I guess I can formally announce Im now a Jet Warbird Owner. Recently myself and a few mate went to Canberra Airport to collect my TS-11 Iskra cockpit. The aircraft was complete however 12 years of external storage had taken its toll. Now it will be mounted on a trailer and taken to airshows. Im chasing a spare rear seat cushion and that’s about it. If anyone can help with the markings and colours used in terms of the red and white id be grateful. Cheers Dave

Ah a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA.18 Mk23 Mustang is what it is lads, also as was stated its landing in the photo, seems the original poster is poorly researched!

The point that should be understood here is an important part of Australia’s aerospace manufacturing history has been been refurbished for the people who visit our museum to view and admire. The effort to achieve this has been extremely demanding on our volunteers who have contributed many hours of their free time, to travel to work, preserve and present the aircraft like we did on Saturday. Many long days, and some sleepless nights to showcase how CA-1 Wirraway A20-10 looked 75 years ago to the date of her first flight is the point some people seem to be missing here.

To be honest I’m disappointed that a thread about the good happening in the Aviation preservation fraternity has turned into a mud slinging match. Perhaps some time alone to consider the above point is needed.

I am proud to work and manage a great bunch of volunteers who are passionate about our museum and have to pinch myself sometimes at the result we achieved in such a short timeframe.

Attached is one of my photos of our beautiful girl.

Cheers

David Soderstrom
Display Manager
Australian National Aviation Museum.
Moorabbin Airport Australia

I’ve seen this argument over and over when it comes to aircraft escpecially Spitfires. I’d like to offer my ‘opinion’. So if you’ll all indulge me a bit.

I believe it comes down to one word ‘provernance’. For anything to be a genuine anything be it a boat, car or aircraft the only way to say it is original is that the provernance of that item, that being it is in the condition in which it was manufactured, with all parts being as it was assembled in the factory. That is it has all parts in the correct serial number from which it was designed.
Now with aircaft, parts were exchanged as they became US. Now most restorations are able to show a high level of provernance as the fuselage and wings were together most of the aircrafts life.
The Spitfire however seems to be a slight exception the rule on this though. As to its emmence popularity and that fact we all love them, people are able to make a restoration from the smallest part and work it back to claim a ‘certain level of Provernance.’
As the number of rebuildable airframes are now nearly all gone, this is the only way some people who want their own ‘Spitfire’ will get one hence the now term ‘data plate restoration’ I note the many ‘airframes’ built by Dick Melton as early examples of aircraft which adopted identities from parts recovered over the years, in a similar manner to some of the more recent ‘restorations’ or data plate builds.

I think the only way to determine a true aircraft is the provernance from now on. There are several examples which this can be applied to ie.
Mk.I P9306, and Mk.II P7973 are prime examples of true provernance aircraft as there are essentially as they left the service, with original paint markings, stencils etc.

The next level of provernance in my book is an aircraft which is original in terms of being built with its original parts but has been restored to flight. So this aircraft while being an original airframe has had compromises in terms of operational equipment ie engines, tyres, rims, instruments, electircal, and fluid components. this doesnt make the aircraft less original really as its being operated in a similar manor to the aircrafts military service where components were replaced and exchanged as needed.

The next level is a dataplate restoration which is the one which gets everyones goat up. These airframes dont have any real provernance as most contain almost entierly new material built around the tiny remains of a wartime wreck. I guess if it were me I would call them reproductions or tribute aircraft as while it looks and contains components that are original to a Spitfire (ie engines, sytems etc) the aircraft its self isnt what rolled out the factory when built originally.

Another example of this is some of the Oscars built in the US and some of the early mark Mustangs now out of the restoration shops.

Now I’m sure that I will get torn apart for this however it is only my take on the topic.

Over to you all.