Sydney's Powerhouse

Suggest you start here: www.powerhousemuseum.com

There are listings of aircraft collections in Australia, the one I’ve got is well over a decade old though.

Could I get a list of all the aircraft in the museum’s possession (including serial numbers and current status–assuming aircraft are in storage or restoration)?

Thanks for that Mark.

The link does not work. This one does: http://www.museum-of-flight.org.au

Cheers
James

Mystery RAAF PBY

Another Australian Catalina relic worth mentioning (albeit, far from complete) is the cockpit owned by Darryl Gibbs now on display at Australia’s Museum of Flight (www.museum-of-flight).

This is thought to be from one of the forty-six PBY-5A’s operated by the RAAF during World War Two. At least twenty-nine of these – including this example – were later modified from amphibian to flying boat standard (by permanently removing the undercarriage) which reduced the aircraft’s operating weight by 1,500 kgs.

This cockpit was being used as a shepherd’s hut when recovered from a farm near Coleambally in New south Wales.

The only remaining identification mark is that show below (SHIP 1730) which, assuming it is a constructor’s number, does in fact correlate with a USAAF PBY serial number (which I don’t have readily to hand). Unfortunately for us, the latter is also know to have spent its entire service career in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations!

John,

They also carried airmail which was handed over at each stopover point which people may still have. I would really appreciate any assistance that you could give me with regard to this.

there are the rare PG Taylor Frigate Bird Flight Covers coming up on ebay, as well as an even rarer PG Taylor GUBA pre war flight cover that have been sale recently that his daughter may be interested in, (I have missed out on both of these items, I think?? in recent bidding on ebay or elsewhere during a rapid building of an Australain pioneer flights air mail collection I have been “investing” in, if Gai is interested in that type of thing please ask her to email or ring me.

As far as I am aware – away from my books – it is an Ex RAAF flying boat not an amphib.

Kindest regards
John P

I’m near my books buts its too late to find my best reference, so this is from the Warbirds Directory 3rd Ed. and memory

This is an EX RAAF A/c, a Boeing PB2B I think which is the tall fin Black Cat long range flying boat, (not amphibian) effectively the last version before the Navy Factory PBY-6?

BU44248 A24-385 VH-AGB/ASA

It is one of 5 “complete” Cats in Australia and 7 in the region,

HARS A/C flying in Aust is a recent import (Ex Canso/PBV??)
RAAFM Restored/static ex post war civil import VH-EXG (Canso/PBV)
PBY Association Memorial WA – recent import/restored Static ex USN PBY-5A?
Lake Boga Museum – composite PBY-5 wearing A24-30 id – ex RAAF PBY-5(‘s)

PBY Association NZ flying import ex USN PBY-5A
RNZAF PBY-5A, EX-TAA PBY-5A (modified to “Boat” by TAA for PNG ops) now being restored to static as PBY-5A with gear re-instated?

An 8th? A24-46 PBY-5 “Boat” departed Australia recently sold at WhaleWorld

There are two “hulks” in the region,

The unrestored ex-RAAF A24-88 at the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin

A24-88

This aircraft is quite rare as a RAAF PBY-5A modified in RAAF service into a “Boat” by removal of the undercarriage and skinning over of the wheel wells to reverse engineer a PBY-5 and save 500LB of weight for additional bomb load or range becoming a rare PBY-5(M).

and half a PBY? imported into NZ as spares for the flying a/c?

Of these Frigate bird is the best original ex-RAAF CAT surviving but is displayed to record its more famous civil history, the Boga aircraft is displayed as, and sourced from original RAAF aircraft but the providence of the serial to all or any parts is uncertain?, while the PBY-5(M) at Moorabbin will probably only remain a restored/conserved fuselage but reflects the probably the most important RAAF Catalina providance remaining due to the hulls known operational service with 42 Squadron.

I think some ex-RAAF Cats went civil in the USA but I am not sure any still survive?

and Mark C.

Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum (where I work) has a small but interesting collection of suspended aircraft. Not shown here are the Museum’s DHA Drover and Heath Parasol.

A modest understatement, the Powerhouse Museum has an extensive collection for what is a “State” Museum, holding a number of unique and important airframes of the National Collection, including the rare and important Bleriot XI from the important 1912 first Melbourne to Sydney airmail flight by Muarice Gaulleax (ok I “winged” the spelling!!).

And along with the “State” Museums in Brisbane and Melbourne played an important role in preserving important items for the National Collection such as the Duigan Biplane, the Hinkler aircraft and the Millicer Airtourer prototype, long before the AWM decided to pull its finger out and add to its WW2 “acquired” aviation hall collection, and Defence Service museums collected and saved military heritage examples by purchase or remote recovery.

