclusion Gnu G-AUBX and the Short Shrimp in Sydney - and it was on John Wilson's list, as Ansetts operated it on the Ham­ aerobatic! ilton run, when the Envoy was unavailable. This shapely plane with it's low wing, and underslung de H. Gipsy en­ In the Jan '98 Journal, so much of interest, but espe­ gines, looked a bit like a stumpy Scott & Black de H cially the life story of Allan Hughes from his modest youth, Comet to an 11 year-old boy. There was side by side to the top of the tree, combining some good luck with his seating in the cockpit, and space for, 5 or 6 in the cabin. I dedication, skill and experience through the war years. remember clearly, winning the sprint to board the aircraft and win the right hand seat beside the pilot. The dual con­ In the March Journal. John Wilson's great Ansett Fleet trols had been removed, but I was allowed to help raise List. An amazingly comprehensive production. I was 8 and lower the u/c. In David Monday's Hamlyn Guide to when I first rode in the Envoy VH-UXM on the Hamilton British Aircraft of W. W. 2 it is stated that of the 27 Per­ run, in 1940, and I made several trips until the wartime cival Q 6’s built, (and called Petrels in the R. A. F.) only 4 Ansett Roadways network was extended to connect with had retractable gear. Parnell and Boughton's excellent the train at Warrnambool, and later at Camperdown. to "Flypast" states that VH-ABY was imported for the then D. provide a link between Apsley and Geelong within one C. A., which presumably made it available to Ansett) in day. Possibly seats for 7 or 8 passengers, and the only 1939. My last flight on Ansett's Hamilton service was in service to be maintained through the war years. This may Sept. '48, when ,following a school-boy cadet camp at have been because much of the Ansett Airways share Puckapunyal, the passenger volume required a huge (then capital had been subscribed in Western Victoria. With the to me) DC 3. I learned what 'huge' really is 46 years later 3 Lockheed’s all acquired for war service, presumably the when, during a stop at Frankfurt, I briefly left my seat to Envoy was not needed. nip out onto the raised platform of a scissor-lift food truck, beside the fuselage of the 747, and view the hull from My father recalled one trip from Hamilton, in marginal immediately beside it. weather which caused a diversion South of the You

2. A TALE OF TWO NTH. QUEENSLAND MOTHS from GERALD W. BYRNE Rockhampton

Remains ofVH-UHB at Rolleston on 7 February 1931. I read with interest the article (A-H June 1997) about same aircraft. I can add a little to its later history. I flew it Mr. S. Hamilton and his Gipsy 1 Moth VH-UGV, and the from Mackay on 21 occasions between Nov. 1937 and later letter by Chas Schaedel (A-H Sept. 1997) about the Oct. 1938 when it was owned by the Royal Queensland

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Aero Club. On 1st Feb 1938 it was being flown at Rockhampton by John Berry who ran into a violent storm. He actually landed backwards close to the airport. Both of Johns shoulders were badly bruised from contact with the sides of the cockpit. GV was severely damaged, and my father bought it from the Insur­ ance Company with the intention of put­ ting the Gipsy motor in to his Mkll Cir­ rus DH60X VH-UHB. The war intervened and both HB and the wreckage of GV were sold to Air University Pty. Ltd., Archerfield, for pilot training.

There is a lot of aviation history around here, like most other places I suppose. Vic Roffey, a country lad from Gogango just west of here went to New The crash that Harold Fraser walked away from. Caledonia to establish a Charter Service. It was unsuc­ it was owned by Jack Connor of Mackay. cessful, and having no money to ship the plane back to Rockhampton he fitted an extra tank in the front cockpit Harold Fraser used to do a run from Rockhampton to and flew it back 1100 miles, in lOhrs 50 mins non-stop. Mt. Coolan in a DH50. He had dropped his passengers He hit the mainland just north of Rockhampton and went and was on his way back when his engine fell out, taking back to the farm. He died in Rockhampton at 84 about 2 the two front seats with it. He found the aircraft rather out years ago. I flew his Mk. 11 Gypsy Moth VH-UPG some of C of G limits, but he got it down and had to walk 10 time later when miles to Capella.

D.H.60X-VH-UHB C/n 412

28.03.28 Australian Registration Application: de Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd., Port Melbourne, Vic. 30. 03.28 Added Register VH-UHB To be assembled at Port Melbourne workshops, then based at Essendon Aerodrome, Melbourne. 04.04.28 Sold to: Air Travel Ltd., Sydney Based Mascot Aerodrome, with their Alexander Eaglerock VH-UGH 25. 08.28 VH-UHB performed at air pageant at Brisbane, with large name "Texaco" painted under wings. Then flew tour of NSW between September November under contract to Texaco oils. 03. 01.29 Forced landing Dorrigo, NSW. Lower wing and propeller damaged. 22. 07.29 Crashed Mascot, badly damaged. Turned over on to back during night landing. 18.10.29 Forced landing Eastwood - Sydney, no damage. 27.10.29 Crashed on landing Kensington Racecourse, Sydney, badly damaged. 15. 05.30 Sold to F.K Bardsley Cl- Aero Club of NSW, Mascot, NSW. 27.11.30 Sold to A.E.Johnson, Rockhampton, Old {Cl- “Bonnie Doon.” Station Yeppoon, Old. 07.02.31 Crashed Rolleston, Qld. killing owner Johnson and 2 passengers. Johnson did not hold a pilot licence. 00.10.31 Wreckage purchased from Johnson's widow by G.E. Byrne, Rockhampton. Rebuilt in his motor garage by a licensed engineer. 27.05.33 New Registration Application; G.E. Byrne, Byrne Motor Co, Rockhampton 27. 05.33 First flight Rockhampton after rebuild. Byrne was Treasurer of "Central Queensland Aero Club Ltd", who also operated DH.60X VH-UPK 06.08.33 Forced lending near Bundaberg, Qld and badly damaged. Rebuild by LAME Joe C. Vine, Brisbane 14.02.34 Crashed Rockhampton aerodrome when struck cow 19.06.35 Struck off Civil Register. Lengthy dispute between Civil Aviation Branch and G.E. Byrne over standard of maintenance required by the Department, condition of Rockey aerodrome. Byrne had carried out welding work on the airframe without aeronautical engineer's licence and was also accused by CAB of flying the aircraft without a valid CofA or himself having a valid pilot licence. Much spirited correspondence over several years. 00.09.39 Damaged airframe VH-UHB and wreckage of D.H.60G VH-UGV crashed at Rockhampton 1.12,38 both sold "as is" to: Queensland Air University Pty. Ltd, Archerfield. 00.10.39 Remains of both aircraft noted in Q.A.N.T.A.S. hangar at Archerfield. VH-UHB rebuilt to airworthy condition. 20. 6.40 Restored to Register VH-UHB: Air University Pty. Ltd..Brisbane, Qld 00.09.41 Sold to N.V.Indisch Kantoor Van Koopman Enco, Bandoeng, Java. 20.12.41 Struck off Civil Register Shipped to Java , Became PK-SAS Used by Bandoeng Aero Club 00.00.42 Struck off NEI Register after Japanese invasion. Fate unknown

