An AUSSIE, What, where and when.

here is another one
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Temora Aviation Museum

That is Kermit’s first Wirraway, bought from the Moorabin Museum back in the ’80s. Kermit has recently obtained Murray Griffiths’ airworthy Wirraway, A20-704, registered VH-BFO, so I assume this is why this machine has come off display and into storage.
Kermit also has a Boomerang project A46-146 in storage. The wings are a new build set, part of a batch of wings built by Matt Denning and crew in Brisbane a few years ago.

Is this the said Weeks Wirraway?

This was taken this August in the storage area. He does have the wings of a Boomerang there as well. (Why?)

Rgds Cking

Just bumping this old thread (an oldie but a goodie!).

The “furthest” serving Wirraway was probably A20-750 which was one of the two 77 Sqn Wirraways based at Iwakuni in Japan. 750 flew to Korea on at least one occasion… documented on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQe1EI4rndQ&feature=related

And here’s a pic of her over Korea:
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We even have the date from the 77 Sqn Operations Record Book:

July 19th 1950:

“The Dakota and one Wirraway flew Cinesound equipment, operators, armament and armourers to TAEGU to record part of the Squadron activities on film”

Regards,
Derek

Now just did the old Wirra’s get used for?

Role’s lady’s and Gent’s

Was it a top class intercepter over Darwin, a bomber what?

finally I made it back!!

Thank’s guy’s 😀 .

Yep 775 plus 2 proto’s, 15 plus survive, and how many became ” Cere’s “, I know do YOU! :confused:

O.k, one I know for sure, Wirra A20-527 was allocated to HQ Flight USAAF 5 th Airforce, May 1943 🙂 .

I have YET, not found a Wirra in Yank garb on the net, has ANYONE else got one! :confused: to share with us all please :rolleyes:

Yes not sure how many were there, off the top of me head, BUT the Wirra’s did make it to Japan 😉 .

And yes Matt A20-745 crashed at Hiji river near Nagahaka 🙁 .

AND along the line’s of your replie JDK,
Kermit Weeks did have A20-649 over there in Yank land, Doe’s he still have the bird :confused: , I reckon given the chance he will do a Sh*t hot job of restoring one, he like’s them spot on, and origgy.I LIKE THE MAN!! 🙂

Another quiz one was ANY Wirra’s hooked so to speak! 😀

Here another Picture to play with Lady’s and Gent’s

Think I’ll go with Feather’s and Matt’s on were and when too!

And would anyone like a stab at all the Wirra’s role’s :confused:

Thanks Matt, yes, it’s an odd rather than ‘normal’ item by all accounts.

Thinks are indeed good – hope to ‘do’ more old aryplanes soon!

Cheers

JDK,

The Swedish Wirraway doesn’t meet the ‘stationed’ criteria set by Phil, but you’re not argueing that, and it’s worth mentioning anyway. The guys over there did a brilliant job re-creating the Sk.14A. The true identity of the Wirraway that was used is another thing for me to research sometime, as I have my doubts about it being what everyone claims it to be. As an aside, the centre section and wings of this aircraft came home again and were used in the restoration of Wirraway A20-176 (painted as A20-81).

Hope everything’s going well down there mate, for both yourself and Bev.

Cheers,
Matt

Farthest afield? One Wirraway ended up in Europe, Sweden, IIRC, ‘in preservation’ rather than service, and not airworthy. (Warbirds Directory says “Complete Composite airframe, for rest. to represent a R Swedish AF SAAB Sk.14A”.)

I should have read a bit further down the replies. Paul (oz rb fan) is correct about the numbers produced. However the Wirraway entered RAAF service in 1939, with about 5 being on line by the time the WW2 was announced. The NA-16 pattern aircraft were also called Wirraways and were in service before the production aircraft.

I can’t be certain on this one, but I believe that more than one Wirraway made it to Japan post war. I also seem to remember that one crashed over there.

I don’t mean to criticise what you wrote Paul, I’m just clarifiying things for history’s sake.

Cheers,
Matt

Hi Phil,

Well I’ve given others a chance (and I haven’t bothered logging in until now), so we’ll see what we can do here.

The ‘what’, is obviously Wirraway A20-427. Can’t be certain about the ‘where’, although I’m highly leaning towards Feather’s suggestion of Williamtown. A20-427 certainly operated with 4 OTU at Williamtown. In this case, the ‘when’ is most likely between Dec 1942 and Mar 1943. The colour scheme would tend to fit this time period as well.

Would have to consult an atlas to confirm the furthest distance that Wirraways were operated away from Oz, but I think that either Rabaul or Malaya would come in as the most distant.

At least one Wirraway definitely appeared in an American colour scheme, however it seems there might have been a few operated by the Yanks. It’s on the list of things to research.

As for the years of service and the roles which the Wirraway performed, well I have to leave something for someone else!

Cheers,
Matt

Good show old chap RB.

Yes I think at least one did!!

Must go sprung, CYA

i was thinking that it maybe the victorian highlands that looks like snow on the ground.
there were 755 wirraways built plus 2 pattern aircraft[both na16’s one with fixed undercarrage one with retract’s] the first production wirrawy was accepted in 1940 and the last was retired in 1959. one went to japan at the end of ww11.
iirc i may have seen decals for one in us marking [maybe the second release of the highplanes kit .
paul

H’mmm, could be Feather mate!

Trying a little here to find out WHERE it is!

NO try’s on the Bonus one’s as yet!!

Wirraway turning towards a nascent RAAF Williamtown. Sandhills behind could also be in WA if not Stockton Bight.

G’day 😉