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A i li ^ : — p ■ 1 m.i 3^ hb iiliiii 11 ili ■f. II iilliiiii ■IHI ■iiilli ■ ■>■,.: r...... ^ ■ :_2 ■*■11 —I^M ■ ■ ■ During April 1980, former members of 617 As part of the reunion the RAF sent Avro Squadron, RAF, ‘The Dambusters’ held a reunion Vulcan B2, XM571, currently serving with 617 in Adelaide, South Australia. squadron, to the RAAF base at Edinburgh. The ABOVE: XM571, the Avro Vulcan B2 of 617 Vulcan creew used the flight as a navex coming via Squadron, RAF, flown to Adelaide to take Held to coincide with ANZAC Day, this was the Canada and the USA. Accompanied by three part in the Dambuster’s Reunion. It is seen squadron’s third worldwide reunion, and 57 RAAF Mirages (A3-2, A3-76, A3-112), from the here at RAAF Edinburgh on 25 April, 1980. former members of the squadron from England, Aircraft Research and Development Unit, the This day, accompanied by three RAAF New Zealand, Canada, USA, and Australia at­ Vulcan made several low passes over the Adelaide Mirages, it made several passes over the AN­ tended. Two distinguished members present in ANZAC Day March, which was led by former 617 ZAC Day March. Adelaide were Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, squadron members. VC, DSO and two Bars, DFC, and Group Captain J.B. ‘Willie’ Tait, DSO and three Bars, DFC and Commemorative Flight Covers were carried Bar, both former Commanding Officers of the from England to Australia by the Vulcan, and for squadron. the ANZAC Flight, covers prepared by the West Beach Aviation Group, were also carried. Nine of the ex-617 Squadron members at the BELOW: The Vulcan and Mirage crews. reunion had flown on the famous raid against the The Vulcan remained at Edinburgh for some Standing, left to right: John Herbertson Moehne, Sorpe, and Eder dams on the night of seven days before returning to its home base in the (RAF), Richard Muse (RAF), Ron Hack 16/17 May 1943. Their names, rank, aircraft, and United Kingdom. (RAAF), Mike Straw (RAF), Ian Gonsal crew were as follows; (RAAF), Jim Walls (RAF). Crouching: Paul ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FIRST WAVE West (RAF), Ian Filsell (RAAF), Mark Havler The crew of Vulcan XM571, P.R.O. RAAF (RAAF). ED912/G A J - N Edinburgh, David Vincent, and Michael Austin. F/S Bob Kellow Radio Operator ED909/G A J - P P/O Toby Foxlee Front Gunner F/S‘Tammy’Simpson Tail Gunner F/O Len Chambers Radio Operator SECOND WAVE ED934/G A J - K Sgt Ray Wilkinson Radio Operator ED923/G A J - T F/O Dave Rodger Tail Gunner ED921/G A J - W F/L Les Munro Pilot RESERVE WING ED886/G A J - O P/O C. Lance Howard Front Gunner The reunion organiser, and the associations Australian organiser, Ross Stanford DFC, although not a part of the dams raid, joined the squadron later and took part in other famous raids, including the attack which capized the Tir- pitz. VOLUME 20, NUMBER 4 AHSA cotitetits DAMBUSTER’S REUNION 66 i lAl Lb FEEDBACK 67 68 AHSA ADDRESS AND 1 DECIDED THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN TO FLY P.O. Box 212, Footscray, Vic., 3011. SOUTHERN CROSS SCI 78 EDITORIAL ADDRESS P.O. Box 63, St. Kilda, Vic., 3182. IT JUST KEPT GOING STRAIGHT UP 82

A.F.A. MUSEUM 86

SUBSCRIPTIONS SECRETARY feedback Mike Madden Although we have allowed for a regular eol- umn, ‘feedback’, for comments from you, the EDITOR reader, about articles we have printed, we have Peter Malone received very few letters on the matter. We can only conclude that the articles we publish are very close to perfection. This issue we are running two photos sent by one of our Queensland members, Ben Dan- necker, as an addendum to the ‘General Air­ craft Monospar ST-18 Croydon’ article by David Eyre in Volume 19 Number 4. At right the crew: C.P.R. Gilroy, radio operator; F.F. Membership is for one full calendar year and Crocombe, chief designer General Aircraft includes both Journal and AHSA News. Ltd; H. Wood, pilot; L. Davies, flight Annual Membership fees of $12.00 (Australian engineer. The aircraft is seen, below, at Clon- Currency) will be due for renewal during curry in Queensland. January each year.

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS All manuscripts for publication in the Journal should be typed or clearly handwritten on one side of each sheet only, and must be double spaced. Photographs should where possible have a subject width of at least 5” (12.7 c.m.) or 8” (20 c.m.). This is not essential, but is preferable, and photos of all shapes and sizes will be accepted. Where possible we prefer negatives, even if prints are also sent. This greatly simplifies the Editor’s job. All negatives will be returned and prints will be returned if so marked. If you do not want prints cut, mark “Do not crop’’. If you are thinking of preparing an article, please contact the Editor at the above address for fur­ ther advice, and so we can plan ahead. All work on this Journal is voluntary and no pay­ ment can be made for published material

Published by: Aviation Flistorical Society of Australia, P.O. Box 212, Footscray, Vic., 3011, Australia. iill cover 1980 Aviation Historical Society of Australia FRONT COVER: Tony James gets a helping hand from Clive Phillips as he taxies in at the Sport Aircraft Association of ISSN 0045 — 1185 Australia’s 1980 Fly-in held over Easter at Latrobe Valley. (P.T. Malone). REAR COVER TOP.'Bert Rutan taxies out for a demonstration flight in Varieze, VFI-IWF. This aircraft was built by Bill Printed and Typeset by Keehneer and flown over from Western Australia for the fly-in. Loma Printing Service CENTER: A second Western Australian Varieze to make the long flight was G. Danes’, VFl-DED. 8-10 Vale Street,North Melbourne BOTTOM: Yet another visitor from Western Australia was H. Girak’s Jodel Cuby, VH-CKY. Telephone: 328 4080 - 328 4874 (All photos P.T. Malone)

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Dick Mant began flying in 1930, when the which introduced D.H.86's to New Guinea in achievements of the pioneer aviators were being 1938. During the War, he held management posi­ consolidated and built upon. He went to New tions with the Department of Aircraft Production Guinea as Chief Pilot for W.R. Carpenter & Co before he joined Qantas. and in 1933 operated the first flight of the com­ In this interview with Greg Banfield, he pro­ pany ’s new air service. That service developed into vides fascinating glimpses of the challenges of a Mandated Airlines, which later spawned W.R. time when flying was more personally satisfying Carpenter Airlines, the Sydney to Rabaul service than it is in today’s era of mass transportation.