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Duigan and Roe: a Question of Influence By Philip Jarrett

Philip Jarrett has been examining some interpretations that Gary Sunderiand made about the infiuence of John Duigan on the designs of A. V. Roe.

For some years now Garry Sunderland has presented issue of The Aero he said; "I think that, if I can sell the John Duigan as having played a significant part in the machine [the biplane], I will take a trip to England and see evolution of the Avro 500 and, consequently, in the what is going on there with a view to buying a machine, eventual development of the British manufacturer's probably passenger carrying" . famous trainer, the Avro 504\ However, I believe that Duigan's influence is overstated, due, in part, to some He obviously moved fairly quickly, as in a letter important points having been overlooked. published in The Aero's August issue he wrote: “I have

The Avro biplane bought by Duigan at Huntington, late November 1911

The issue centres on Duigan's spell in the UK in 1911- now decided to come to your side and see what is going 1912, and his movements at that time. He first announced on, and will arrive there in July” Fortunately for us, the his intention of visiting the UK in letters to the British editor of The Aeroplane at that time, C.G. Grey, published aviation magazines Flight and The Aero. In Flight for 10 a weekly 'Visitors' List' recording the significant June 1911, after describing his biplane and its testing, he aeronautical personalities who visited him in the wrote: "At present I am considering my next move, which magazine's offices at 166 Piccadilly, London. In the issue may possibly be in your direction”^ , and in the June 1911 for 31 August Grey wrote:

1 ‘Mr Duigan, of Mia Mia, called to talk over the Sunderland, G., 'John Duigan and the Avro Aeroplanes', Aviation Heritage merits of various machines, as he is contemplating (journal of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia) vol 21 no 4, 1982. Also published in World War One Aeroplanes no.89, April 1982 as 'The taking back with him to Australia one or two Duigan and Avro Aeroplanes', and in the 1986 edition of The '14-'18. Journal, machines and a spare engine or two, if he can published by The Australian Society of World War One Aero Historians. Sunderland, G., 'The Second Duigan Aeroplane', The '14-'18 Journal, 1993. Also published in issue no. 157 of W.W.1 Aero, 1997, as 'The 2d Duigan Aeroplane'. ^ 'Aviation in Australia', The Aero, June 1911, p.84 col.2.

4 ^ 'An Australian Pioneer and Constructor', Flight, 10 June 1911, p.504 col.2. 'An Aeroplane in New Zealand', The Aero, August 1911, p.145 col .2.

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come across anything in the way of bargains. He Duigan that he arrived just as construction of the new says that there is a really fine field for aeroplanes Avros was about to begin. on the big up-country stations, and even for sporting purposes there are good prospects.'^ In his 'Visitors' List' column for the issue of 7 September, Grey recorded; Interestingly, that very same issue of The Aeroplane contained a report on '1912 Type Avros', which reads as Mr A.V. Roe came in to discuss further the new follows; machines which were referred to in last week's issue. The new Roe biplane of the familiar engine- The Editor of The Aeroplane has been privileged to in-front type is now at Brooklands and should be inspect the drawings of a new monoplane which flying during this week. It is quite a nicely A.V. Roe and Co are about to produce at an early constructed machine, and should make a name for date, and he can promise aviators that they will itself as quickly as the first of its type did have something very interesting to watch when the machine arrives at Brooklands. Without giving The item immediately following this reads; away any trade secrets, it can be stated that there are suggestions of REP and Nieuport about it, but Mr Duigan, who has been interviewing people on such points as suggest these machines are utilised the subject of engines for his Australian ventures, in novel ways. There is also a suggestion of the came in on his return from Derby with glowing new Pivot, though Mr Roe has never seen the reports of the doings of the latest type Alvaston Pivot, and has arrived at the same point by engines. Having seen them in the course of independent reasoning. Head resistance has been construction at the works, he is able to form a really reduced to an absolute minimum, and altogether good opinion of the work which is now being put the machine is of more than usual interest. A into them, and he himself is having one out to biplane on similar lines will probably be built at the Australia, where he hopes to dispose of a good same time. It is admitted that the 1911 Avro biplane many more.^° is the most efficient biplane yet turned out, for it does 45 m.p.h. and carries two people with its little Once again we have Roe and Duigan in close 35 h.p. Green engine, and, simply owing to proximity. Although Duigan had travelled up to Derby, reduced head resistance, the new machine should there is no suggestion that he had ventured a further 60 be more efficient still.’® miles to Manchester to see the Avro works. If Grey had not connected the two on the previous occasion, then it must The reference to the Nieuport should be noted. The have happened at this time, in view of this entry in Grey's Nieuport monoplane with its patented vee-strutted skid 'Visitors' List' in The Aeroplane for 28 September; undercarriage with a laminated steel spring axle had been displayed at the Third International Aero Exhibition at Mr Duigan, who has been spending the last few Olympia, London, during the last week of March, 1911, weeks investigating engines and machines, has and was described in the British aviation press.^ now definitely ordered an Avro biplane of the latest type, into which he intends to fit his 40 h.p. four- These designs were eventually to materialise as the cylinder horizontal Alvaston engine. With such Type E or 500 small two-seater biplane and the Type F power available, he should have no trouble in doing fully enclosed mid-wing monoplane, and they spawned the plenty of flying. Mr Duigan confesses to a large Type G cabin biplane, effectively an amalgam of the predilection for horizontal engines, and is already two previous designs, built specifically for the 1912 Military the owner of a horizontal-engined car and a Aeroplane Competition. All of these aircraft featured horizontal engined motor bicycle, both of which are square-section fuselages and Nieuport-type leaf-spring doing excellent service. undercarriage axles. As it transpired, only the Type E was to evolve any further. Duigan evidently decided to have some tuition with Roe at Brooklands, for in its issue of 7 October Flight One cannot help but notice that Duigan visited Grey reported that on 29 September Duigan, 'the Australasian shortly after the latter's visit to the A.V. Roe factory, and as expert - who, by the way, has an Avro on order - ... [was] Roe's aeroplanes appeared to meet Duigan's out rolling, ... showing good control of the machine and requirements and were cheaper than the products of the making straight flights'. He did some more rolling and larger manufacturers (an Avro aircraft with a Gnome straight flying on the 30th. engine cost £850, compared with £1,000 for a similarly powered Bristol Boxkite®), it seems more than likely that A belated description of the Avro Type D biplane was Grey recommended Roe to Duigan. It was fortuitous for published in Flight for 4 November.^^ This type had first

