Well I scanned them so I may as well post them. 🙂
The ‘short’ fuselage example in Darwin I photographed in December 1992 and what I think is the wreck of a B-25 at Gove, Northern Territory. The latter, an original photo in my collection with no credit or date details. Being colour I would think the date would be circa 1970’s.
Mark
By: Ron Cuskelly - 6th October 2014 at 04:35
It’s my understanding that A59-73 was transported to Darwin in 1995 for restoration but it did not proceed and the aircraft was returned to Gove unrestored in 2012.
The Ventura at the Queensland Air Museum is A59-96. QAM’s restoration has been ongoing for more than 20 years but it is a huge improvement for an aeroplane that was given the postwar “Farm Shed Mod”. Most recent activity has been on the interior and the aeroplane will be repainted very soon. Further details here:
By: mark_pilkington - 5th October 2014 at 12:13
Actually Mark, the Gove Wrecks are a RAAF Ventura and DAP Beaufort.
The Ventura is A59-73, which was recovered to Darwin for static restoration, but which I understand was never commenced/completed? and that the aircraft is to return to Gove as of 2012??
This Lockheed Ventura A59-73 was damaged by fire at Gove in 1945. It was brought to Darwin in April 1995 to be rebuilt by the RAAF as a public relations exercise. Virtually nothing has been accomplished in the last seventeen years in Darwin and it was decided some years ago to return the aircraft to its display enclosure at Gove airport. Earlier this year the hangar housing A59-73 at RAAF Darwin was demolished and the Ventura started its long return journey to Gove. In eight months it has moved all of twenty five kilometers from RAAF Darwin to the stockyards the other side of Noonamah as shown in this picture. Maybe provision will be made in the Commonwealth budget next year to enable this piece of Australian history to return home.
(Photos and info c/o ADF-Serials.com.au)
The Beaufort is A9-501, which was recovered in 1999 by Ralph Cusack to support his airworthy restoration, a restored Beaufort cockpit is to be returned to Gove for display, the rest of the remains have been passed on to other Beaufort restorations.
So that would place your colour photo as pre-1995.
Thanks for sharing the pics, and the short wheel base B-25 at Darwin is still a very historic survivor and hopefully it gains a tail in good time.
I’m not sure why the un-restored Ventura isn’t placed on display undercover in the Darwin museum?
Regards
Mark Pilkington
By: scotavia - 5th October 2014 at 12:08
The short B 25 was from the Tanami desert, short article at page 9 of this excellent on line copy of the journal of the Medium Bomber Asssociation called Dispersal
http://www.bamf.be/Dispersals/Dispersals_Aug_2013.pdf which is worth aread.
By: battle - 5th October 2014 at 12:04
Hi Mark the Gove pic is of a PV1 Ventura and a Beaufort , the PV1 is with the Queensland Air Museum not sure where the Beaufort is .
cheers dave
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October 5, 2014 at 11:45 am