I think I first became interested in flying when made another run. But, it still didn’t look like it Big crowds would come in to have their barbecues Amy Johnson did a flight from England to was going to fly, so some more baggage AND the and to go for flights or watch the pageants we put AustraliaAiL 1910. LtJwasln th^JDepxessLorr years ^o-pilot were put off, and ^entually the aeroplane on. I won the Club’s Championship for 1931. This and 1 had been jackarooing in Western got up into the air. Chaseling was the pilot on that involved a syllabus of flying that included landing Queensland. 1 was out of work and came to occasion. to a mark and a full range of aerobatics. Dan Col­ Sydney and it was at this stage that 1 decided I lins came second in the competition, with Jimmy The job did not last very long because ANA would like to learn to fly. Shortly afterwards, 1 Broadbent third. joined the Aero Club of New South Wales at went broke following the loss of the Southern Mascot and made my first flight on 20 June 1930 Cloud on 21 March 1931, and they suspended their In 1932 I got a job with John Fleming of in the Gipsy Moth, VH-UAE. services on 26 June. I came back from Melbourne Sydney, as pilot for his Westland Widgeon, VH- on 23 June as co-pilot on the Southern Cross with UKS. He had bought the aeroplane but he didn’t 1 did most of my flying with the club’s chief in­ Scotty Allan as the captain, carrying a number of have a licence to fly, so I flew him around the structor, George Littlejohn, and he sent me solo ANA’S staff and their gear. That was about the countryside doing the joyriding for him while he on 28 June after 3 hours 15 minutes instruction. 1 last flight they made, closing down their opera- sold the tickets. The Widgeon was quite a nice passed the test for my Private ‘A’ Licence on 25 tions. aeroplane and was easy to fly, but its Cirrus engine October and I was progressing fairly well when the used to give a lot of trouble. Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, brought Then I got in with two chaps in Newcastle, T. in his Moratorium Act to protect the financial in­ Ball and E. Buck, v/ho ran the local bus services Following this, I trained for and obtained my stitutions from collapsing because of the Depres­ up there. They had a wooden Gipsy Moth, VH- Instructor’s Licence at the Aero Club and was of­ sion. As a result, 1 couldn’t get my money out of UGE, but no licences. I used to go from Sydney to fered the job of assistant instructor there. On 1 the bank and since 1 was out of work, 1 had to find Newcastle each weekend by sea, on the old ships October 1931, I became assistant to George Little­ a job in the shearing sheds in the bush for a few that ran up the coast, and joyride for them on john. months. When the Moratorium was over and I Saturdays and Sundays. We also used to go up to could get my money, 1 went back and finished off Gloucester and around the country doing joyriding, and I did that for nearly four months. the flying lessons for my Commercial ‘B’ Licence. ABOVE: Dick Man! with Moth and friend. In November 1931, the Aero Club of New South (R.O. Mant) When I gained my Commercial Licence on 20 Wales opened the Hargrave Air Park, which was a January 1931, 1 started looking for a job. I used to I^ddock they leased just opposite Sydney’s War­ do a bit of joyriding for the Aero Club and we BELOW: Dick Mant walking away from wick Farm Racecourse. We used to fly out there would charge the passengers five shillings a circuit Australian National Airways’ hangar at from Mascot and do joyriding to make money. Mascot, June 1931. (R.O. Man!) or ten shillings if we took them over the town. 1 got a job with Australian National Airways Ltd in June 1931, flying the Avro Tens. The conditions of the job were: second pilot, no pay, and if they were overloaded and wanted to put a passenger in .. the co-pilot’s seat, you got off and paid your own liiiiiill hotel expenses. This was just a means of gaining experience, because when you were flying only the little Moths, it was very hard getting on to the big aeroplanes. There was quite a waiting list of pilots wanting to gain experience on these flights with ANA but George Littlejohn was a good friend of Charlie Ulm and he helped me. I did a few Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney- Brisbane trips, and a couple of Melbourne-Hobart trips. Scotty Allan was an amazingly good pilot but all the pilots were good and handled the areoplanes very well. It was an impressive opera­ tion but there was no radio and only very basic blind-flying instruments. One time at Hobart on 19 June, it was very wet and when we made a run to take off in VH-UNA, it didn’t look like the aeroplane was going to fly. So we went back, took a lot of luggage off and Henry Kater was a grazier who had an aerodrome at his property near the Warrumbungle Mountains and, after I had been instructing at Mascot for a few weeks, he asked the Aero Club if they could send up an instructor and an aeroplane so that he could be taught to fly on his own pro­ perty. I was sent up to instruct him.' While I was with Kater, Walter Carpenter phon­ ed my brother in Sydney to say that he wanted to see me and my brother phoned the message to me. W.R. Carpenter & Company Ltd had a growing trading business in the New Guinea Goldfields but they were affected when the air transport com­ panies operating into the Goldfields increased their freight rates. Carpenters decided to enter the air freight business with their own transport ser­ vice and they offered me the job of chief pilot. I flew down to Sydney, taking Henry Kater with me to give him some experience. I went in to Carpenter’s Head Office in O’Connell Street, saw Walter Carpenter and made a deal with him. Then I flew Henry Kater back home. I left Sydney on 30 November 1932 on the Burns Philp ship, Montoro for Salamaua. Carpenters also hired one other pilot, Colin Ferguson, and in Salamaua we were both accommodated in a mess with all the other single staff. Carpenters had to build a hanger and bring the aeroplanes out from England. They bought two D.H.83s, which came up by sea on the Macdhui. That was the complete ii fleet at that time. Major Hereward De Havilland (the manager of De Havilland’s at Mascot) came up to supervise the assembly of the aircraft and do the test flights. The aircraft were VH-UQP, named Jacqueline, and VH-UQQ named Jill after the children of Carpenter’s manager in Salamaua, Jack Sedgers, and they soon became known as Jack and Jill. My first flight was on 10 January 1933, when we started off the air freight service in VH-UQP. the D.H.83S were like a big Moth with a three-seat cabin and they were very nice little aeroplanes to fly. Salamaua had a population of about 120 at that time. There was quite a lot of rivalry between Lae RIGHT: Carpenter’s first D.H.83, VH-UQP, Jacqueline. This name was contracted to Jack by popular usage. (R.O. Mant) BELOW LEFT: Carpenters’s first two pilots, Dick Mant, and Colin Ferguson. (R.O. Mant) BELOW RIGHT: The two D.H.83s, VH-UQP and VH-UQQ in Carpenter’s first hangar at Salamaua. (R.O. Mant)

Wiiiiliii’liiiiilll and Salamaua over which was to have the main aerodrome for the goldfields of the Morobe District. Lae had the larger aerodrome but the town was situated by open sea, the water is very deep and ships can’t anchor, making it necessary to take everything ashore by lighter. Salamaua didn’t have a wharf either but it had quite a good sheltered harbour where the ships could unload and this was quite an advantage.

Carpenters and Burns Philp were both at Salamaua and were the main companies trading in the area. Carpenters had their trading store there, with freezers and various other facilities, but they also had a general store at Wau,and a lot of the time we were flying the D.H.83s between Salamaua and Wau, replenishing the stocks at the Wau store. We would also take freight into some of the smaller strips around there, like Surprise Creek, Upper Watut and Sunshine. We had orders to cart in native rations of rice, tinned meat, biscuits, tins of tobacco, papers and matches, as well as beer, rice, flour and general supplies for the prospectors and residents in the various areas. Horse racing has always been popular with Australians and there were a lot of people in New Guinea who were keen to stage races locally. Even­ tually some horses were shipped up from Australia and Guinea Airways flew them and the jockeys from the coast to Wau, where a racecourse had been staked out. Many residents had their own locally-bred horses, even if they were a bit rough and wild, and they entered them in the races too. The Morobe Turf Club held its first meeting at Wau on 26 December 1933. Three or four race meetings were held altogether, with many of the local men riding. I rode in a couple of races and a won one. We had not previously competed with the other air transport operators but in 1934, Carpenters tendered for and won the Government contract for the air service in the Goldfields. The company ordered a twin-engined D.H.84 specifically for this work. I went to Sydney and took delivery of the aircraft, VH-USA, at Mascot on 25 July 1934, flying it up to Salamaua alone. 1 left Sydney on 31 July and followed the route Sydney-Brisbane- Rockhampton-Townsville-Atherton-Port Moresby. From Atherton, I just drew a line on the chart from Lizard Island to Port Moresby and steered a compass course over the sea. We knew the wind drift up there pretty well because, flying 1 at 1,000 feet, the south-east trade winds are fairly ..: - .. constant and we didn’t get much off course. On 1 August, we took over the Wau-Port Moresby ser­ vice which had previously been operated by Guinea Airways Ltd, and the Lae-Salamaua-Wau run which had been operated by Holden’s Air Transport Services Ltd.