9 ^ The Visitors' List', The Aeroplane, 31 August 1911, p.308 col.2. 'The Visitors' List', The Aeroplane, 7 September 1911, p.334 col.1 10 6 Ibid. '1912 Type Avros', The Aeroplane, 31 August 1911, p.304 col.1 11 7 'The Visitors' List', The Aeroplane, 28 September 1911 p.406 cols.1 & 2. For example, see Flight, 8 April 1911, pp.309-310, and The Aero April 1911, pp.15-16. 'From the British Flying Grounds', Flight, 7 October 1911, p.870 col.2. 8 Advertisements in Flight, 6 May 1911, p.xiii col.3, and in many other 13 issues. The Avro Biplane’, Flight, 4 November 1911, pp. 951-3

124 AHSA Aviation Heritage appeared at Brooklands in March/April 1911, and it would in a biplane, the production of the firm mentioned. be irrelevant to this discussion but for one point. Although Duigan's work in Australia is very analogous to that one of the detail sketches in the Flight article depicts the of Cody in England, for they both designed, built, generally familiar vertical and horizontal tail surfaces of the and carried out extensive flights with their Type D, with semicircular, scalloped and unbalanced respective biplanes, without having previously seen an aeroplane in flight.'®

The 7 December issue of The Aeroplane carried an account by 'A Mere Woman' of 'A Visit to the Avro Works'.^® This included quite a detailed description of 'the very last word in Avroplanes, the new 1912 model'. 'This splendid craft,' the author wrote, '... is bound for Australia after trial at Huntingdon, but it is to be the future standard.' According to the caption to the three J.R. Duigan flying his Avro biplane at Brooklands in April 1912, after it had been fitted with a 35hp ENV accompanying engine pictures, the aircraft was already at Huntingdon. elevators and rudder, the full two-view drawing shows it Duigan wrote to The Aeroplane from Huntingdon and with surfaces very similar to those adopted for the Type his remarks were reported in the 21 December issue.He E/500 biplanes, with square surfaces and the distinctive was 'extremely pleased with his new Avro biplane, but bad rudder with a balance area forward of the hinge line. The weather and tuning up of his engine have delayed any real magazine makes no comment on this new empennage, flying up to the present'. The magazine reminded its but it seems clear that it was the prototype of the readers that Duigan was a tenant of James Radley and configuration intended for the company's new 1912 W.B. Rhodes-Moorhouse, who were running the designs. Portholme Aerodrome. He wrote; 'If anyone wants a good ground and fair treatment, they cannot do better than The Aeroplane for 9 November reported in the 'Visitors' come here'. List' that: Despite his previously-expressed enthusiasm for the Mr J.R. Duigan, who had just come from horizontal Alvaston engine, Duigan had abandoned it by Manchester, where he had been watching the early February 1912. The Aeroplane for 8 February construction of his new Avro biplane at Brownsfield reported: Mills, has now decided definitely to go to Huntingdon to make his tests with this machine and Mr J.R. Duigan, who has been experimenting with a an Alvaston engine. After inspecting most of the new Avro with an ENV engine at Huntingdon, has aerodromes in England he has come to the managed to get some short, straight flights out of conclusion that the Portholme is the finest centre the machine, but for the last few weeks has been for cross-country flying, and that the aerodrome held up by bad weather. As the machine is quite a itself is unsurpassed as regards surface for a new type, it probably needs trials with different learner.^"^ propellers. Mr Duigan says that he is extremely pleased with the engine, which runs beautifully.^® In its issue of 25 November, F//g/?f stated: 15 It is a great compliment to British constructors, and 'Air Eddies', Flight, 25 November 1911, p.1026 col.2. the Avro firm in particular, that Mr J.R. Duigan, after 16 carrying out a tour of inspection round all the British 'A Visit to the Avro Works', by 'A Mere Woman', The Aeroplane, 7 and Continental flying grounds, in search of a December 1911, pp.641-2. machine combining the qualities of efficiency, 17 safety, and portability, should decide on investing 'At the Portholme', The Aeroplane, 21 December 1911, p.691 col.2

14 18 The Visitors List’, The Aeroplane, 9 November 1911, p.549 col. 1 'The New Avro-ENV, The Aeroplane, 8 February 1912, p.136 col 2.

