Australian Centenaries of Flight – 2010

OOpsie,yep just did a follow up Google search…DOH!!!!

Spits,

I think there are a couple of BE-2a’s missing in that list somewhere – smiles, but still a great display of early Australian military aircraft.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

3 more early Australian aircraft

The first three types to enter Australian military service with the Australian Flying corp are being shown at the Museum of Australian Army Flying at Oakey.These include the Boxkite(ex Phoenix Flyer),replica Deperdussin built by Jack Gillies,and the Bleriot 1911 replica built by assistant curator Peter White.Story and pics are in the newsletters here..
http://www.raemeqld.org/Pdf/MUSEUM%20HAPPENINGS%20April%202009.pdf
http://www.161recceflt.org.au/MAAF/Homepage.htm
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Museum-of-Australian-Army-Flying/145735825475164

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The Duigan Replica was at Ballarat over the last “Australia Day” week to celebrate the Centenary of the original aircrafts first public flight on 25th January 1911 when John Duigan flew it at Mia Mia for reporters from the Argus Newspaper.

Here are some photos for those interested.

regards

Mark Pilkington

Here is an up to date photo of the progress on the Duigan replica, taken very appropriately today, Wednesday 18th of March, the centenary date of Houdini’s flight at Diggers Rest where he undertook the first successful, controlled and sustained powered flight in Australia.

The aircraft is perhaps only 8 weeks away from being relocated for taxiing and flight trials.

It is surprising how much smaller this aircraft is compared to the Boxkite replica at Point Cook

Details of the Duigan history is located at http://duigancentenaryofflight.org.au

Details of the replica teams progress is also located at
http://duiganreplica.org

Regards

Mark Pilkington

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The Duigan Centenary of Flight replica of the Duigan 1910 pusher is proceeding at a rapid rate, here it is in its first trial assembly, with Project Patron Dr Gwynne Duigan looking on.

Still missing its undercarriage, engine and wing outer bay panels, this is the first time the airframe has been assembled, following construction of the individual sections, to allow for cross bracing and inter-connection frames to be built and installed.

The aircraft is planned for completion in time for the Centenary celebrations at Mia Mia on 16 July 2010, and later flying appearances including Avalon in March 2011.

The Replica will then join the collection of the Australian National Aviation Museum.

Donations can be made via the website using paypal or via cheques, the Australian National Aviation Museum is hosting the fund raising through its tax deductability charitable status and the replica will join the collection when its flying displays are completed.

http://www.duigancentenaryofflight.org.au/

Regards

Mark Pilkington

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The Duigan Centenary of Flight replica of the Duigan 1910 pusher is progessing well, all timber for the project has been purchased, and all the wing ribs were completed before xmas, and the forward canard has now been constructed.

The Governor of the State of Victoria has agreed to be the Patron in Chief of the project, joining Dr Gwynne Duigan, the family archivist and matriach already the project patron, the replica is currently well on target to be completed in time for the Centenary celebrations in July 2010, work is now being undertaken to fit a Heath henderson upright 4 cylinder engine to the design, in place of the original locally built 1910 Tilley.

Donations can be made via the website using paypal or via cheques, the Australian National Aviation Museum is hosting the fund raising through its tax deductability charitable status and the replica will join the collection when its flying displays are completed.

http://www.duigancentenaryofflight.org.au/

Regards

Mark Pilkington
Secretary
Australian National Aviation Museum

In 1909, a Melbourne man Lawrence Marshall was one of 21 competitors in the 5000 pound Australian Government competition to build and fly an aircraft for military purposes.

Marshall built a tractor biplane 30′ long with a wing span of 32′ resembling early Avro construction, it was built in a shed adjacent to the Grand View hotel in Fairfield.

The Marshall 1912 Tractor Biplane fitted with the later JAP V4 Engine.

The engine was a flat four aircooled design built locally in Melbourne by Aubrey Lock in High Street Armidale, (and now in the collection of the Museum of Victoria – and loaned to Nowra, the second oldest Australian designed aircraft engine – after the Tilley used by Duigan).

Flights were attempted in 1911 but the aircraft would not leave the ground and the engine suffered numerous blown pots.

Marshall was injured in a subsequent nose over on the ground breaking his arm.

Marshall imported a JAP 1910 V4 Engine (similar to that used by A V Roe) and made his first successful hop on the 18th of February 1912, however it ended in another crash.

On the 14 of April 1912, three successful flights were achieved, the best achieving a height of 30 feet and covering 500 yards, this nearly 2 years after Duigans’ successful flights in 1910.

In the intervening years 12 other locally built aircraft had been commenced to compete for the competition, with just 4 others succeeding to be flown or attempted to fly.

P-Woodward – Botany Bay 19 /11/1910 – 8 minute flight crashing into the bay
LJR Jones – 20/02/1911 – crashed on takeoff- first successful fight 4/06/1911
J Duigan 17/02/1912 – tractor biplane flown at Ivanhoe but later crashed
LJR Jones – 3/03/1912 lightweight monoplane tested at Emu Plains

In an attempt to recover the finance invested in the aircraft to win the 5000 pound prize he offered a demonstration flight at the Northcote Oval at 2 schillings a head, on the 3rd of June 1912, a crowd of 1000 paid entry to the oval with a further 5000 outside. Unfortunately he could not start the engine and a near riot broke-out, with the police stepping in to halt his further attempts to start the engine and his creditors siezing the aircraft for auction.