70 E.D. (“Joss”) Crisp had joined Carpenters in 1933 as a woodworking maintenance engineer. He had previously obtained his Private Pilot Licence and, during a period of leave, he obtained his Commercial Pilot licence in Tasmania. In 1934 I gave him a job as a pilot. On 16 December 1934, Joss was flying the D.H.83, VH-UQQ,when he was caught by bad weather while flying up the valley to the Black Cat Gap, going in to Wau. The cloud forced him too low to get over the Gap, he couldn’t turn around and he ended up flying into the trees. He came to rest sitting in what remained of the cockpit, wedged in the fork of a large tree Ml and with the whole front of the aircraft torn away ahead of him. He managed to climb to the ground with the aid of vines and then walked to the gold mining settlement at Black Cat, where the search party from Wau found him. There was nothing much left of the D.H.83 but the engine was recovered. To replace the wrecked D.H.83, Carpenters bought another D.H.84 from West Australian Airways Ltd. VH-URO was flown to New Guinea by Colin Ferguson and in January 1935, the Carpenter Air Service fleet comprised two D.H.84S and one D.H.83. The D.H.84S were used on the same sort of work as the D.H.83s, mainly supplying Carpenter’s store at Wau, as well as carrying out work for the Government. One Government job we did was to transport a telephone exchange to Wau, together With steel telephone poles which just fitted into the aircraft. We also made various charter flights wherever we could pick them up. Eventually we operated a total of six D.H.84s. They were very good aeroplanes and there were no problems in flying them, but one of the troubles we did have with them was that it took an hour to climb to 10,000 feet. You could usually get in through the gap at the Black Cat at about 5,000 feet but as soon as the clouds started to build up of an afternoon, you were forced up to 10,000 feet over the top and, that was an hour’s climb. My fiancee, Helen, had come up from Sydney by ship and we were married at Port Moresby in January 1935. I had had a bungalow of wood and fibro built for me at Salamaua and we settled in there. The house had a tin roof, no ceiling and it was very hot. I managed to get a ceiling put in later on and that improved things. Most people in New Guinea used to make some of their own furniture out of petrol boxes and packing crates. For exam­ ple, you would get a packing case, line it with tin and put a good lid on it and that became your icebox. We made quite a bit of furniture, although the stores. Burns Philp and Carpenters, had good stocks of furniture if you wanted to buy it. OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: Refuelling VH-UQP. (R.O. Maul) UPPER CENTER: Ray Parer’s Fokker F.VII, VH-UQF. (R.O. ManO LOWER CENTER: The 1).H.61, VH-LHW, Canberra al Salamaua, 1934. (R.O. Maul) BOTTOM LETT: Unloading racehorses from the Junkers G.31, VH-UOV, al Wau. (R.O. Man!) BOTTOM RIGHT: They’re off. First race meeting at Wau, 26/12/33. (R.O. Man!) THIS PAGE TOP: 1).H.83, VH-UBB, Roberta, at Salamaua, cira 1937. (M.A. Taylor) UPPER CENTER: VH-USA, Graee, carpenter’s first 1).H.84, was flown up to New Guinea by Dick Mant. (M.A. Taylor) LOWER CENTER: 1).H.83, VH-UUS, Irene, at Salamaua, circa 1937. (M.A. Taylor) BOTTOM: Dick Mant in the cockpit of D.H.84, VH-UVB. (R.O. Mant) Early in October 1935, Carpenters bought a D.H.61, VH-UJC, from Qantas in Brisbane, using it for the same sort of work as the D.H.84s. I was down in Sydney on leave when it was smashed at Salamaua on 23 October. Nobby Clarke was tak­ ing off with a load of paint and as he pulled the stick back to climb, the cans of paint rolled down the back of the aeroplane. The D.H.61 stalled and went straight into the swamp at the end of the aerodrome. Nobby was fished out but the aeroplane was written off. On 30 September 1936, Mandated Airlines Ltd was formed from Carpenter Airways and Ray Parer’s Pacific Aerial Transport Company Ltd, which we had taken over a short time beforehand. I Ray Parer was quite a nice fellow and I had known him since I first went to New Guinea. We acquired his staff of three or four, and a fairly motley lot of aeroplanes, including the D.H.60G, VH-UJM, the D.H.50A, VH-UMN, the Fokker F.VIl, VH- UQF, and the Junkers W.33, VH-UIW. The Fok­ ker was not used when we took it over, nor was the Junkers, which had corrosion problems that were beyond repair. Also in 1936, we bought an Avro 642, VH- ....■j UXD. There were only two of them built for one of the English newspaper companies, which used ■ % A-hem to^urt newspapexsJ'rom Londomto Paris at night. It was not a terribly good aeroplane, with practically no performance at all on one engine. I flew VH-UXD up to New Guinea from Sydney on 6 December, carrying my wife and 8 months old son, Gordon, who was the first baby to fly to New Guinea. I also had on board an engineer and a fellow named Jack Pike who did the pumping of the fuel from the inside tanks into the wing. The Avro operated mainly between Salamaua and Wau, as these were about the only aerodromes it could fit into. Carpenters kept this machine right up until they got out of New Guinea in 1942. It was just left up there and the Japanese blew it up. In 1937 Carpenters were buying more aeroplanes and, with the general expansion, we were looking for some more pilots. Somebody said to me, “There’s a chap called Bert Ritchie who flies very well. It you can get hold of him you would be pretty lucky.” Bert Ritchie was then a beam operator with Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) in Sydney and he was flying for pleasure at the Aero Club at Mascot on the weekends. I tried to persuade him to join Carpenters and come up to New Guinea but it took me quite a while to convince him that it was

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72 the right thing to do. Eventually he agreed and came up to Salamaua to fly the D.H.84s. That was his start in commercial aviation and a career that was to take him to the position of General Manager with Qantas. Also in 1937, Carpenters won the tender to operate a new service from Sydney to Rabaul. The service was to be operated as Carpenter Airlines, a separate entity from Mandated Airlines which was operating the New Guinea internal services and which continued under that name until it was taken over by Ansett in 1961. I was given the posi­ tion of flight superintendent and moved to Sydney to run the service, for which Carpenters bought three D.H.86B aircraft, VH-UYU Carmania, VH- UYV Caronia and VH-UYW Carin- thia. We advertised for pilots for this new service and two or three from the Air Force at Point Cook came to Sydney and applied. One of those we recruited was Ken Jackson. The original D.H.86 didn’t really have suffi­ cient fin area and was likely to swing on take off. Then De Havillands put a small additional fin, something like an Indian war shield, on each end of the tailplane to give greater directional stability, and this model was known as the D.H.86B. There was also some difference in the nose luggage locker. These aircraft were shipped out to Australia and assembled in Sydney. There was a clause in our contract that De Havillands would train us in fly­ ing them but the only chap they had available was their manager. Major Murray Jones. I don’t think he had ever flown one before, but on 10 March 1938, he took me out, got in the left-hand seat of VH-UYU and did a circuit. When we landed, he pulled the brake on, walked down the cabin, open­ ed the back door, got out and walked back, leav­ ing me to it. But they weren’t hard to fly and I did several circuits with Ken Jackson in the right-hand seat. Then we changed seats while Ken did four or five circuits, and that was our endorsement on the type. We did some more crew training at Mascot on 12 and 14 March and then on the 15th, took VH-UYU on a proving flight to New Guinea. The service was to use the new Lorenz radio beacons which were built at Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville, Cooktown and Salamaua, as navigation aids. The radio system was rather primitive and the start of the service was delayed while problems were rec­ tified. Eventually, on 30 May, we ran the first of­ ficial airmail flight from Sydney to Rabaul. VH- UYU carried as official guests the former Prime Minister of Australia and, at that time. Minister for Territories, Billy Hughes, and his Secretary, Mr Halligan, as well as some other passengers.

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: The notorious Waii airstrip with its 1 in 12 gradient. Circa 1935. (R.O. Mant) CENTER: l).H.84, VH-UTX, Hope, at Salamaua, circa 1936. (M.A. Taylor) BOTTOM LETT: Crew and passengers on Avro 642, VH-UXl), delivery flight to New Guinea. Left to Right: Jack Pike (of carpenters), Mr Haines (engineer), R.O. Mant (pilot), Mrs Mant and son Gilbert, unknown. (R.O. Mant) BOTTOM RIGHT: The Avro refuelling at Archerfield on delivery flight. 6/12/36. (R.O. Mant)

THIS PAGE TOP: l).H.84, VH-LVB, Helen, at Salamaua. Circa 1937. (M.A. Taylor) UPPER CENTER: Avro 642, VH-UXl), Thelma, at Salamaua. Circa 1937. (M.A. Tavlor). LOWER CENTER: 1).H.84, VH-URW, and l).H.86, VH-UYU at Rabaul. Circa 1938. (R.O. Mant) BOTTOM: 1).H.83, VH-UQQ, Jill, kicks up a plume of water as it takes of from Salamaua. (R.O. Mant)

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i< r* ■i-T: 1 asm: \ ir II ;-i IIII® -,-.i ifPi t:i*J HI P^KaiilBiiS '^..J ill T. il .._.i t il -- > The service operated from Sydney to Brisbane, ing for a while but they usually turned up again. tempts to get through, he diverted to Kavieng but Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns, Cooktown Comparadvely ipeakingi, I didn’t hay^ mucfLex- Xan out of fuel 30 miles short of his destinadon. and Salamaua to Rabaul. We could do the trip in citement but it was always on the cards that an He was then forced to ditch in smooth water inside IVi days by flying from Sydney to Townsville and engine would play up and one would have to scut­ a reef about a quarter of a mile from the shore. night-stopping, then the next day flying on to tle back to land as quickly as possible. The passengers and crew, together with the mails Salamaua and night-stopping there. From and luggage, were taken off in native canoes Salamaua we flew across to Rabaul, had a night- On 21 September 1939, one of Parer’s pilots, before the aeroplane sank. stop there and started back the next day. On Hughie Bond, went missing in the Boeing 40-H-4, return to Sydney, we had our time off before tak­ VH-ADX, while flying from Salamaua to Wau. In the early stages of World War II, the Royal ing another service out. Carpenters built up to Three days later, we took off from Salamaua for Australian Air Force wanted our D.H.86Bs for running three times a week with good loads. Moresby on the flight through to Townsville in the use as air ambulances in the Middle East, and the D.H.86B and, as we went over the gap in the aircraft were impressed. Carpenters managed to Bert Ritchie was another of the first pilots to mountains at the Black Cat, I saw a piece of buy two replacement D.H.86s — the original ver- operate on the D.H.86Bs. The pilots had to do yellow wing of the Boeing. I reported this on the Sion from Wearnes Airlines, which was their own radio operating then and he was a good radio but I was having difficulty in explaining ex­ operating a local service out of Singapore. I went radio operator. There was no voice transmission actly where the position was, so I turned and went to Singapore and flew them to Sydney, the first, and the radio work was all by key in Morse Code. back to Salamaua. A land party was then sent out VR-SBD, on 26 April 1940, and the second, VR- Bert initially flew as a first officer and then to rescue Bond, who had been caught by weather SBC, on 13 June. These aircraft became VH-ADN became a captain on these aeroplanes. and crashed into the trees at the Black Cat Gap. and VH-UZX respectively, and were used on the New Guinea run until the Air Force decided to Every now and then, an aeroplane would go Ken Jackson was flying the D.H.86B, VH- take them over as well. Carpenters were fortunate missing in New Guinea but generally it would be UYW, from Salamaua on 15 March 1940 when he to be able to pick up two second-hand Lockheed found down on a beach out of petrol, or with a ran into a heavy storm which prevented him from 14s from Continental Airlines in America and the flat tyre at an outlying strip. They would go miss- reaching Rabaul. After several unsuccessful at­ final D.H.86 was not taken until the Lockheeds arrived. The Lockheeds were shipped out to Australia and became VH-ADS and VH-ADT. Guinea Air­ ways were operating Lockheed 14s from Adelaide through the centre of Australia to Darwin and I went over to Guinea Airways for about a fortnight and did several trips on their Lockheeds for familiarisation. They also had some smaller Lockheed lOAs and I did some trips around on those. That was my conversion and I operated the first Carpenter Lockheed service to Rabaul with VH-ADS on 30 May 1941. The Lockheed 14 was a nice aeroplane to fly. It was considerably faster than the D.H.86 of course, but there were few problems. One incident we did have was in July 1941 when Ken Jackson was coming into Townsvuille in VH-ADS and couldn’t get the wheels down. He had to land on