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worth noting here that researchers often assume that the This report contradicts statements that the 35 h.p. ENV date that a certificate was granted was the same as the was not fitted until Duigan moved to Brooklands. date on which the test was taken; as the above details reveal, this was often not the case. The next report, in The Aeroplane for 14 March, states that on Sunday, 10 March, Duigan was at the Avro School In its 2 May issue The Aeroplane carried a small tribute at Brooklands, 'practising on new type Avro with ENV to his achievement, which read; engine, getting short straights, pending proper tuning of Mr J.R. Duigan, the Australian aviator whose motor.^^ According to Flight of 16 March he was out again certificate flights were noted last week, deserves on the Monday, 'tuning-up his Nieuport-chassis Avro every credit for the work he has done. It may be biplane, rolling, and making short straight flights'. remembered that some two years ago he built himself a machine, engine and all [this is incorrect; In its 30 March issue. Flight published a description of he did not build the engine], in Australia, and the latest Type E, pointing out that it was, to all intents and managed to get straight flights and curves out of it. purposes, a larger and more powerful version of the Last year he came to this country, and after aircraft supplied to Duigan.It had obviously been studying aviation at the various aerodromes he realised that Duigan's aircraft, which was in reality the bought an Avro biplane, which he fitted with a 35 Type E prototype, was too small and underpowered for a h.p. ENV engine. He experimented with this for two-seater, and that greater wing area was needed if it some time at Huntingdon, and not long ago moved was to lift a larger engine and two people. The new aircraft to Brooklands, where he has been working quietly, had a 60 h.p. ENV, and its span and length were 36ft and acting as his own mechanic. Up to the time of 30ft 6in respectively, compared with 34ft and 29ft 4in for getting his certificate last week he had broken the Duigan. absolutely nothing, and had used only 24 gallons of petrol, and a little over 3 gallons of oil, which According to The Aeroplane of 18 April, Duigan made includes all engine testing. He has been altogether a 35min flight on 13 April, doing 15 laps: 'Good flying for a about four hours in the air. At present he is trying novice'.^^ This event was also mentioned in Flight for 20 experiments with various types of propellers on April.He was out again on 16 April, 'doing straights', and theories of his own, and seems to be getting did more straights and a circuit on the 18th.^ On the increasingly good results by slight alterations in following day he flew for about an hour, reaching about existing propellers. Unfortunately, his engine is a 200ft on the first flight and 300ft on the second, little too small for the machine, but with more power whereupon he 'Switched off at highest point and landed there is no doubt that he and the Avro would do weir. On the third flight he performed figure eights and some very fine performances. circuits, 'and nearly came down in sewage farm'.The big day came on Saturday 20 April, when Duigan, flying his However, Duigan had obviously achieved what he had Avro, ‘took certificate in very good style’.Flight reported set out to do in England (or had simply run out of money), that he reached 220ft in his height test. ‘He finds his and the same issue of The Aeroplane carried a classified machine so underpowered,’ the journal reported, ‘that it is advertisement for his aeroplane: only under the best weather conditions that she will do Roe biplane, latest type, thoroughly sound more than just struggle round a few feet of [sic] the machine; seen flying at Brooklands, No.4 shed; ground so that all the more credit falls on him for this reasonable offer accepted.- D., Coffee Tavern, flight.'^^ Byfleet.®°

At a Royal Aero Club Committee meeting on 30 April As well as carrying the same advertisement,^^ the 4 Duigan was granted Aviator's Certificate No.211. It is May issue of Flight reported that Duigan ‘put up a good flight' on 30 April, and The Aeroplane added that he had been 'up to 400 to 600ft for over an hour, doing circuits The Week's Work', The Aeroplane, 14 March 1912, p.259 col.1. over Byfleet and Addlestone. Fine long flight for a novice, especially as engine only rated at 35 h.p. Later doing 20 'From the British Flying Grounds', Flight, 16 March 1912, p.244 col.1. straights with Mr Game as passenger.'^^ This appears to be the only reference to passenger carrying flights, and it is clear that the aircraft could only make short, straight 'The New Avro Biplane', Flight, 30 March 1912, pp.281-3. flights with two aboard. He was 'flying well’ on 2 May, and on 3 May he was again out, 'testing and tuning engine'. 'The Week's Work', The Aeroplane, 18 April 1912, p.381 col.2. The advertisement appeared in several subsequent issues of both magazines. 23 'From the British Flying Grounds', Flight, 20 April 1912, p.352 col.2.

29 'The Week's Work', The Aeroplane, 25 April 1912, p.405 cols.1 & 2. 'Mr Duigan's Success', The Aeroplane, 2 May 1912, pp.435-6.

30 Ibid., p.406 col.1. Classified advertisement. The Aeroplane, 2 May 1912, p.439 col.1.

26 31 Ibid., p.406 col.2. Classified advertisement. Flight, 4 May 1912, p.xi col.2.

'From the British Flying Grounds', Flight, 27 April 1912, p.373 col.1. 'From the British Flying Grounds', Flight, 4 May 1912, p.392 col.2; 'The Week's Work', The Aeroplane, 9 May 1912, p.458 col.1. RAeC Official Notices, Flight, 4 May 1912, p.395 col.1; 'The Royal Aero Club', The Aeroplane, 9 May 1912, p.457 col.2. 'The Week's Work', The Aeroplane, 9 May 1912, p.460 cols.1 & 2.

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The last report of Duigan flying his Avro appeared in There are two very misleading aspects about this Flight for 18 May, which said that he 'made a good flight' paragraph. First and foremost, he immediately isolates the on Friday 10 May.^"^ biplane from its rightful place in the Avro design lineage, and places it among the aircraft built to the requirements In its issue of 13 June, The Aeroplane reported that at of individual clients. We are told as a matter of fact that Windermere in the Lake District, on 4 June, 'Mr Duigan's the biplane was one of several machines 'designed by Avro biplane, purchased by the Lakes Flying Co., arrived others', and that it was designed by Duigan. This is a ploy and was rapidly erected to be fitted with Gnome and known as 'begging the question' assuming what has yet to floats'.^^ be proved. Secondly, it tells the reader that the aeroplane was significant before evidence is presented to support

The Avro Type E with a 60hp ENV engine shortly after roll-out at Brooklands early in 1912. Its strong family resemblance to the aeroplane purchased by Duigan is evident.

The foregoing is as complete an account as possible the claim, of Duigan’s time in the western hemisphere. In fact, there is no evidence at all in the sources A claim without foundation. quoted above that Duigan played any part in the biplane's The first misleading feature of Gary Sunderland's later design, and the author does not actually present any. He article is its title; 'The Second Duigan Aeroplane'. This merely suggests that certain features of the design should really read: 'Duigan's Avro', or perhaps 'Duigan's indicate that Duigan must have had some influence, but Second Aeroplane; the First Avro Type E'. However, the his argument is ill-supported by the known facts. most contentious part of Gary Sunderland's article is the second paragraph, which states: The significant points are as follows: 1 It is evident from The Aeroplane's report on the '1912 A.V. Roe & Company also advertised their willingness Type Avros' that advanced designs were already in hand to construct aeroplanes designed by others, and as a before Duigan appeared on the scene, and that they result a number of different aeroplanes were built at their featured enclosed, square-section fuselages, and, almost factory during 1911 and 1912. Among these were two certainly, the Nieuport leaf-spring undercarriage. The only Farman-type pushers and also an interesting Peruvian- thing influenced by Duigan was the choice of engine, and designed "Burga" monoplane which featured a radical that proved to be the machine's Achilles' heel. It just form of lateral control. However, the only type to have any happened that Duigan was the first customer for the new significant effect on the development of subsequent Avro type. aeroplanes was the Duigan biplane, designed by the Australian pioneer airman, John R. Duigan.^® 2 In his fourth paragraph, Gary Sunderland states: '... John Duigan travelled to Manchester and placed an order 34 with A.V. Roe & Co for the manufacture of a new Duigan 'From the British Flying Grounds', Flight, 18 May 1912, p.448 col.1. biplane'. Here he is again blinding his readers to the truth by inventing a 'fact' that is completely without foundation. 'The Week's Work', The Aeroplane, 13 June 1912, p.582 col.2. He conjures up a very plausible image of Duigan walking

