AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY of AUSTRALIA I I Il Jill ■■IIII III PRICE $1.95
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■11iii REGISTERED FOR POSTING AS A PERIODICAL CATEGORY B im WOURNAL ilil AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA I I il Jill ■■IIII III PRICE $1.95 & ''' ■ill ■■I in March 1947 in a loose formation to become their own VH—BBM and VH—BIM. On 13 June, 1955, Ian Dunn sold the Ryan to Kingsford Smith Aviation Service Pty Ltd at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, where it was based until with drawn from service and struck off the Civil Register on 22 March 1960. The dismantled Ryan was later purchased by a group of enthusiasts and trucked down to Melbourne for restoration, the fuselage being stored in the suburbs of Oakleigh while the wings, engine and other parts were stored in Coburg. In 1962, LAC Ian Baillie, who was a RAAF airframe fitter at Point Cook RAAF Base near Melbourne, purchased the aircraft and all its components were moved to Point Cook where a slow but enthusiastic rebuild commenced in huts and hangars on the base. The restoration was completed in early 1966 and on 24 May, 1966, the gleaming silver Ryan, devoid of all markings, was ferried from Point Cook to Melbourne's Moorabbin Airport by Fit Lt Les Morris. Proud owner Ian Baillie was in the back seat as passenger, since he held only a Described by many as the most beautiful finalised to ferry the aircraft to Brown & Restricted Private Pilot Licence at the time. of light aeroplanes to be seen in Australia, the Dureau's workshops at Belmont Common Air After final inspection during which the Ryan ST was originally designed as a trainer for field at Geelong, Victoria, a hurricane struck registration VH—AGV was painted back on to the United States military forces. The type was Evans Head on 7 April damaging the majority the aircraft the Ryan was put through its paces also available to civilian buyers and the first to of the stored Ryans, including A50—17 which for DCA airworthiness surveyors at Moorabbin come to Australia were two civil ST-A's imported sustained quite major damage. It was struck off on 27 May, flown by Fit Lt Morris and Fit Lt by aero clubs in May 1937 as VH—UYN and RAAF strength on 19 April, 1945 when it was Mark Webster, both of whom- had carried out VH—UZA. A number were also sold to the collected by Brown & Dureau personnel and the initial test flights at Point Cook earlier in Netherlands East Indies for their Air Force and despatched, dismantled, to Geelong in open the month. With CofA now reissued, VH—AGV Navy. railway waggons, with the other damaged Ryans. returned to the Civil Register on 1 July, 1966 The Naval Air Arm (KNMLD) took delivery At Belmont Common the Ryans were given and was based at Moorabbin where its owner, of 48 Ryan ST—M2 trainers during 1940, but at major overhauls and prepared for sale as civil Ian Baillie, was now employed as an engineer least seven were lost in accidents over a two year aircraft by the company's Chief Engineer Mr D.J. with Civil Flying Services Pty Ltd. The Ryan's immaculate condition attracted much attention, period. During this time several aircraft were also Bourke. One of the first converted was VH—AGO its fuselage and all metal fittings being highly converted to floatplane configuration. As the which was used as a demonstrator from Sept polished. Japanese advanced into the NEI at the beginning ember, 1945, throughout Victoria, New South of 1942, the remaining KNMLD Ryans were Wales, and Queensland. As a result of the orders The silver Ryan flew from Moorabbin for evacuated to Australia along with a number of received. Brown & Dureau advised DCA that they three years, until sold in the USA and struck off other NEI aircraft, and ships carrying new would be submitting reconditioned Ryans for the Register on 30 June, 1969, when crated up equipment from the U.S. for the Dutch forces CofA issue at the rate of one every 10 days and shipped to America. It was purchased by Mr were also diverted to Australian ports. When from November. R.K. Eeggar of Houston, Texas but at the last the Ryans reached Australia they were taken over check with FAA records it had not yet appeared A50—17 had been allocated civil registration by the RAAF for light communications and on the US Civil Register. Ian Baillie meanwhile VH—AGV in February, 1946, but due to the training duties. The first 28 were issued to had purchased a badly damaged Ryan VH—AGD pressure of work with the conversion of the other Qantas Empire Airways at Mascot Aerodrome, Ryans and ex-RAAF Avro Ansons at Belmont from Mildura where it crashed on 15 October Sydney for erection In May 1942, and six more