ABOVE: Five of Carpenter’s D.H.84 fleet at Wau in 1938. Left to right: VH-UVB, -USA, -AAC, -URW, -UTX. (R.O. Mant). LEFT: The D.H. 86, VH-UYV, Caronia, with Dick Mant at the controls. (R.O. Mant). the grass with his wheels up, but there wasn’t much damage done. Temporary repairs were car­ ried out at Townsville before the Lockheed was ferried to Mascot, then on to Essendon for repair by ANA. We had to stop flying to Rabaul in February 1942 when it fell to the Japanese. We had been busy evacuating people from there, only going in, turning around and coming out again. The Army was in there and the Air Force had Wirraways ac­ ting as fighters based there, as well as some Hud­ sons which staged through on their operations. The job these chaps did was magnificant. Then we had to stop flying to Salamaua when it fell. The Japanese never got as far as Moresby so we were able to fly the women and children from the outlying areas into Moresby, where they could leave by ship. We evacuated various people from the islands and places around before we left ourselves. We were still operating our normal services as well as doing other little runs from Port Moresby to Wau to pick up some more evacuees when we lost one of the Fockheeds, VH-ADS, in an acci­ dent at Cairns on 14 February 1942. The Lockheed was being flown by Captain John Crisp with Clive Bernard as First Officer and they were doing a ABOVE: VH-LYU at Rabaul on 1 June 1938, night take-off from Cairns to go back to Moresby on completion of the inaugral Sydney - Rabaul when they crashed into a mangrove swamp near Flight. (R.O. Mant) the end of the strip. I don’t know what the verdict of the investigation was, but the aircraft seemed to RIGHT: 1).H.86 erevv, K.C. Jackson, left, and have got out of control. One propeller was never R.O. Mant, with Carpenter’s Rockhampton found, but whether it came off or whether it is just agent. (R.O.Mant) down in the mud and not found, I don’t know. BELOW LEET: Mant being interviewed at Then the Americans came up and more or less Port Moresby by reporter, MrTbomas, on the took over. They didn’t want any civil flights in inaugral S>dne> Rabual service. (R.O. Mant) New Guinea at all, only courier flights that they could control. We were ordered out by the BELOW RIGHT: Passengers, W.M. Hughes Americans so we loaded our aircraft and left. A and his secretary Mr Halligan, being greeted by number of Carpenter’s aircraft had been the Administrator, Brig - Gen. Sir Walter destroyed on the ground at Lae and Salamaua by MeNieoll, on arrival at Rabaul. (R.O. Mant) the Japanese and we then operated the remaining Lockheed, VH-ADT, from Melbourne through to Darwin with supplies and troop movements. Guinea Airways got one of their big Junkers G.31s out of New Guinea and flew it down to Melbourne but the other two were destroyed on the ground at Bulolo. I flew over Bulolo before I left and could just see the burnt-out outline of these two aircraft in the grass where they had been shot up. I think that the Japanese would have shot up or burned most of the light aircraft in New Guinea, as they did my Hudson motor car.

75 Ian Grabowski had been manager of Guinea Airways in Lae at the time they were carting the dredges in to Bulolo and he was well-known to me from my early flying days in New Guinea. He developed thrombosis and lost first one leg and then both, and he used to walk around on two tin legs. Fred Shea, who was the chief engineer for the South Australian Railways, was given the job of setting up the Department of Aircraft Production and he selected Grabowski as his right-hand man. I left Carpenters about March 1942 and joined DAP. I was a bit disappointed at first, because originally it was to have been a flying job, ferrying Air Force aircraft down to their maintenance bases and taking overhauled aeroplanes back. But I did very little of that and came mainly into a management job. I was manager of the DAP in Perth for about twelve months before I was moved to Brisbane. The job involved maintenance work, the repair of aircraft, running of machine shops and stores handling mainly steels and such like, ■ and buying aircraft parts and engine parts for the civilian contractors who were repairing the air­ craft. I left DAP and joined Qantas in May 1944. Qantas were short of pilots due to the war and were looking for experienced pilots, so 1 went to see Captain Lester Brain, who was the manager in Brisbane. He offered me a choice of jobs, either as a captain flying Lodestars to New Quinea on the American Courier Service, or as a first officer on Catalinas in Perth. I had done a lot of flying in New Guinea so I preferred going to Perth on the Catalinas; it was something different and perhaps more challenging. Qantas sent several of us to the Air Force at Rathmines and we lived there while we did the conversion course. There were no problems con­ verting to the boats: we were always operating from fairly enclosed waters and didn’t have swells or chop to contend with. The Air Force training was quite good, although I thought their night fly­ ing was a little sketchy. I flew on the Catalinas operating from Perth to Karachi for about 14 months, three trips as first officer, then as captain again. It was a non-stop run in radio silence and you had to be able to navigate sufficiently well to relieve the navigator when he went off to rest. With Carpenter, naviga­ tion was more or less by dead reckoning, but on the Indian Ocean crossing it was navigation with a sexant and the stars all the way. It was 18 hours in the air non-stop, which was quite a bit different to the flying that I had done before and it made it a very interesting operation. The Catalinas were flown at a constant airspeed of about 110 knots, in order to gain maximum range. As the fuel load burned off and the speed crept up, we kept pulling power off to get the speed back to 110 knots. Each pilot did about three trips a month and I think I enjoyed flying the Catalinas more than any other flying I did. We would leave Perth at 10 a.m. and arrive at Colombo at 7 a.m. the following day. Coming back, we would leave fairly early, about 7 a.m..