His home had been mortgaged and foreclosed, and it took Marshall 12 years to pay off the debts, he died in 1966 at the age of 82.

The 1910 JAP V4 Engine imported by Marshall in 1911, and used in his successful flights in 1912 is today in the collection of, and on display in the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin, the only surviving remains of the Marshall 1912 Tractor Biplane.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Originally Posted by Proctor VH-AHY
That reminds me to check when the first flights were made in Queensland. They took place at Seventeen Mile Rocks, Brisbane in what was then a cow paddock on the banks of the Brisbane River. I think initially they were just glider flights. There is a plague on the site celebrating the achievement.

JDK- Be interested in further info on this – post away!
Cheers,

Charles Lindsay Campbell formed the Queensland Aero Club in Brisbane in the later half of 1910, and engaged in some “letters to the editor” rivalry in local papers with the Australian Aerial League formed in 1909 in Sydney by George Taylor (first man to fly – unpowered- in Australia in Dec 1909) and Lawrence Hargrave, although later the members of the Queensland Aero club formed the Brisbane chapter of the Aerial League.

The Queenland Aero Club wasnt a flying club as they exist today at an airfield, but had its own club rooms in Brisbane and was more akin to a Mechanics Institute where models, books and discussions occured regarding flying machines.

Member Thomas Mc Leod at this time was constructing a 32′ biplane glider at Oxley, while also flying a Lilienthal glider at Herston Heights in Brisbane and later at Oxley, with the first documented flight (by the Aerial League) occuring on 11 October 1910.

On 20 January 1911 Rowland Bowen flew his 29′ “Wright” style glider at Lighthouse Hill on Morton Island.

In the mean time Campbell played a major role in inviting Gaston Cugnet to exhibit his Bleriot in Brisbane following its crash at the MCG in Melbourne, the first powered aircraft in Queensland in March 1911, although its exhibition was limited to ground running.

In April 1912 a young Bert Hinkler of Bundaberg reached a height of 30′ in his glider launched on the local beach. On 31 May 1912 Wizard Stone flew the first powered flight in Queensland in his Bleriot at the Rockhampton show grounds, and it was here that a young Bert Hinkler saw his first powered aircraft.

Campbell played a major role in lobbying the Federal Government to set up an aviation corps, he proposed this to be based in Queensland using french built bleriots and to engage himself as the controller. Lindsay Campbell applied for positions at the proposed Central Flying School when the Government sought to appoint two competent aviators as instructors, however he lacked both flying experience and formal training and licence, and travelled urgently to England in January 1912 to train and qualify for his licence before applications closed.

He attended the Bristol school and soloed on 10 May 1912, and on 19 May he qualified for his licence, (No. 220, 4 June 1912). Unfortunately this was all in vane as Harry Busteed and Henry Petre had already been recommended for the CFS posts, however Busteed was to later withdraw and be replaced by Eric Harrison.

Lindsay Campbell was killed in a forced landing of a Bristol monoplane at Brooklands UK on 3 August 1912, the unfortunate distinction of being the first Australian pilot casualty.

– derived from:
“Queensland Aviation – from the ground up, 1910-1912” E.P. Wixted

regards

Mark Pilkington

….and have the original aircraft on display during 2010……Mark Pilkington

Thanks Mark, that’s good to hear – not that I’ll be there to see it!

Roger Smith.

That reminds me to check when the first flights were made in Queensland. They took place at Seventeen Mile Rocks, Brisbane in what was then a cow paddock on the banks of the Brisbane River. I think initially they were just glider flights. There is a plague on the site celebrating the achievement.

Be interested in further info on this – post away!

I am always interested about some of these “First Flights” because no doubt many of you would know anout the New Zealander who made controlled powered flights before the Wright Bros. I don’t know the details, Maybe someone else does and can post some of them here.

Richard Pearse. They weren’t ‘controlled’, at the very least, despite some attempts to imply he ‘beat’ the Wrights. He also didn’t document them properly, nor develop his initial (probably real) hops. The Wrights were credited with the first powered, controlled flight, and their subsequent development and prior scientifically based research were as important in their status in history.

Cheers,

That reminds me to check when the first flights were made in Queensland. They took place at Seventeen Mile Rocks, Brisbane in what was then a cow paddock on the banks of the Brisbane River. I think initially they were just glider flights. There is a plague on the site celebrating the achievement.

I am always interested about some of these “First Flights” because no doubt many of you would know anout the New Zealander who made controlled powered flights before the Wright Bros. I don’t know the details, Maybe someone else does and can post some of them here.

The original is largely intact, although currently stored with wings dis-assembled from tail and canard, it was recovered in rubberised canvas when donated to the museum in 1920, it is being conserved rather than “restored” for display in 2010.

The project team has been given direct access to the original in storage to create accurate construction drawings.

Other photos of the original in storage are accessible from the website

http://duigancentenaryofflight.org.au/

regards

Mark Pilkington

Any likelyhood of it being brought out and displayed (in ‘as is’ condition) for the centenary??

Roger Smith.

Yes, the Museum of Victoria is planning to release a coffee table book on the Duigan Biplane and have the original aircraft on display during 2010.

The replica hanging in the museum today was taken down last week for a spring clean and will remain on display in its current position.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

……. his original aircraft is stored in the collection of the Museum of Victoria – one of Australias most significant airframes……….Mark Pilkington

Any likelyhood of it being brought out and displayed (in ‘as is’ condition) for the centenary??

Roger Smith.