Ventura restoration in Darwin, Aust

Hi Dave

No the one being restored A59-96 will not fly again it is being restored for static – I don’t know if they even have wings for it. I will check

The RAAF Museum example crash landed near Richmond quite a long time ago and was repaired but didn’t fly again – the policy there now is that they don’t fly aircraft that they don’t have duplicates of so that may be the reason – or it may have not been repaired to airworthy standard.

For a little while in Australia we could have had a formation flight of a Hudson Loadstar and Ventura but they never got together – Now the Loadstar is in NZ and the Ventura is grounded – pity.

There are two other Venturas A59-73 in Darwin as noted and another also recovered from Bamaga ( I forget the Sn ) which is being restored to go to the local airport terminal. There cpould be others but I am unaware of them.

Thats what I know
Regards
John P

Thanks guys.

Will A59-96 fly then?

What has happened to the RAAF’s flying example? Has it been grounded?

Hi Dave

Here is one that is at least getting some decent attention here in Aus

http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/ventura/A59-96.htm

Regards
John P

The aircraft at Darwin is correctly listed in the ADF Serial website as A59-73 recovered from Gove for restoration and supposed return there for permanent display?

http://www.adf-serials.com/2a59.shtml

Thanks Denys. A pity if it hasn’t progressed. I don’t know how anyone can get upset over such a thing as the restoration of an aircraft to serve a a memorial to a Sqn that served defending that area. Unless some of them were living in it at that time, i don’t see why they should get upset.

Hi David,

When I was in Darwin in August 1998 for the Pacific Air Museums conference I was able to see the aircraft in conjunction with an old friend who was then living up there and just happened to be the historical officer of the RAAFVR unit that öwned it”. It was tucked away in a hangar fully of surplus housing materials (funiture) as there was a downsizing of personnel underway at the time and I attach a photo of it then.

He told us that the CO who had got the thing had upset the local aboriginal leaders when it was removed from the peninsula and so it was uncertain what (if anything) was to happen next. If I recall rightly the CO had lost interest in any further embarrasment/agro and so didn’t really want anything to happen while he was still around.

Hth