Common, its repair and overhaul was not com 1967, and has it stored at his Melbourne home were issued to Australian National Airways at awaiting a major rebuild. pleted until a year later when it was granted Mascot in August; at least four other airframes Certificate of Airworthiness as VH—AGV on 2 References: and sets of floats being held as spares by the February, 1947. It was Immediately sold to Mr RAAF. Australian Archives DCA Aircraft Files. Clifford L. Splatt of Geelong to replace his Ryan Department of Transport, Melbourne — Civil Among the Ryans assembled by Qantas was ST—M, VH—AGB, which had struck power lines Aircraft Register. KNMLD aircraft, serial S22, (c/n 458), which and crashed in Queens Park in Geelong on 25 had been built along with the rest of the Dutch August the previous year, VH—AGV was sold Department of Defence, Canberra — RAAF order at Ryan's San Diego factory three years two years later on 21 February, 1949 to Norman Aircraft Status Card. earlier. Allocated RAAF serial A50—17 after K. Crittenden, a farmer at Jeparit, Victoria and "Australian Air Log" — May 1966. assembly, it was issued on 10 June, 1942 to No. the Ryan was then based in the western Victorian "Avian" — July 1976. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School at Evans Head, wheatbelt over the next six years, being sold by "Sun" Newspaper, Melbourne 28 May New South Wales, with whom it served until 13 Crittenden to a friend, Ian L. Dunn, at Grassdale 1966, December, 1943, when it was transferred to No. in January 1954. These two young farmers had 1 Air Qbservers School which had just been earlier ferried two RAAF disposals Tiger Moths Assistance from: M.R. Davis, D.L. Prossor, moved from Cootamundra to Evans Head. Dur A17-134 and A17-690 from Perth to Victoria Z. Pasznicki, D.J. Bourke, Dorr. B. Carpenter. ing a major inspection in September, 1944, the total airframe time since new was recorded as 548 hours 50 minutes, and the following month the Ryan was held unserviceable at 1 AQS due to corroded support wires. Qn 20 November, 1944, A50—17, along with other RAAF Ryans, was allotted to No. 2 Aircraft Depot's Evans Head Detachment for storage awaiting disposal. Brown & Dureau Pty Ltd of Melbourne Top: tan Bail He's highly tendered to the Commonwealth Disposals Comm polished 'AGV at Moora ission in early 1945 for all the available Ryans bbin, 24 May, 1966. of the RAAF as well as the stocks of spares for Right: VH-AGVatBank the type. Qn 9 March, 1945 their tender was stown, circa 1957. accepted, but while arrangements were being (photos — J. Hopton). 2 i ■Ill ii**i*' ■■ VOLUME 18, NUMBER 1 JANUARY/MARCH, 1977 ill AHSAr II eonients PAGE n L3 AHSA.Do„.ss SPOTLIGHT-RYAN. VH_AGV 2 P.O. BOX 212, FOOTSCRAY, VIC. 3011. Jx EDITORIAL ADDRESS ^ FROM THE COCKPIT - THE HUDSON . 4 46 SPRING STREET, THOMASTOWN, VIC. 3074 ■ KINGFISHER IN THE ANTIPODES............ ..........6 III NSON AND HEDGES 1976 AIR RACE............ .........17 '"^r^^lRTHUR ■■■ PHOTO ALBUM iiiimt ,23 VICE PRESIDENT (PROMOTION) mi llll BEN DANNECKER ill ill HONORARY SECRETARY IHliili IIS I bill DONOVAN i Ill iilil TREASURER I lAN.McARTHUR eommet! /\ ^ ...'I I i subscriptions SECRETARY MIKE MADDEN The publication scheciele of a journal such as this is always a matter of some contention. Although a commercial publication must have a ^ very strict adherence to a published schedule, we feel that while this is also desirable for the AHSA Journal, it is by no means the most EDITOR important criterion relating to our publication. The advent of AHSA EETfiR MALONE News has freed the Journal of anything resembling current news or JOURNAL EDITOR pi* notes and left it free to concentrate on historical articles and reviews aSiiiilF FREDHARRISi iif of recent significant events. This shifts the balance towards accuracy EDITORIAL STAFF :|i and quality of presentation and away from a strict adherence to a '•* , D'AVID ANDERSO^ schedule. Conversly it also means the AHSA News -is tied to a strict BARRY P.ATTISON schedule but will be of a lower quality of presentation.*. ill This issue. Volume 18 Number 1, is the first *df our new look Ml ill ■■ I* quarterlies and we hope it meets with your approval. Nominally, our new schedule is for an issue at the end of each calendar quarter, i.e. in the months of Ma^ch, ^lune, September and December. Yes, we are aware that although this is issue one it is now somewhat later than March. This “flToth , has been done deliberately to allow a smoother transition from Volume Annual membership fees of $12.00 (Aust- 17 to the Current Schedule. The June issue will also be a little late but we raiian currency) will be due for renewal will be closer to our planned Schedule with the final two issues.