TOP: 1).H.86B, VH-LVV, at (he new Rahaiil strip in 1940. (R.O. ManI) CENTER: Lett to right: Capt. L.C. Johnston, DCA; Gordon Cameron, Flight Superinten­ dent, Guinea Air\va>s; Ten ‘‘Sqiii//> ” Ta>lor, Flight Superintendent, ANA; Dick Mant, Flight Superintendent, Carpenter Airlines. (R.O. Mant) BOTTOM: Lancastrian, G-AGLT, at Lydda in 1946. (L.J. Holliday) ana touch down at Perth about 10 a.m. the follow­ ing morning. The schedule took us over Cocos Mlllll Island in the middle of the night, because the Japanese used to go over and bomb Cocos and we didn’t cherish running across some of their liiiiiliiiii: bombers out there in daylight. Then things started to change as the Japanese ill were being pushed out of Singapore and, in June iilii 1945, I went to Lancastrians, after an Air Force conversion course at East Sale. Essentially a con­ ■iiini verted Lancaster bomber fitted with seats, they were a very nice aeroplane to fly. They had four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and were pretty fast yet very docile; particularly in bad weather, they were easy to handle and you didn’t get many bumps. The only problem was that the brakes were very weak. They had air brakes and we often had trouble in trying to pull up before we got to the end of the runway. To start off, we were operating the Lancastrians from Sydney to Learmonth (700 miles north of Perth and the most westerly point of Australia) through to Colombo and then up to Karachi, where BOAC crews would take them over and fly them to London. We would pick up the aircraft they had brought out to Karachi and fly then through to Sydney. Then the picture changed again and we operated back. It was a long haul and I knew I would have ABOVE: Qantas DC-4, VH-EBK, at Mascot through Cocos Island instead of Learmonth. We very little time at home again, so I deliberately 1947. (Photos B.T. Archibald) would go from Karachi to Ratmalana aerodrome avoided going on to Constellations. at Colombo. Ratmalana was not big enough for us I remained Flight Captain for the New Guineaa to take off with a fuel load sufficient to get us to services until I went on to DC-4’s in 1949. The Cocos, so we had to operate from there to a Royal main run they were doing at that time was the Air Rorce strip called Minneriya, where we would RAAF Courier Service from Sydney to Iwakuni in refuel, then go directly to Cocos Island, Perth and Japan, where the Australian troops were. There on to Sydney. Later, when Singapore was cleared were also services from Sydney to Hong Kong and of Japanese, we went back to the old run through from Sydney to Christchurch. I became Flight Darwin to Singapore. Superintendent for these services in September In 1946, I was given the job of Flight Captain on 1949. the DC-3 service running from Sydney up to New I became more involved in office work in 1955, Guinea. Qantas had commenced the service the when I was appointed Assistant Operations previous year, following the purchase of the Manager (Administration). I had always done a licence from Carpenters for the Sydney-Rabaul certain amount of office work, first at Carpenters, route. then at DAP and later at Qantas as Flight Captain In October 1946, I went up to New Guinea on a and Flight Superintendent. In 1958, I ceased fly­ demonstration flight in the Bristol Freighter, ing, finishing on the DC-4. Age was catching up G-AIMC. The Bristol sales team had been to with me a bit and I went to the ground job full South America with it and had then come out to time. I had previously had a couple of ground Australia to demonstrate it. Bristol’s pilots took it jobs, having gone to Darwin as manager for four or five months when Qantas established facilities up to New Guinea mainly to try and impress Qan­ BELOW: Dick Mant, seated, Assistant Opera­ there. I had also been sent to Lae as manager in tas but it was not a terribly suitable aeroplane for tions Manager (Administration) for Qantas, New Guinea on a couple of occasions when the New Guinea. discusses a problem with Andrew Kirkwood, permanent manager was away on long service Operations Administration, at Mascot, 1955. Eventually the Bristol was smashed at Wau, and leave. In 1958, I was seconded to Fiji Airways as it is still there. Wau aerodrome slopes uphill and manager for when they were demonstrating the aeroplane twelve months there, the Bristol pilots taxied up the slope and turned at right-angles to the strip at the top of the In 1966, I was appointed Operations Ad­ aerodrome. But they found that the slope of the ministration Manager. There were a lot of changes ground made the aeroplane go out of shape and going on during this period and one which I when the nose doors were opened, they couldn’t thought was very interesting was in the Flight Ser­ shut them again. So they used to run straight up vice section, which makes out flight plans for all the field and stop, putting chocks behind the our aircraft departing Sydney, as well as for wheels, so that they could open and shut the doors BOAC and Air New Zealand. We put the flight easily. On this particular day, they taxied up the planning on to two computers and this was quite strip, switched the engines off, turned the petrol an innovation. It meant that we could make out a off and the boys put the chocks behind the wheels. dozen different flight plans on the computer for But someone forgot to set the brakes and the different heights and courses, and see which one aeroplane rolled a bit and jumped the chocks, then came out best in terms of time and fuel consump­ took off backwards down the strip. It finished up tion. in a road at the bottom of the strip and was written When I retired in 1968, Qantas had plans to off. prepare flight plans for services out of New Qantas ordered four Lockheed Constellations in Zealand, Hong Kong and various places, from 1947. I was chosen as one of the pilots to go over Sydney. This required the weather information to to America to train on them but I had been away be telexed to Sydney to be fed into the computers ...y from home for 18 months and I didn’t feel like go­ and the completed flight plan would then be telex­ ing to America, doing the course and then spen­ ed back to the port. I understand the system is now ding my time belting from Sydney to London and working quite well.

