Guys,

thanks for that photo of T9552, thats exactly the type of shot I was looking for, I had been reminded of a photo existing & I “thought” I had seen a photo “somewhere” but couldnt recall where, hence my post, I have the book in my collection, but it wasnt one I had dragged out to look in.

MarkP

Whilst searching for something else this morning I found this original print sent to me by Pearce Dunn many many years ago. On the back is written:-

A9-143 Warbirds Museum Mildura Vic. Nov 1973.

That serial does not tie up with some of the published Beaufort Websites which claim 143 was a major crash and fatality.

Do you have the story and fate of this one?

Mark12

Mark,

For a long time this was the largest chunk of Beaufort surviving in a museum/collection anywhere in the world, other than a cockpit at the then Moorabbin Air Museum then identified incorrectly as A9-152, and a cockpit at the Harold Thomas collection A9-703.

This Beaufort still survives in Australia today and is “near” live and well, but has suffered an identity crisis over the years from its first collection and display at Pearce Dunn’s Warbirds Aviation Museum at Mildura.

For a long time it was recorded as A9-43, and later in publications such as Leslie Hunts [I]Veteran & Vintage[I] it was quoted as A9-143 and as you see it listed in this photo.

Those identities then create confusion and uncertainty to its ultimate fate and current status.

The aircraft is now correctly identified as A9-141 and is under restoration to fly with Ralph Cusack in Caboolture in Queensland.

All other major surviving examples were recovered by Monty Armstrong and Charles Darby in 1974 from Tadji PNG, (T9552/A9-13 mark V, and A9-555 mark VIII with the Bristol Aero Collection – USA, A9-557 mark VIII, at the AWM, and A9-559 mark VIII as DD931 mark II with the RAFM in the UK, other than a cockpit/fuselage/centre-section of A9-501 mark VIII that sat derelict at Gove strip in the Northern Territory that has largely been consumed by other restorations, although its cockpit is being restored for return to that site for display.

A9-501 when being recovered

The ADF-Serials.com.au website offers the following:

A9-43 Previously T9595. On display at Warbirds Museum, Mildura until it closed. Current location unknown.

A9-143 Served with 14 Sqn, 7 Sqn, 5OTU and 1OTU. Crashed 30/07/45, 4 miles from Paynesville on Waddy Island VIC. Crew;FLGOFF Melville Maxwell Castle 424966, FLGOFF Robert Meath Hammond 415870, FLTSGT Stanley Trevor Lloyd killed.

Where as it is correctly:

A9-141 Served with 14 Sqn,7 Sqn 1OTU and 5OTU. Ground looped 14/01/44 Tocumwal NSW. Currently under restoration in Brisbane QLD. Allocated VH-KTW.

http://www.beaufortrestoration.com.au/

After coming to grief in an accident in 1944, A9-141 was written off and her whereabouts were unknown.

That is. until 1982 – where the cockpit and fuselage section was spotted in the grounds of an Air Museum in Mildura, Victoria – by a self-professed Aircraft Enthusiast, Ralph Cusack. Time and the elements had been unkind to this important aircraft – years of sitting outside in the sun, wind and rain had taken their toll (a situation that was not helped by vandals, who also gave the aircraft some unwelcome attention).

Knowing that no complete surviving Beauforts existed, Ralph purchased the remains of the aircraft – with a view to restoring it to an airworthy condition.

The first stage in the process was to transport the aircraft back to Brisbane. The aircraft was loaded on to a semi-trailer and delivered to Brisbane.

Parts were sourced for the aircraft from all over the world. It is estimated that, when the aircraft is fully restored, approximately 40-50% of the parts on the aircraft will be from aircraft other than A9-141.

The pace of the restoration picked up when the aircraft was moved into its current home – in the inner Brisbane suburb of Hendra. Volunteers – a group of people with a common interest in aircraft and a desire to see the A9-141 fly again – help when they can, and the restoration progresses.

The goal is to have this important aircraft flying in time for the 90th Anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force – in 2011. If you talk to Ralph or any of the over 40 volunteers involved in the restoration – this is an anniversary that A9-141 will be alive to enjoy..

Here are two photos of A9-141 taken from Ralph’s site, of it sitting at Mildura when acquired in 1982.

Here is a more recent photo took of A9-141 while finalising the purchase and packing of T9552/A9-13 in July of this year.

Not quite “flying” by 2011 but getting closer each day!

It was built as a DAP Beaufort mark VII, with a similar low set early turret similar to A9-13, but at some stage that fuselage section was replaced with one from a later Mark VIII – originally it carried the damaged section from A9-230, however that was replaced with a section from another mark VIII and the damaged section from A9-230 is now with the AARG at Moorabbin as part of the earlier collection of parts acquired prior to the recent purchase of A9-13.

So although the finished product will fly as the mark VII A9-141 with its cockpit and wing centre-section, visually it will present more as a mark VIII with its later dorsal turret mounting.

regards

Mark Pilkington