Sunderland, G., 'The 2d Duigan Aeroplane', W.W.1 Aero no. 157, August 1997, p.13 col.1.

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into the Avro factory with a roll of ready-prepared drawings 4 Finally, we must take closer look at Duigan's under his arm, and ordering the company to build 'his' activities during the last quarter of 1910. He had obviously aeroplane. Note that it is called the 'Duigan biplane' from not selected a machine (and did not have a design of his the outset to make sure that its assumed identity is firmly own) when he arrived in the UK. This is made clear in C.G. implanted in the reader's mind. (The fact that it is thus Grey's 'Visitors' List' entry for 31 August. described in Jackson's Ayro Aircraft since 1908^^ is misleading, as there is not a single occurrence of this title By 28 September he had ordered an 'Avro biplane of in the period literature. It should be noted that Duigan the latest type'. himself advertised it as a 'Roe biplane, latest type'. Harlin and Jenks, in Avro: an Aircraft Alburn^^ are without doubt On 29 and 30 September he made some training correct in placing it in the section on the Type E.) flights at Brooklands. From the evidence presented above, it is quite clear that the biplane forms a logical stage in the transition from During the foregoing period he had also visited the the Type D to the fully-fledged Type E. Roe and Parrott Alvaston works and, apparently, had made a tour of clearly did not regard it as a significant aircraft in that inspection of 'all the British and Continental flying progression because it was underpowered and therefore grounds'. This leaves very little time for him to design and unsuccessful. supervise the construction of a completely new aircraft, which is what we are expected to believe he did. 3 In an article he wrote for the Aviation Historical Society of Australia, Gary Sunderland points to a feature Duigan then visited the Avro works at Manchester of the biplane's construction that, he says, was a 'major shortly before 9 November, where he 'watched' the advance over the previous Avro and Duigan aeroplanes. construction of his new Avro biplane. This is apparently No longer was the [wing] section produced by simple reportage of his own words. curved laths of timber but the new wing featured substantial built-up ribs to provide an aerodynamic The aircraft was finished and delivered to Huntingdon profile'.In fact, Avro were using built-up ribs by early by 7 December. 1910, as revealed in photographs published in The Aero of 1 March, 1910, and in another depicting an Avro Farman- type under construction that year. Conclusion He also says: 'Other details of the aircraft showed a It seems clear that Gary Sunderland Is attempting to distinct Duigan influence. For example the propeller was of attribute to Duigan the design of the aircraft designed and Kauri, a timber from New Zealand which would have been built by Avro and ordered by Duigan, and to claim, familiar to Duigan'.However, Roe had used Kauri pine thereby, that Duigan was influential in the evolution of the for the main spars and interplane struts of his first full-size Avro Type E/500 and the ultimate product of that line, the powered aeroplane, his canard biplane of 1907/8^\ so he famous Avro 504. was obviously familiar with the material long before Duigan appeared on the scene. The evidence suggests There is no contemporary evidence to support this that Kauri pine was the standard material used by Avro for contention. In fact, all of the evidence indicates that the the company's propellers. Having described the aircraft biplane supplied to Duigan was the prototype of the Avro being built for Duigan, the 'Mere Woman' who visited the Type E family, and the struggling Avro company was Avro works in late 1911 then states: 'I saw the making of doubtless pleased that its construction was financed by a the efficient and yet inexpensive Roe propellers, cut out all private buyer. When the aircraft proved to be too small in a piece of Kauri Pine'. and underpowered, it was Duigan, rather than Avro, who therefore suffered the consequences, and Avro who Although pine, by virtue of the structure of its cells, is learned the lesson and made the necessary design classed as a softwood, it combines lightness and strength, modifications to make the Type E a success. Duigan, and it was popular as a timber for aircraft use in the early unbeknown to both Avro and himself, had spent his hard- period. As Kauri pine was a product of the British Empire, earned money on a machine that could never be made to it was probably exported to Britain in large quantities. The perform as expected. However, it is probably true to say practice of carving a propeller from a single piece of that his purchase of the first of the line contributed to the timber was not a good one, as it was prone to warp and type's ultimate success and the resulting subsequent deform, whereas propellers built up from laminations of developments. That is the true extent of his influence. tropical hardwoods were resistant to such deterioration.

37 Jackson, A.J., Avro Aircraft since 1908 (Putnam, London, 1990).

38 Harlin, E.A., and Jenks, G.A., Avro: an Aircraft Album Ian Allan, London, 1973.

39 Sunderland, G., 'John Duigan and the Avro Aeroplanes', op. cit., p.78 col.1.

40 Ibid.

41 The Roe Aeroplane', The Automotor Journal, 28 December 1907 pp. 1864-66. The reference to Kauri pine appears on p.1865 col. 2.