77 received the designation ‘SC 1’ and A.R.Feil, R.T. Norris, and Newton Hodgekiss were appointed manager, shop foreman and chief designer respec­ tively. By the middle of May, DCA had submitted to SCAL an aircraft progress inspection program Southern and approved the facilities of the main factory. According to SCAL expectations, voiced somewhat optimistically on 31 May, 1958 there together with the drawings of the building propos­ was the hope that aircraft would commence trials ed for its construction, were submitted to the by November. SCAL made slow progress towards Senior Aircraft Surveyor, Queensland Region, achieving this target. There w'as not the remotest C.Gibbs. The Queensland Region in turn propos­ possibility of having an airframe complete by Cross ed that the design co-ordination be undertaken November despite strenuous efforts made to in­ with the NSW Region Aeronautical Engineer, corporate in the design the use of commercially B.J.Scoles. available components wherever possible. Con­ In assessing the suitability of the firm to under­ tributing to a large degree towards the slow pro­ take the engineering programme envisaged for the gress was the fact that N.Hodgekiss was both sole by J. Vella production of the new aircraft type, the factory designer and draftsman; few finished drawings were available and a great deal of detail design had SCI facilities were inspected by staff of the Depart­ ment of Civil Aviation. Satisfaction was express­ yet to be carried out. There was as yet no start on ed at the level of engineering ability and skill the prototype although some experiments on The Toowoomba Foundry Pty Ltd was the manufacturing technique had been carried out. manufacturing company of the group of com­ possessed by the firm which at that time employed panies forming the Southern Cross organisation; 650 people. The company also lacked a comprehensive producers of diesel engines, windmills, pumping By 20 January, 1958 consideration was being technical aeronautical library and normally and irrigation equipment and established in 1870. given to the 180hp Lycoming engine. available design reference data, tables, and charts The Foundry approached the Department of Civil Simultaneaously, thoughts of an envisaged long etc to be found in an established aeronautical Aviation(DCA) on 24 May, 1957 stating they were range variant which was to have grossed 25201bs. design office. Consequently, assistance was ‘interested in the possibility of establishing a light were abandoned. ______sought from DCA for help in this regard. On 5 aircraft manufacturing industry in Australia to May, SCAL had approached the Aircraft cater for the needs of the private ow'ner, training The company had purchased six acres of land Research & Development Unit (ARDU), RAAF, organisations, small charter firms etc.’ A design of adjoining the Toowoomba Aerodrome 60 miles Laverton, Victoria to undertake the flight testing aircraft was foreseen which with the assistance of west of Brisbane, with the intention of erecting a programme of the prototype. (The RAAF had kits would enable the basic airframe to be con­ building to be used initially for the construction of previously carried out a test program on the DHA verted to the additional roles of supply dropping the prototype, and later extended to meet the Drover, and had undertaken to carry out a 60 and agricultural work.------needs of series production of the type. However, hour/6 week flight test programme on the Fawcett as the need for a definitive assembly building of 120 in 1956, but the aircraft was found deficient On 24 September 1957 the board of directors of some kind became more urgent to start prototype and returned to Sydney before testing started.) Toowoomba Foundry indicated to DCA that, construction, the Toowoomba City Council’s Within a forthnight ARDU had declined the re­ after market research surveys recently concluded, delay in the finalization of the Town Plan made it quest stating it could only test the S.C.l prototype the decision had been made to proceed with an all impossible to proceed with the building at the if DCA formally requested the Department of Air metal four seater aircraft design and to submit a chosen site at that time and an alternative solution to undertake the project. This did not happen as specification to the Department. The design was was sought, The answer was provided by the involvment of ARDU gradually lost favour to be undertaken by Newton D.Hodgekiss who allocating an area of workshop floor, 80ft by 25ft, with the project team who had become eager to had recently resigned from the flying operations within the Toowoomba Foundry factory, parti­ have the testing of the prototype if at all possible, engineering staff of the NSW Regional office of tioned off from the main body of the factory and carried out locally. DCA. Mr.Hodgekiss acting as a one man containing its owm quality control and stock design/drafting team was a former graduate of storage. This area was seen only as a temporary The company nominated R.J. Trousdell to Sydney University, subsequent to which he spent expedient within which the prototype airframe was DCA as the pilot to carry out the initial flight testing programme. Mr Trousdell had been flying seven years with the UK firm of Handley Page, to be constructed. and was involved in the design effort which led to with23sqn. ‘City of Brisbane’for four years. He the Victor B. 1 bomber. On 31 January, 1958 a separate company was was also familiar with the project from its incep­ formed to handle the aircraft project. This was tion. At the time of the nomination he held the The initial specification submitted on 28 ‘Southern Cross Aviation Ltd’ (SCAL), with position of part-time Chief Flying Instructor at the November, 1957 was based on an aircraft utilizing registered office situated at 292 Ruthven St, Darling Downs Aero Club of Toowoomba. a 145 hp Continental engine but with the intention Toowoomba, and administration and design of­ Oakey Aerodrome, 14 miles NW of Toowoomba, of the aircraft being eventually able to carry the fices at 250 Ruthven St. The premises for which with its 6000 ft runway and good hangars was 180hp Lycoming 0-360 AIA as an alternative. The approval was sought from DCA, ie. the main fac­ chosen for both initial and certification testing preliminary calculations for the prototype, tory, were located at 259 Ruthven St. The project with Mr C. Hibbert, Examiner of Airmen and Air- The prototype SC 1 shorth after roll-out. (Vella Collection) 79 11 ways Surveyor of the Queensland Region as the pilot for prototype acceptance testing. This agree­ ment was reached on 6 July, 1959. By the start of ill the new year there was anticipation that the air­ iiii craft would be ready for its initial flight before the end of 1960, and a structural test programme was planned with this date in mind, the programme itself to be submitted by the end of November 1960. Brian Wager who was responsible for the design of the Yeoman Cropmaster joined Newton Hodgekiss in the design of the S.C.l in July of 1960. The structural test programme was to be underway by 11 December. With the first flight and taxying trials hopefully imminent the company and members of DCA regional staff involved in the project decided to carry out a flight testing rehearsal for the benefit of the flight test pilots and the flight test team. A temporary workshop was set up in one of the Bellman hagars at Oakey Aerodrome. Pilots were to gain knowledge of the types of manoeveres an observer could be included in the testing which they would be required to execute; to test its first flight on March 31st 1959 and the Air- schedule and then only after the satisfactory methods required to record data photographically tourer 100 first flew on December 12th 1961.) repositioning of the longitudinal trim control and on tape, and to ascertain deficiences in the wheel and provision of suitable seating and At the conclusion of the first flight, Mr H.A. supporting equipment. When on test the S.C.l parachute facilities for the observer. A maximum Griffiths, managing director of Industrial Enter­ was to be in continuous radio contact with Oakey period of fifty hours flying time or two months prises Ltd., holding company for the SCAL and all communication exchanges were to be was covered by the permit. The undercarriage was Group said no decision on production of the recorded on tape equipment installed in the test to remain securely looked down. design would be made until testing had been com- hangar______plem4---- A full circuit was unofficially flown on 1 The rehearsal also included the marking out of March. The first official flight took place on the With eight hours of flight time accumulated by the strip for take-off and landing distance following day, Thursday 2 March, 1961 and con­ 31 March, the aircraft gave an aerobatic display measurements and the setting up of theodolites sisted of a number of circuits, total time in the air for the benefit of the Press; further demonstration and choosing the most suitable locations for the being one hour. During one of these circuits the flights followed including ones before the Director placement of cameras. Rehearsal was set down cabin door burst open and much difficulty was ex­ General and before a Royal Federation of Aero for a start at 5.30 am on 17 December, 1960 with perienced in trying to reclose it and the pilot had to Clubs meeting in Toowoomba. The only person VH-SCB,a Cessna 180 owned by the Toowoomba resort to the use of an oxygen mask as carbon to fly in the SCI was R.Trousdell, although Ross Foundry, as the stand-in test aircraft. DCA monoxide fumes leaked into the cabin. The Feil was in the aircraft on a number of occasions Regional Air Worthiness staff were present in ad­ undercarriage mechanism as installed was of a dition to the the project staff at SCAL. By the end temporary nature and was difficult to operate, the ABOVE: The sole SCI, VH-SCA, in flight. of the day and at the follow-up discussion the roles undercarriage being retracted only on the later Although the landing gear was retractable, it to be adopted and equipment to be provided by flights. The prototype carried the registration was fixed down for the early flights. (Vella both parties had been defined. Finally, in VH-SCA, and was left in natural metal finish with Collection) February 1961, the prototype commenced its taxi the exception of the matt black anti-glare panel. trials and on the 6th the S.C.l nose was lifted at The installed engine was a 180hp Lycoming fitted BELOW: Some of the team. Left to right: very low speed and the aircraft flew for about 100 with a constant speed propellor. (It is interesting A.R. Feil, R.J. Trousdell, test pilot; N. yards. The lift-off was unintentional and was to note that the prototype Millicer Airtourer made Hodgekiss, designer. (Vella Collection) done to alleviate a very severe nose wheel shimmy that had developed. Lift-off was certainly not contemplated because, whilst the rudder and elevators had been connected into the control cir­ cuit, the ailerons had not. Towards the end of the month the aircraft was submitted for departmen­ tal inspection prior to commencement of the com­ pany’s test programme. Some deficiences and shortcomings were found during that inspection but these were attended to by SCAL who resub­ mitted the aircraft a second time at the end of February. There was no longer a defined date for the first flight, this being delayed by leaking fuel cells, which were ultimately replaced for testing purposes by a ferry tank from a D.F1.84 Dragon installed behind the pilot. The flight test schedule of ‘Preliminary Com­ pany Tests’ covered three phases: 1. Ground handling 2. Ground hops. 3. Initial flights to preliminary assessment of handling and control characteristics. Crew familiarisation in anticipation of recording of quantitative results. DCA issued a ‘permit to fly’ on 28 February, 1961 setting out the limits and constraints of the company tests. The permit stipulated that SCAL‘s pilot wear a hard hat and parachute at all times during the flight; flying was to be limited to a 50 mile radius from Oakey Aerodrome and altitude was not to exceed twelve thousand feet. A minimum of five hours solo was to flown before during taxi trials, During these, as previously aircraft, the hangar having been sold. The Group stated, severe nose wheel shimmy was experienced. arranged for private hangarage until the airframe This was overcome by installing a Cessna nose was brought to Melbourne on the back of a semi­ wheel shimmy dampener. trailer,arriving at the museum enclosure in January 1970, minus engine, propellor and most Mr Don Pinkstone had been appointed DCA of the instruments. Such was the end of an in- co-test pilot (in place of Mr C. Hibbert), but diginous design which at the time of its inception testing did not reach the stage where it w'as was several years in advance of most lightplanes necessary for him to join the team. The aircraft available in Australia. had an incredibly short take-off run, followed by a steep and rapid climb. Elevator control was ex­ SPECIFICATION cellent, providing a high degree of control in the pitching plane. Aileron control was not quite so Category: Four seat touring aircraft or two seat positive. The aircraft looped very readily, but had fully aerobatic trainer. Baggage capacity, 120 to be man-handled through slow and barrel rolls. lb.(54kg) accessible externally or internally. Rear With the undercarriage retracted, the aircraft and starboard seats removable for freight became very pleasant to fly, and ‘flew' rings’ stowage. around the chase aircraft, a Cessna 182 Wings: Cantilever mid-wing monoplane, all metal (VH-RJT). Indicated airspeeds reached 160 construction except for resin filled glass cloth knots, but rough checks between known ground wing-tips. Outer wings quickly detachable. Wing points gave more like 145/150 knots. The ex­ section NACA 23016.63.5 at root; NACA cellent perfomance was partly due to small frontal 23012.63.5 at change of dihedral; NACA 2412 at area, but it w'as an aspect that would have had to tip. Dihedral 5.6 at quarter chord line. Incidence be sacrificed in a production model due to the lack 2.7. All metal NACA slotted outboard flap sec­ of elbow' room in the cockpit. tion; Fowler type inboard flaps, 28sq.ft(2.6m") Early in the lest program it had become ap­ area. Cross wing area 171 sq. ft. (15.9mO. parent that cabin volume and layout, detailed Fuselage: All metal, semi-monocoque structure design of the control systems and undercarriage except for resin filled glass fibre engine cowling. retraction arrangements w'ere not satisfactory but, whilst test flying had not covered all aspects of Tail Unit: Cantilever type with adjustable in­ performance and handling, there was good reason cidence tailplane. All metal construction to believe that the performance and handling lift. 4in. (3.45m) span, 18.0sq.ft (1.67m^) area. characteristics were coming up to specifications. Landing gear: Tricycle, steerable nosewTeel, After twenty five hours in the air, test flying and manual retraction, rubber-in-compression shock all work on the aircraft stopped and the decision absorbers on main units. Tyre pressures: Main taken not to go on with the SCI because of the wheels, 421b/sq.in. Nose wheel 281b/sq.in. Wheel economic recession of the early sixties and also of track 9ft.3in(2.82m). Wheelbase, 5ft.2in.(l.57m.) the rapid importation of Cessna and Piper aircraft competing for a market in which the SCI would Power Plant: 180 hp Fycoming 0-360-AlA four have had to sell at no more than 7,500. The SCI cylinder driving a McCauley constant speed was to make its last flight on 1 June when airscrew. Provision for alternative installation of Service ceiling: 18,700ft. R.Trousdell ferried the aircraft to Toowoomba engine of up to 260hp. Fuel in two flexible tanks Take-off run: 179ft. for storage prior to the removal and sale of the in leading edges of wing roots, each with a usable Take-off distance to clear 50ft: 715ft. engine and propellor to a local crop sprayer. capacity of 19Imp.gall. Provision for auxiliary Range with max. payload without tip tanks: 740 Moves were made to SCAL by a public company w'ing tip tanks of 12Imp.gall. capacity. miles. to develop and produce an enlarged version of the Weights & Loadings: Dimensions: SCI (based on the six cylinder 0-540 Lycoming), Empty equipped 1450 lb.(658kg.) Span: 37ft.Oin. (11.28m); the design of which was proceeding, but had not Max. take-off weight, 2525 lb. (1145kg.) Length: 22ft.7in.(6.89); reached the stage of component manufacture. Loaded weight (semi-aerobatic, 2 persons) and 10 Height: 7ft.4in. (2.23m). Nothing further was heard about the aircraft or Imp. gall, fuel; 18601b. (844kg.) its whereabouts until December 1968 when three Wing loading: I4.751b/sq.ft. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: members of the Australian Aircraft Restoration Power loading; 14.01b/hp. D.C.A. & Commonwealth Archives; D.C.A. Group (Moorabbin Air Museum) searching in the staff; Aircraft (Various issues); R.J. Trousdell, Oakey area for CAC Boomerang and Curtiss P-40 Performance B. Surv.; Toowoomba Chronicle; Moorabbin Air Kittyhawk remains happened to notice the SCI at Max. speed: 178mph. Museum. the back of a hangar on Toowoomba Aerodrome. Max. cruising speed: 160mph. Subsequent enquiries revealed the willingness of Economical cruising speed: 150mph the company to donate the airframe to the Group. Stalling speed: 51mph In June 1969 the Foundry was obliged to move the Rate of climb at S/L: 1060ft/min.