Often these State Museum collections are “forgotten”, but without them, and the efforts of contempory pioneers like private collectors such as Marshall and Thomas or the early volunteer collections of RAAFA at Bull Creek or the AARG at Moorabbin air Museum, our remaining Aviation Heritage would have all left the country in the 1960’s or been burnt by DCA or rotted away in paddocks.

All of these State and volunteer museums have been filling the void of the ‘promised” National Aviation Museum in Australia, first proposed by Air Marshall Dickie Williams in @1957!! and still yet to arrive from Federal Government promises since 1975?

(While I am handing out badges of merit for protecting Aviation Heritage through early restoration/preservation efforts) I personally think the work of Ron Lee, Dick Hourigan in the Wirraway/Boomerang area (and other peoples projects) is pioneering and critical to what exists today, the work of Malcolm Long in lanuching the “warbird” movement in Australia with BFF and the Hudson’s, and finally the efforts of private collections of Joe Drage and Pearce Dunn (of the Mildura Warbirds Museum) all played an important role in safekeeping a Mosquito, Beaufort, and many vintage aircraft until their worth was appreciated by the rest of us.

Thanks to ALL OF THE ABOVE for your efforts so far, and thanks to MurrayG, Col, Easty, Trappo, Oscar Duck, MattD, RalphC etc for picking up and running with the role as the next generation, I get to enjoy it all without having to step out of the country!!

I have some old friends who helped me get into this field and I havent mentioned by name, but they know I appreciate thier efforts already, and dont need to read it here (IW, MA)

regards

Mark P

John, what a fascinating story! Many thanks for the details. It’s great that such a historic machine survives and is well looked after.

Cheers,
Richard

Richard

I am sure Mark will give a much better account than I – he is a famous curator in his own right – however this aircraft is a famous machine in Australia and is called “Frigate Bird 11” It was involved in pioneering work to explore and establish airline routes etc

Funnily enough the Daughter of the pilot is involved in a retracing of it’s historic flights and here is a post she put up on another site

“My name is Gai Taylor and I am seeking help from you. I am involved in research work for a planned round the world flight (King Air) by a group of Australian aviators retracing the trans oceanic air routes pioneered by Australian aviators last century. The first leg of this flight will follow the route flown in 1951, from Australia to Chile , the first crossing of the South Pacific, undertaken by Captain PG Taylor and crew in the Catalina flying boat, VH-ASA, Frigate Bird II. As part of this trip, there are plans for the making of a documentary. This will particularly focus on visiting places they landed, speaking with people who remember the flight, people who may have been involved with it in any way (flying boat base, boat crews, hotel staff, locals, officials etc), the location of any physical evidence of the visit or anything else connected with the flight. It could also include items, media releases, film, or anyother contact with that flight. I am seeking any information you might have, particularly possible contacts of people who were at the NZ Air Force Base at that time, family or friends, photographs, film footage, records, anything. Also if you can put me onto the relevant people who may be able to help me. I realise it is 54 years since it occurred but we are hopeful there may be people still with us who we can speak with about the flight. They also carried airmail which was handed over at each stopover point which people may still have. I would really appreciate any assistance that you could give me with regard to this.

Frigate Bird II landed in Laucala Bay, Fiji on March 15th, 1951 and stayed overnight. The crew were welcomed very warmly by the people of Fiji, the CO of the NZ Flying Boat Base, Wing Commander Webb and the NZRA personnel at the site. Work was carried out by the personnel on the Base, with the flying boat being brought up onto the launch ramp. I am unclear as to what they did and where they stayed overnight. I am at the beginning of the search to try to give us some idea of what is out there that can be used in the documentary. I would also like to know if you are aware of any memorials, plaques or obvious physical reminders of this event that you may know of at the NZ Base? The other stop overs were Noumea, Samoa, Aitutaki, Papeete, Mangareva and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Chile. If anyone has any information about these as well it would be great.

I would appreciate you mailing this on to anyone or organization which might be able to help us. Thank you very much for this.

I have a particular interest in this research as PG Taylor was my father. He had a lifelong love for the South Pacific region and the people who live there.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Thank you
Gai”

As far as I am aware – away from my books – it is an Ex RAAF flying boat not an amphib.

Kindest regards
John P

Thanks for sharing the photographs. By the looks of things they have some pretty rare birds in there! I was shocked to see the Catalina suspended from the roof… that must be quite a site in person! I was more shocked to see that it was not an amphibian though, but a pure flying boat. Is this it’s original form, or was it converted? I had no idea that any of the pure flying boat versions were still around. Looks to be in great shape too, and clearly well looked after. Anyone know its history? Many thanks again for your post.

Cheers,
Richard