Temora March 2006

Mark,

Interesting discovery with the identification. E-mail coming your way about this and other things.

Cheers,
Matt

for those interested?

There are 5 complete Ceres remaining, with the 2 statics existing at MOTAT in NZ and the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin http://aarg.com.au/Ceres.htm there are actually three on the Australian Civil Register Doug Hamilton’s VH-SSY the former Airworld Aircraft as seen at Temora above, VH-SSW is also apparantly airworthy with Cliff Keaney in Blaney NSW, while VH-NWB is complete and under long term/full restoration to airworthy in Townsville Qld.

A 6th Ceres ex-NZ was sold by Mike Nichols into Australia in the late 1990’s and is being used as the basis of spares for a Wirraway project however it is more a parts donation than a conversion as only the rear fuselage, tail group, engine QEC and wing outer panels can contribute to a Wirraway, the centresection and forward fuselage is basically worthless in terms of re-use in a Wirraway project.

A cockpit display also exists at Moorabbin, while a centre fuselage/cockpit is privately owned and stored in Victoria and is expected to end up in a static display museum in Queensland.

The Ceres centre fuselage/cockpit stored privately in Victoria has been identified as CA28-18 VH-CEX/VH-SSV, this aircraft was rebuilt by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation on the production line, from the crashed VH-CEA/VH-CEX Ceres “prototype” CA28-1.

it’s surprising what is lurking in peoples own backyards!

regards

Mark Pilkington

Fortunately I live just two hours drive away in Canberra so it’s easy for me to get over there. I was most impressed to here David Lowy has bought another Spit, I’m really looking forward to seeing the two of them in the air together.

As for the Boomer, isn’t it just the most amazing sound!

Great pics mate.Will have to have a holiday down there soon.Will be looking forward to seeing the two spits in action.Also next time you see the Boomer,ask Matt when he is bringing the ****** back up here to Oakey.We miss that awsome sound of the wind through it,s cannon barrels.

I enjoyed looking through your album, Dishwasher. Not sure if if the heat was for me!

Very nice, though. Coming to England?

Unfortunately not at the moment. One day I’ll scrape up the funds though … or get the company to pay for another trip over there for me 😉 .

Good stuff there.

I enjoyed looking through your album, Dishwasher. Not sure if if the heat was for me!

Very nice, though. Coming to England?

Quiet in here … isn’t it!

Hello all,

This is my first post on these forums. I was at the same airshow as Glen and put together a small web site of the photos I took for friends of mine in the UK. You can see it here.

My photos aren’t quite the standard of Glen’s and all the photos are reduced a bit and cropped so that they keep the layout right, but there’s a decent selection of them anyway.

I hope you enjoy them!

Love them photos 🙂

Better not forget the Spitfire which first flew 70 years ago.

Museum Founder Dave Lowy at the controls

lovely shots Glenn – refreshingly different angles (and weather!)

good work!

Many thanks!! 😀 Might catch up at Nowra or Narrandera?

G’day 😉

Wow….now that IS going on my desktop!!

Many thanks and (what a birthday present)

Martin

CAC Formation as requested.

Thanks for clearing my questions up chaps

The RAAF SAR helicopter contract was/is with LLoyd’s Helicopters, thus the civil rego and IMHO civil drivers.

G’day 😉

PS Glenn, I’d really like it if you’ve got a shot of the CAC formation & can post it here!? A unique look. nice to see David back in the Spit.

But don’t ask me to explain, I found it very confusing and not entirely convincing 🙂

Brain hurt

Hmmm. That’s what I didn’t want to say! But like he said, me too. 😀 There’s a point in a bureaucrat’s explanation I begun to feel the brain cells dying.

Mark, Has anyone seen the Cliff Keaney machine fly recently? Thanks for the update on Ceressus…

I wasn’t trying to imply that the chopper was part of the RAAF Museum fleet, but that there are (other) RAAF aircraft with civil regos.

Cheers

The helos are leased like most of the Defence force these days that aren’t contracted out 🙂

I had it all explained to me a month back when I asked about the CASA implications of flying regulations with a Military operated Aircraft under a Civilian rego.

But don’t ask me to explain, I found it very confusing and not entirely convincing 🙂

Brain hurt

David/JDK

There are 5 complete Ceres remaining, with the 2 statics existing at MOTAT in NZ and the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin http://aarg.com.au/Ceres.htm there are actually three on the Australian Civil Register Doug Hamilton’s VH-SSY the former Airworld Aircraft as seen at Temora above, VH-SSW is also apparantly airworthy with Cliff Keaney in Blaney NSW, while VH-NWB is complete and under long term/full restoration to airworthy in Townsville Qld.

A 6th Ceres ex-NZ was sold by Mike Nichols into Australia in the late 1990’s and is being used as the basis of spares for a Wirraway project however it is more a parts donation than a conversion as only the rear fuselage, tail group, engine QEC and wing outer panels can contribute to a Wirraway, the centresection and forward fuselage is basically worthless in terms of re-use in a Wirraway project.

A cockpit display also exists at Moorabbin, while a centre fuselage/cockpit is privately owned and stored in Victoria and is expected to end up in a static display museum in Queensland.

There are various other parts such as tailplanes, wing outers and wing centre sections in the hands of wirraway rebuilders for conversion or parts donation, so the long term outcome is likley to remain as the existing 5 aircraft.

(I am not sure the rescue chopper in Gelnn’s pics is owned or operated by the RAAF or part of the RAAF Museum flight? I am not sure why it carries the “RAAF” signage??)

regards

Mark Pilkington