ABOVE: Test pilot, R.J. Trousdell, in the cockpit of the SCI. (Vella Collection)

LEFT: The project personnel in front of the sole SCI. (Vella Col­ lection) LTJ inn®^ ru unnT? □ □ 'v-A m ® □ □ □ iililiii liisiil■I iiiiiii A note on the Lockheed L-2s and their supporting aircraft in Australia 1111 ■I 1111 III ■'*'.t ill III b> John Hop<<>» lllll—l llllll ill ■ llll iiiiiii liar IIIB

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ABOVE: The first U-2 arrives at East Sale, Service at East Sale on 14 May, 1961. (Hopton Vie, on 25 October 1960. It carries the insignia Collection). of the 4080 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing on BOTTOM: Also a high flyer, JB-57B-MA, In 1959, an agreement was concluded between the fin. (Hopton Collection via Herald & 52-1504, taxying at East Sale, 19 November, the Australian and United States Governments to W eekly Times). 1961. Flag array under windscreen shows establish a series of air sampling programs in the BELOW: VmihM Retainer. SC-54D-5-DC, countries in which the unit was based. (Hopton high altitudes to the south of the Australian Conti­ 42-72540, (e/n 10645), of MATS Air Rescue Collection). nent, between latitude 40^ — 50^S. From October 1960, the then glamorous Lockheed U-2, sup- ported by Martin B-57s and C-54 and C-124 transport aircraft, carried out this work for the next four years, under the exercise name “Crowflight VIII”. The four initial flights were based at East Sale, Victoria, and later when a semi-permanent unit arrived, Laverton (U-2s) and Avalon (B-57s and support aircraft) served as the bases. The aircraft used in these operations are detailed as follows:

FIRST FLIGHT 1 U-2 56-6705; 56-6714; 56-6715 ■ 4080 Strategic Recce Wing B-57 52-1496; 52-1500; 52-1503; 52-1506 4926 Test Sqn. ARDC. C-54 42-72713; 42-72671A 76 Air Rescue Sqn, MATS. C-124 Unknown MATS.

The flight arrived at East Sale, Vic., on 25 October 1960, the U-2s being flown directly from Fiji,the remainder via Amberley, Qld. On arrival, the U-2s wing endplates were quickly adorned with the RAAF ‘Leaping Kangaroo’, and the other air­ craft were similarly decorated, As part of the agreement made, some U-2s were fitted with special dust-collecting filters designed by Dr Keith Bigg of the CSIRO Radio Physics Laboratory, to test a theory developed by his collegue Dr E.G. Bowen, that rain formed in clouds when there were large amounts of tiny, solid particles shed from meteor showers, in the clouds. This was con­ firmed by the discovery of considerable numbers of these particles existing up to 60,000 feet. Previous flights of this nature had shown an aerosol layer, (85%of which is sulphur particles), extending around the earth betweeen 58,000 and 74,000 feet. The U-2s departed on 20 November 1960, the supporting aircraft on the previous day. SECOND FLIGHT U-2 56-6700; 56-6705; 56-6718 4080 Strategic Recce Wing B-57 52-1496; 52-1498; 52-1500; 52-1502 4926 Test Sqn, ARDC C-54 42-72586; 42-72540 76 Air Rescue Sqii, MATS C-124 50-0110; 51-0086 MATS This flight arrived at East Sale, Vic., on 28 April 1961, with delivery as described previously. This contingent was under the command of Col. H.C. Curry. As with the first group, this group w'as open to public viewing, and on 14 May 1961, the opportunity was taken to see these aircraft. The U-2 56-6705 was prepared and flown, its take-off being probably the most spectacular your author has ever seen, with the aircraft climbing almost vertically over the airfield, and disappearing from sight within the airfield perimeter. On ^22 May 1961, one of the U-2s made the first public ap­ pearance over a capital city, when Major R. Schueler, returning from a sampling mission over Tasmania made a low run over Melbourne, Vic­ toria. A week later, on the 29th, the support air­ craft departed for for Amberley, and the U-2s followed on the 31st. THIRD FLIGHT U-2 56-6700 4080 Strategic Recce Wing U-2A 56-6714; 56-6716 57 Weather Recce Sqn; B-57 52-1496; 52-1498; 52-1503; 52-1504 57 Weather Recce Sqn. C-54 42-72702; unknown. 76 Air Rescue Sqn, MATS. C-124 Unknown. This group arrived at East Sale, Victoria on Oc­ tober 25, 1961. By this time, several of the later U-2 aircraft had been converted to take a later model J.57 engine, hence the designation U-2A. Also, the aircraft operated by the 4926 Test Sqn had been integrated into the 57 Weather Recce Sqn, and this led to some marking changes on these B-57s. The B-57s departed on 4 December 1961, folowed by the U-2s the next day.

TOP: U-2A-1-IT), 56-6705, at East Sale, prior to its eleelrit>ing displa> on 14 Ma>, 1961. UPPER CENTER: JB-57B-MA, 52-1503, at East Sale on 19 Nov., 1961. LOWER CENTER: SC-541)-5-l)C, 42-7202, .. at East Sale on 19 Nov., 1961. BELOW: B-57 line-up at East Sale, 19 Nov., 1961. 52-1504, 52-1498, 52-1496. (All Hopton m Collection).

HI FOURTH FLIGHT U-2 56-6696; 56-6718 B-57 52-1496; unknown (2) B-50 unknown C-124 unknown Arrived at East Sale in March, 1962. Data on this flight is very sketchy, and return flight details are not known. LATER AIRCRAFT The flights so far described were of a tem­ porary, short-term basis. On 8 May 1962 the Minister for Defence, Mr. Athol Townley, an­ nounced that units of the 57 Weather Recce Sqn would in future be based on a semi-permanent basis in Victoria, the U-2s at Laverton and the supporting aircraft at Avalon. On 12 September 1962, U-2s 56-6696 and 56-6718 arrived at Laverton after a direct flight from Fiji. On the following day, four B-57s, in­ cluding 52-1496, arrived at Avalon, accompanied by four C-124s, including 52-1030. These aircraft formed the basis of the unit until operations ceas­ ed late in 1964. The (then) annual air show at Laverton was held on 15/16 September 1962, and opportunity was taken to inspect the aircraft. At lliiii that time, the first Australian challenge for the ‘Americas Cup’ sailing event was underway, and on the 16th, B-57, 52-1496, had the letters ‘LY’ added to its fin-title ‘WEATHER’, showing then as ‘WEATHERLY’ - the name of the US defender in the yacht races. Not to be outdone, the RAAF Canberra, A84-201, parked alongside, was similarly marked with the name of the Australian challenger ‘Gretel’. As an unfortunate corollary, when the show was over and the B-57 took off for its home-base at Avalon on the morning of the 17th, it performed a slow roll on take-off, but crashed and was totally destroyed by the ensuing