128 AHSA Aviation Heritage

AUSTRALIAS JUNKERS Ju 86 By David Eyre

Seen at Laverton in August 1937, titled as ‘Lawrence Hargraves' Photo Hopton Collection

A fascinating entrant to the Australian civil aircraft came D-ABUK, was the Ju 86 baf and flew in April 1935 register arrived at Essendon, Victoria on 27 April 1937 for and was later delivered to the German national carrier, Mr.E.F.R Beinssen (some references say for Southern DLH (Lufthansa). Airlines and Freighters but this is incorrect). This aircraft was a Junkers Ju 86Z-1 (German export designation for After the initial five prototypes were completed (c/ns the Ju 86C-1 powered by diesel engines). Although only in 4901 to 4905), a pre-production batch of 13 Ju 86A-0 Australia short time, the history of the type, and of this bombers and seven Ju 86 B-0 transports was built, the aircraft in particular, is quite interesting. last of these (c/n 016), which became D-ANUV, being converted to 770-hp BMW 132 Dc nine-cylinder air-cooled The 1930's saw a great amount of development in radials. Germany to re-establish aeronautical prestige on an inter­ national basis, and to clandestinely develop new designs Production of the Ju 86 commenced in 1935 in two for the burgeoning services then coming into being for the variants, known at that stage as the Ju 86A and Ju 86B Third Reich. initially fitted with two Jumo 205C-4 diesel engines. The first civil aircraft as such was the Ju 86 V5 (V for ver- In 1934 Junkers Flugzugbeau at Dessau received a suchs, prototype) and was registered D-AHOE. In the first specification for a new type to be known as the Ju 86, the production batch one was retained by Junkers as a dem­ aircraft, to be developed as both a commercial transport onstrator, five went to DLFI, and one was for Swiss Air and as (and it goes without saving as a military transport) Lines (HB-IXI). The latter was delivered in April 1936 and a bomber. The prototype Ju 86 abl (c/n 4901) flew for the was used for night mail services from Zurich to Frankfurt. first time on 4 November 1934, being designed at the out­ Fiowever, the aircraft crash-landed at Wixhausen on 12 set to take diesel engines designed and built by Junkers August 1936 and was returned to Junkers, being replaced Motorenbau at Kothen. Although not offering a very good by FIB-IXG in February the following year. power-to-weight ratio, the fuel consumption of the diesel was markedly superior to contemporary petrol engines DLFI operated its aircraft from Berlin to Cologne, fur­ offering similar power output. ther examples being obtained later making a total of 16, until eventually they were impressed by the Luftwaffe as As the chosen unit, (the Jumo 205 diesel) was not yet transports. available, the prototype was flown with two Siemens SAM 22 nine-cylinder radials. Fiowever, a number of shortcom­ One aircraft, a Ju 86B-0 (c/n 007) D-AXEQ made a ings were found during initial test flying, and some redes­ notable flight from Dessau to Bathurst in West Africa non ign was necessary. The third prototype, the Ju 86cb (c/n stop in 18 hours 26 minutes, a distance of 5800 km (3604 4903 , which became G-ALAL) flew in March 1935, also miles) on 22/23 August 1936. with Siemens radial engines, this aircraft later being fitted with Juno diesels, the second prototype (c/n which be-

129 AHSA Aviation Heritage

The Junkers 86Z-2 was also supplied to Manchuria service until 1941 when they were impressed by the Bo­ where the ten aircraft received registrations in the M-200 livian Airforce. series. These were supplied under a barter agreement in exchange for soy beans. One suggestion for the acquisi­ Hungary obtained a total of 66 Ju 86K-9s fitted with tion of the type has been that they could easily be con- Gnome-Rhone 14K Mistral Major radials; and Portugal and verted to bomber configuration in an emergency. In fact Austria also obtained examples. during the “Nomonhan Incident” in June 1939 on the Mon­ golian border six of the MAL Ju 86’s were based at Production of the bomber variant eventually pro­ Hsinching airport for possible use as bombers. These gressed, variants with the BMW 132F engine becoming were later re-engined with Mitsubishi Kinsei engines when the Ju 86E-1 and the E-2 was fitted with the more powerful replacement BMW’s were unavailable. BMW 132N providing 680-hp. Peak strength of the type with the Luftwaffe was 235 aircraft. Eventually the diesel In 1936 Junkers introduced a new designation for ex­ engined aircraft were withdrawn to training units, though port models, the Ju 86K (K for Kampf or battle) and Ju 86Z late in 1942 two units were formed to help in providing (Z for Zivil or civil). The military history of the type has transportation of supplies to the besieged Wermacht dur­ been reasonably well recorded, but briefly, the expansion ing the disastrous siege of Stalingrad. of the Luftwaffe in 1936 lead to priority being given to bomber variants of the Ju 86 and the commercial variant Total orders for all variants of the Ju 86 amounted to was basically shelved so that the first major production some 840 aircraft; but in fact only some 400 examples series, the Ju 86A-1 could enter service during the Euro­ were completed. pean summer of that year. An interesting variant of the series was the Ju 86P and By this stage a wedge-shaped extension had been in­ R series, these being high altitude bomber and reconnais­ serted in lieu of the tail-cone to correct longitudinal prob­ sance aircraft fitted with a development of the Jumo 205, lems, this being tested on the Ju 86A-0 and, once the Jumo 207 diesel providing 986-hp at 3000 rpm and proved, the subsequent production aircraft with this modi­ fitted with two centrifugal superchargers, the first of these fication became known as the JU 86D-I, only a few aircraft being driven by an exhaust turbine and having an after­ being completed in Ju 86A-1 form. cooler between the engine-driven supercharger and the induction gallery. The prototype of this series, the Ju 86P-I Luftwaffe plans called for twelve (12) Gruppen to be (D-AUHB) was flown for the first time in February 1940 formed with 36 aircraft in each during 1937. Four Ju 86 and attained 9000 meters (29,530 ft); and the P-2 was bombers were sent to Spain to prove their capabilities. able to climb to 11,000 meters (36,090 ft). Examples of However, the diesel engines proved to be a nightmare in this model were produced to perform reconnaissance military service during the Spanish Civil War, not taking flights over the Mediterranean theatre and to meet this too kindly to sudden changes of power settings, and be­ problem specially stripped Supermarine Spitfire Vs were came quite unpopular with crews, who found flying into modified. combat with the Heinkel He 111 much more to their liking. Serviceability rates became low and, in order to meet the To further enhance the aircraft’s ability to operate in problems, cutbacks were ordered in production of the the reconnaissance role outside the reach of allied fight­ type, and indeed very soon it was decided to cancel pro­ ers, the R-2 model was developed, this being fitted with duction of the diesel engined aircraft. At this time compo­ 1,000-hp Jumo 207B-3 engines, this aircraft, during trials nents for a couple of hundred aircraft were in train and in 1942, climbed to 14,400 meters (47,250 ft) and these these were placed in storage until 1940 when a decision were operated on missions over the United Kingdom. was made to complete the aircraft with radial engines, dual controls, and to allot them for use in the transport A further variant was the Ju 86R-3 fitted with 1,500-hp role. Jumo 208 diesels, the supercharging of which was to be by means of a Daimler-Benz DB 605T twelve-cylinder Vee Early in the Ju 86 programme Junkers had foreseen liquid cooled engine in the fuselage driving a blower; but that the diesel engine may not be popular and had fitted a this design was abandoned, despite the fact that it was Ju 86B-0 (D-ANUV) with BMW 132 Dc radials, and other expected to reach 16,000 meters (52,500 ft). radial engines types were considered, including the Bristol Pegasus, the Gnome-Rhone Mistral 91C, and the Pratt & To return to the Australian use of the Junkers Ju 86. Whitney Hornet S-1E-G. These units were considered On 15 March 1937 Mr. E.F.R. Beinssen took delivery of Ju because the belief was that a lot of prospective customers 86Z-1 (export designation for the Ju 86C-I) D-AGEY at a would not be happy with the amount of care and attention cost of £26,000 ($52,000) through a barter agreement the engine would require, especially the need for trained with Junkers. This aircraft was obtained for resale and was personnel to keep them running and in good condition. basically in exchange for a consignment of wool. This air­ craft (c/n 86-0952) became VH-UYA, application having The Swedish Airforce purchased the Ju 86K in 1936, been made in January 1937 for a permit to import the air­ the first of its aircraft being fitted with 875-hp Pratt & craft "for re-sale for commercial purposes". The aircraft Whitney Hornet S-1E-G radial engines. A further 37 were was built in 1937 at the Junkers works at Dessau in Ger­ supplied, these being fitted with variants of the Bristol many and was described on the accompanying docu­ Pegasus radial. These had a long and active career in mentation as a "Ju 86B- Australian." Sweden, the last few seeing out their active flying careers The aircraft, named "Lawrence Hargrave” in honour of as 12 passenger transports in 1956. the famous Australian aviation pioneer, left Dessau, on 20 February 1937 after a handing-over ceremony and flew via The airline LAN-Chile in 1937 obtained three diesel Europe and Asia, arriving at Darwin on 15 March after engined Ju 86's and the Bolivian airline Lloyd Aereo Bo­ flying the 23,335 km (14,500 miles) in a total flying time of liviano also obtained three examples fitted with Hornet S- 69 hours. The aircraft was flown by a German crew com­ 1E-G radials. The latter aircraft only stayed in the airlines prising Hans Kommel (pilot); Fritz Reinhardt (radio opera-

