Australian National Aviation Museum acquires DAP Beaufort project

for those interested?

Here are some pics of the DAP Beaufort Bomber project at the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin Airport, showing the restored cockpit undertaken by Ralph Cusack, and the unrestored fuselage sections – part of the massive amount of Beaufort spares acquired from Ralph Cusack as surplus to his airworthy restoration of A9-141.

The Museum is dispatching a 40 foot container to Brisbane to acquire the remaining parts acquired which include tailplane, wing outer panels, narcelle structure and dis-assembled flying control surfaces.

When completed the Museum’s Beaufort will become one of 6 remaining world wide.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

http://aarg.com.au/Beaufort.htm

I heard that they are getting the Lincoln from the UK???

Thanks Mark. DAP Beaufort forward fuselage serial numbers are generally two ahead of the A9 serial number:
The RAF Museums Beaufort has forward fuselage serial FF559, which means its from A9-557 (the original nose from A9-557, it was replaced in service, and A9-557 lives on at AWM with the nose from A9-461 which should have serial FF463)
The Beaufort in Tennessee has forward fuselage serial FF557 (and ‘557’ scribbled on it), which means its from A9-555.
So if this one has a dataplate of FF152 (or ‘152’ written on it), then it will be from A9-150.

With DAP Beaufort rear fuselages, it goes the other way, the part serial is two behind the A9 serial. e.g. the RAF Museums rear fuselage serial is RF557, which indicates its from A9-559.

cheers,
Andy

Andy,

The Museum is acquiring the spare and non airworthy parts not required for use in/ or ongoing support of Ralphs airworthy restoration of A9-141, and the source of those parts is wide and varied.

The major identifiable components are fuselage sections, which are from A9-501 which came from Gove and the cockpit from that airframe will return back to that site for display while the remaining parts will come to Moorabbin, the second major identifiable section is from A9-320 which came with A9-141 from the Warbirds Museum when acquired, I understand from Ralph that A9-230 was primarily the remains of a cockpit section.

Obviously the total parts package is sourced from many aircraft and at this stage I do not think the Museum is in a position to yet assess those parts or apply a specific identity to its project.

Ralph is also restoring the cockpit section from A9-152/150 formally owned and displayed at Moorabbin for many years and the Museum is negotiating the acquisition of that item as well.

The confusion of its identity relates to the id plate found on the structure, it was always identified as A9-152 at Moorabbin yet its component serial number apparantly lines up with A9-150.

However as has been discovered with Wirraway and other Australian built aircraft parts, often the component sets on the production line get out of step where one part is rejected on the line and sent back for re-work or scrapped, causing an offset in all subsequent airframes between the individual serial number of some assemblies and the serial number allocated by the Manufacturer to the whole airframe. My own Wackett project, with a well documented military and civil history as A3-167 is fitted with the steel fuselage frame corresponding by manufacturers number to A3-170, the RAAF history cards for both aircraft do not suggest a swap in service, coincident repair or salvage/repair?

I am not aware of the cockpit’s history prior to Moorabbin, to compare that to the ultimate fate of both airframes and resolve identity the cockpit may have actually carried?

regards

Mark Pilkington

The website is working again, so I can insert the full image here….

cheers,
Andy

Yes, the clue is in the name! its a Bristol Bolingbroke, taken at Chino in November 2001. I am assured it is RCAF 10076, but could have bits from 10073 in it. It was in the MARC compound, but I believe it has now gone to Pima – confirmation anyone? I’d be interested to hear what else from MARC went to Pima. I know some stuff is still there e.g. the other Boly. You can see a bigger version of it at http://filton.fotopic.net/p11685388.html – click on the picture to enlarge. This is part of my Blenheim and Bolingbroke survivor photo gallery. Unfortunately the main website is down at the moment.

cheers,
Andy A.
Filton Airfield Enthusiasts Website
Bristol Aircraft Worldwide Survey
http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk (when it works)
Photo Gallery
http://filton.fotopic.net

As the file is named BoliatChino.jpg I expect not!

Filton Flyer.

just curious but what is the aircraft shown next to your name…..looks suspisciously like a beech 18 but i could be way off…

Very interesting stuff. Can anyone confirm the serials of the Beauforts they mention? A9-501 was substantially damaged when an oxy-torch ignited some residual fuel in the tanks whilst the wings were being cut off. I thought that the forward fuselage under restoration by the Beaufort Restoration Group was from A9-501, not ‘A9-152’ as mentioned in the text. Parts from A9-150 were used, so is the basic structure from ‘-150 or ‘-501?

As to ‘A9-320’ – ain’t heard of this one being about (it was converted to a Mk.9 as A9-742 in 1943, then scrapped after the war) but the wreck of A9-230 was recovered from Nowra, and the forward fuselage at least lived on and was used for spares by the Beaufort Restoration Group.

cheers,
Andy A.

What’s the word on the Lincoln that’s coming????