TOP LEFT: U-2A-1-LO, 56-6718, City of esese Sale. East Sale, 14 May, 1961. TOP RIGHT: Fin markings on 56-6718. UPPER CENTER: Big brother. C-124C-DL, 52-1030, Laverton, Vic., 15 Sep. 1962. LOWER CENTER: Ill-fated JB-57B-MA, 52-1496, Laverton, 15 Sep. 1962. BOTTOM: Grey painted 1J-2-1-LO. 56-6696, Laverton, 15 Sep., 1962. (All Hopton Collection) I fire. The erew, Capis. J. Ivins and P. Palmer, were killed. Over the next two years, various replaeernents and additions were made to the fleet. Known serials inelude: U-2, 56-6690 and 56-6714A; B-57, 52-1498 and 52-3827. Yet another unfortunate in- eident oeeurred on 16 Oetober 1962, when a se- eond B-57 erashed during a low-level flight, about two miles off-shore between Lome and Airey’s In­ let, Vie. The aireraft, serial number unknown, ap­ peared to dive into the sea and was totally destroyed, killing the erew, first Lieuts G. Sprague and B. Galbreeht. The U-2s remained free of serious ineident, and only one minor ineident with this type has been reeorded, when one landed on a foam-eovered runway at Laverton on 22 Oetober 1963, after reporting underearriage malfunetion. Late in 1964, Mr. Lineoln White, the US Consul-General in Melbourne, announeed that two RB-57F aireraft would be based at East Sale to replaee the existing aireraft. On 17 January 1965, after an eight hour flight from Guam, RB- 57F, 63-13290, arrived at Laverton. The erew spent the next week surveying RAAF bases in southern Australia for the most suitable operating base, then departs to their home-base at Albuquer­ que, New Mexieo. In August, 1965 the two RB-57Fs, 63-13292A, and 63-13294A, with their supporting aireraft, ar­ rived at East Sale. As part of the 57 Weather Reeee Sqn, these aireraft operated until February 1966 when they returned to the USA, thus eompleting the projeet in Australia. RKFKRKNCKS 1. Aircraft. Various issues. Melbourne. 2. Journal of the AHSA. Various issues. Melbourne & Sydney. 3. Author’s own reeords.

TOP LEFT: Intakes and bumps. 56-6718 at Laverton, 16 Sep., 1962. TOP RIGHT: And when the guards baek was turned. 56-6718, Laverton, 16 Sep., 1962. UPPER CENTER: JB-57B-MA, 52-1498, Avalon, Vie., 16 May, 1954. LOWER CENTER: IJ-2A-1-LO, 56-6718, tax- 1.1- I ying at Laverton, 16 Sep., 1962. BOTTOM: Droopy. RB-57F-CF, 63-13292A, at Fast Sale, 12 Sep., 1965. (All Hopton ill Colleetion).

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airstrip was too far out of Perth and, in view' of The new Air Force Association Museum in the A site for the proposed museum was still para­ Perth suburb of Bullcreek was officially opened rising transport costs, it would not be a viable pro­ mount in the Group’s (and Association’s) mind position. _^on 17 November,- 1973 by Capt. C^ril Kleinig (the and in 1973 this resulted in enquiries th^ it was former general manager of M.M.A.), before a hoped would locate the museum in the old W.A. In February, 1978 the Group’s reputation distinguished gathering of about 150 persons, in­ Airways hangers at the historic Maylands received a well deserved boost when it was invited cluding the Lt. Governor Sir Francis Burt, pioneer aerodrome. These dreams were dashed when it to participate in the Festival of Perth, by prepar­ aviator Sir Norman Brearley and former Minister was found that there were no long term plans to ing an Historic Air Exhibition, which was for Air, Sir Thomas Drake-Brockman. Sir Nor­ relocate the present occupants — the Police Train­ displayed at the Garden City Shopping Centre man Brearley was originally scheduled to perform ing Academy — to new premises. over a 10 day period. The Quality of the exhibition the opening ceremony but indifferent health a few was commented upon by all who saw it and it did days prior to the event caused the last minute This resulted in the Group making an approach much to give members the expertise in preparing substitution. to the Commonwealth Government in 1974 for 4 exhibits in the museum that was soon to become a acres of land at Jandakot Airport as a museum site reality. At the same time it became obvious that The new museum was the culmination of 20 and this request was granted and an elevated area years planning by the A.F.A., the first thoughts suitable land would not be available at any airport of land behind the Royal Aero Club hanger was and the museum site question turned full circle for its establishment being born in 1959 when the allocated. At the same time the Government Association imported Spitfire PK.481 from and it was determined to establish the museum at allocated $15,000 under the R.E.D. scheme for ar­ the Association’s estate at Bullcreek (a proposition England for use as a memorial to fallen airmen. chitect’s drawings and a model of the proposed The next major step was the acquisition of the that had been rejected in 1971 for the then more museum to be prepared. The museum envisaged attractive airfield site). Lancaster aircraft donated by the French Govern­ incorporated an impressive central building with ment and it stood for many years as the gate guar­ various ancillary buildings and the estimated cost 1979, W.A.’s 150th anniversary year, saw things dian Perth Airport. Although the Lancaster pro­ was $500,000 — an amount that at the time seem­ begin to show promise for the establishment of the vided a boost for the museum it was impossible to ed feasible. museum that year. The Minister for Tourism, Mr. take any further action at the time because the G. MacKinnon made the following statement on Association was located in the central city and had With the change of economic climate over the 20 April, 1979 when he announced a $100,000 no suitable land for a museum. next few years it became apparent that the propos­ grant to the Air Force Association to erect the ed half million dollar museum was beyond the With the shift to its new 25 acre estate at museum: scope of the finances that the Association could Bullcreek, the Association’s museum movement attract and accordingly various modified concepts It is fitting that Western Australia, with its gained new momentum and it formed the Aviation were considered. About the same time, the Civil pioneering history in aviation and one of Historical Group in May, 1971, with the main ob­ Flying Services hanger complex at Jandakot air­ the finest air safety records in the world, ject of establishing in Perth, an aviation museum port became available and the use of this building should have a museum devoted to aviation that would serve as an educational and entertain­ as the museum was seriously considered, but after history. ment medium, as well as being a means of preserv­ further detailed examination it was found that cer­ ing our fast diminishing aviation heritage. The The money was raised by the Industry Commit­ tain aspects relating to the lease were unattractive Group’s patron was the famous Western tee of the WAY 79 organisation and was to serve and the plan was not proceeded with. Also at the Australian pioneer aviator Sir Norman Brearley. as a permanent reminder of the State’s 150th an­ same time the Government’s aviation cost niversary. Building construction commenced on 4 recovery programme was beginning to take effect Over the ensuing years the Group was able to May, 1979 and was completed in mid August. As acquire a number of aircraft, aero engines and and it was found that the proposed lease of the 4 can be imagined, there was considerable activity acre museum site at Jandakot would cost as much other historic aviation relics, but due to lack of among members of the Aviation Historical Group - central storage space and adequate workshop as the anticipated income that would be derived (whose main function was now the acquisition and facilities, many of these items had to be placed in from admission charges. Accordingly, the idea to restoration of exhibits for the new museum). decentralised storage in an ‘as is’ and dismantled site the museum at Jandakot was shelved and in condition. As the Group’s plight became known 1978 the Sport Aircraft Association invited The museum building is an unusual and novel storage space was kindly donated by a number of members of the Group to inspect their ultra-light design, and the graceful curves of the hyperbolic commercial organisations and this meant some of airstrip at Serpentine with a view to establishing parabola (or Hypar) roof are the most striking the Group’s more fragile exhibits could be stored the museum there. This site had many advantages, feature. The advantage of this type of roof is that and placed in under-cover storage. but was finally rejected on the grounds that the no internal colums are required and it has its own

86 Si.- ..i

built-in strength factor. The Hypar roof is only the like. gathered over the years. Whilst the museum is pro­ second of its size and type to be constructed in ving an important addition to the State’s tourist Western Australia (the other is in a sporting com­ As the museum is intended to act as an educa­ attractions, its potential value in the field of plex at Mt. Newman). tional museum as well as having an entertainment education has not been overlooked. value, it also houses a well stocked library of avia­ The building is 50 m long and 25 m wide, the tion books, which without doubt would be the As can be imagined, the museum will continue highest point of the roof is 9.5 m above ground most comprehensive collection in its field in this to grow, both as new exhibits are obtained, and as level, and the floor area is 1250 square metres. State. As well as books, the library also contains a exhibits are restored and thus, in time, it will be Natural light is admitted to the building through large collection of photographs, historic necessary to increase the size of the present translucent fibreglass panels which form the upper newspapers, maps, documents and similar building to house these items. It is not intended part of all four walls and also the big gables on the material which is available for consultation by that this main building should house the Lancaster north and south sides of the building. Suspended bona fide researchers. aircraft which was recently moved from Perth Air­ mercury vapour lamps will provide adequate port to its permanent site beside the museum. The Air Force Association is confident that the lighting for night time use. However, it is vital for the preservation of this museum is unsurpassed by anything of its kind in very valuable aeroplane that it should be placed In addition, a souvenir shop is located adjacent Australia and is a fitting tribute to man’s conquest under the shelter of a roof and the A.F.A. State to the entry to the museum and carries stocks of a of the air and especially to the part played by our president announced the launching of a public ap­ wide range of aviation related materials, including own aviation pioneers. The building now houses peal to raise $50,000 for this purpose. Donations a number of items which have been specially much of the collection of historic aircraft, aero over $2 are tax deductable. manufactured for the museum’s exclusive sale, engines and other aviation memorabilia that the such as car stickers, postcards, T-shirts, and the Association’s Aviation Historical Group has

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87 VHiWF