130 AHSA Aviation Heritage tor); and engineers Herman Wolfermann and Walter Ger- coal good and hot and didn't like the process at all. isch. They felt it was dangerous but they still did it. Then they's stick the hot plug into the motor and away On arrival at Darwin, and whilst taxying to the terminal, she'd go with a bang, it was a damn good plane to the port engine failed due to the roller bearings of the fly. Cruised at 200 mph and there was no vibration, blower shaft (which ran at 18, 000 rpm) jamming causing but for some strange reason the passengers used the bearing housing to burst, this allowing the front bearing to get static electrical shocks from the arm rests. It to also fail. One report mentions that the engine failed on was probably just as well we only had it a few final approach to landing and the aircraft swung off the weeks. I had to do a forced landing when one of runway and became bogged, requiring the services of a the motors cut at Coffs Harbour one day - Jack tractor to move it to the terminal. McLaughlin was flying with me - but we were im­ pressed with it as an aircraft. I eventually flew it to A number of days were required to remove the dam­ Fishermen's Bend at Melbourne and it was dis­ aged parts as the necessary extractors and tools were not mantled and sent to South Africa. Most of the Jun­ available. Because of this mishap it was necessary for a kers were used by the Germans as bombers dur­ spare engine to be shipped from Germany, this arriving in ing the war.’ “ April 1937. Whilst ensconced in Darwin the ferry registra­ tion (D-AGEY) was removed from the fuselage and wings, Little is known about the remainder of the aircraft’s op­ along with the Nazi Swastika on the tails, and the registra­ erational life in Australia, if any. It appears the spare en­ tion VH-UYA substituted. After necessary repairs the air­ gine was fitted and the aircraft flown South. In August craft left for Melbourne on 24 April 1937 for evaluation by 1937 Mr. Beinssen informed the Department the aircraft a number of Australian airlines. The first of these was Air­ had been dismantled and had been shipped from Mel­ lines of Australia, for whom the aircraft was initially flown bourne on board the S.S. Lippe on 25 of that month for by Captain J. Kerr (of the Civil Aviation Branch) and Cap­ return to the Junkers works at Dessau, and it was officially tain J. McLaughlin of the airline. struck off the register on 26 September that year.

On 26 April, after the necessary provisional Certificates Whilst in Australia the aircraft was finished in khaki of Registration and Airworthiness were issued, the aircraft finish all-over, with the engines and the wings behind the flew from Melbourne to Charleville and Brisbane, Normal engines painted matt black. There was a royal blue stripe Certificates were issued on 14 May. On that date it flew down each side which appears to be in the same form as from Sydney to Cootamundra, where it was to commence that appearing on Lufthansa examples of the Ju 86 at that charter services with Airlines of Australia. On Monday 17 period. The rudders were blue, and the name "Lawrence May it departed Sydney for Brisbane at 8.05 am, arriving Hargrave" painted on each sided of the forward fuselage at 11 am, flying time being 2 hrs 40 mins for the 821 km below the cockpit. (510 miles), a short stop being made at Lismore on the way. On this occasion the aircraft carried a crew compris­ On its return to Germany the aircraft was placed on the ing Captain J. McLaughlin, Captain J, Kerr, six passen­ civil register as D-AGEY, the tails and rudders painted red gers, and the two German engineers mentioned earlier, and Swastikas placed thereon. Photographs in Germany Gerisch and Wolfermann. shortly after its arrival show it with the red tails and Swas­ tika, the "Lufthansa" type stripe, and still with the name On 17 May the aircraft continued on to Townsville with Lawrence Hargrave. This may be because Hargrave was a full complement of ten passengers. However, further known in Germany, some of his kite models being in a problems beset the aircraft, probably partly because of the German museum. lack of experience in the use of diesel engines in aircraft. On 20 May after departing Brisbane for a service to Syd­ The remainder of this life of the aircraft is not known, ney with a crew consisting of Captains Keith Virtue and but it was probably impressed for service with the Luft­ Captain J McLaughlin (Airlines of Australia) , the two Ger­ waffe as a transport and, like a number of its brethren, man engineers and five passengers, near Coffs Harbour placed in service with a training unit. that afternoon the starboard engine failed about 16 km (11 miles) from the airport. The aircraft was landed safely, but The well known Australian publication "Aircraft” pub­ engineer Wolfermann indicated the engine was badly lished an article and a series of air-to-air photographs of damaged and arrangements were made for a spare to be VH-UYA on 1 June 1937 and a few excerpts from this are shipped from Melbourne. Because of the time this would interesting. take arrangements were put in train for one of the airlines "Apart from the fact that it is the first example seen Stinson Model A’s to convey the stranded passengers and here of a type which is creating a furore in Europe, mail to Sydney later that evening. chief interest lies in the two Junkers Jumo 205 Die­ sel engine with which the monoplane is powered. In the book "Virtue in Flying" ,about the life and times All Australian aircraft operating companies are of Keith Virtue by Joan Priest, mention is made of the looking forward with great interest to extended trials short service of VH-UYA with Airlines of Australia. of these engines and their possibilities of entry into "Meanwhile, waiting for the arrival of the Douglas airline service. Large operating economies are ex­ aircraft, G.A. Robinson (of A.O.A.) leased a Ger­ pected by reason of the low fuel consumption and man diesel-engined Junkers airliner from an Aus­ the cheapness of the oil fuel which is used. tralian wool buyer who had acquired it in exchange It would be easy to dismiss the general form and for a consignment of wool. This purchase provided construction of the Junkers Ju 86 by stating that it a brief and interesting interlude for Keith. follows the conventional twin-engined low-wing 'For the initial start-up of the aircraft of a morning,' monoplane formula in use for transport aircraft he says, 'the two German mechanics with us would throughout the world today. This would not be cor­ use a charcoal forge to heat what they called "the rect, as Professor Junkers originated the features hot plug". They'd wind this forge up to get the char-

131 AHSA Aviation Heritage

or metal construction, low-wing design, and the de­ baggage compartment in the nose having a capacity of velopment of the Diesel engine for aircraft use; and 1.18cubic metres {42 cubic feet). Reference is made to when his patents expired, designers in many coun­ the quietness of operation with the diesel engines , and tries Jumped in and were quick to take advantage the fact that when cruising at 609 metres (2,000 ft) the of his pioneering. Unlike other modern all-metal aircraft was indicating 257 km/h (160 mph) at 2000 rpm transports now operating in Australia, the Junkers and that the throttles were well back in their quadrant for Ju 86 is sprayed with a distinctive khaki coloured easy cruising. finish which, on cursory examination, looks a bit rough in comparison with the gleaming Alclad alloy This was not the only Junkers transport to operate in on the American monoplanes. When one sees in­ Australia. Both before and after the Ju 86 examples of the side there is only one word to describe the design F.13, G.31, W.33, W.34 and Ju 52 have seen service and construction - "beautiful", nothing else can do here, mostly in New Guinea. In addition, there were pro­ Justice to it. The traditional German reputation for posals to operate others. The main one relating to the Ju thoroughness is well maintained, every feature is 86 was that of Southern Airlines and Freighters labelled in English, and fittings such as undercar­ (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the operator of VH- riage operating levers are built and finished like na­ UYA) which proposed on 24 December 1936 to inaugurate val gun parts." services between Adelaide and Melbourne with seven Junkers Ju 86s fitted with Jumo diesel engines. On 23 July Reference was then made to Sperry blind-flying 1937 the company amalgamated with Intercity Airways equipment, duplicated altimeters, and what appeared to and no Ju 86s were imported, the company performing its be full equipment for blind landings, and the fitting of services with de Havilland DH-90 Dragonfly VH-UXS and Telefunken radio for communications. In relation to the the Tugan Gannet VH-UVU. It is interesting to note that in engines, mention was made of the output of 592-hp, their June 1935 a company known as Australasian Trans- dry weight of 499 kg (1,100 lb), the fuel tank holding 318 Central Airways was registered in Sydney with a nominal litres (70 Imp gallons) in each wing root, and the provision capital of £500,000 (one million dollars). This company for the installation of further tanks holding either 168 litres had plans to trade wool with German companies for air­ (37 Imp gals) or 241 litres (53 Imp gals) behind the main craft and proposed to import six Ju 52/3ms and two Ju tanks, dump valves, and three bladed controllable-pitch 160s for services between Adelaide and Darwin but, I am airscrews. Accommodation was provided in the cabin for sorry to say, none reached these shores. Only one Ju 86 ten passengers in "luxurious seats" and there was a lava­ is known to survive; this is an ex Swedish Airforce ma­ tory at the rear, the main baggage compartment having a chine which has been preserved at Malmstatt. capacity of 2.29 cubic metres (81 cubic feet), with a further

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Specifications for Ju 86C-1 Power plant : Two 552-hp Junkers Jumo 205C-4 six-cylinder twelve-piston two-stroke liquid-cooled compression- ignition (diesel) engines. Wingspan 22.50 meters (73 ft 9 '4 in,); length 17.60 meters (57 ft 8 '/g in); Height 4.70 meters (15 ft 5 in); Wing area 82.00 (882.67 sq ft). Max speed at sea level 310 km/in (193 mph); max continuous cruising speed 280 km/in (174 mph); time to 3000 meters (9840 ft) 15 minutes; service ceiling 5900 meters (19,355 feet); single engine ceiling 1,100 meters (3610 ft); Range with 1120 litres (246 Imp gals) of fuel 1500 km (932 miles); landing speed 98 km/in (61 mph); Empty weight 5200 kg (11,464 lb); loaded 7850 kg (17,306 lb). ______

Bibliography: AHSA Journal July 1965 Air Enthusiast No Twenty Aircraft June 1 1937 "Virtue in Flying” by Joan Priest Flight - October 12 1939 The Aeroplane - October 19 1939 Aeroplane Monthly - December 1988 Air Enthusiast January 1972 Aviation News Departmental records. Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft of WW II - Green Air International May 1978 Air Pictorial June 1978 Junkers - An Aircraft Album - Turner and Nowarra

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