Proctor VH-AHYGooday
With help from Gordy
the answer to my question about which CAC Wirraways were at Watts Bridge I found from the National Australian Archives that the following were there at some time between November 1942 to Feb 1943
A20-289
A20-549
A20-537
A20-285
A20-512
A20-143
A20-538
A20-191
A20-517
A20-143
A20-514
A20-286
A20-513
My next question is did any survive to this day and are there any surviving photos of any of those aeroplanes.
A have added some more data to my site with scanned pages from 5SQN operations book for the period
http://www.wattsbridgehistory.com/WW2History.html
there appears that there were about 200 squadron members at the Toogoolawah (Watts Bridge) airfield. My next task is to try and identify as many as I can by name.
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYBut remember if it is multi-engined it has to be a Lanc and if it is a jet then the Red Arrows normally does, don’t know about choppers though, that is just too confusing but there aren’t too many of those so don’t need to worry about it!
Multi-engined means a spitfire with more than one engine.- I always thought a Lanc was a DC3 in disguise – a Tiger Moth is anything that is a biplane
Proctor VH-AHYAll
Obviously this being a forum with a high percentage of forumites from England, I have asked my question to the wrong place
Any suggestions as to other forums that I could pose the question and maybe get a answer
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYGooday All
You can sometimes find interesting writing when you start stripping aeroplane parts.
Recently I was stripping the old fabric of a Tiger Moth undercarriage part (the hocky leg) and came across A17-704 (an RAAF Tiger Moth serial number) on the fabric.
Also recently when I took the lining off an Auster door, I found D Cramer – Dalby and a date way back in the past written on the inside of the door (from ‘KSH). I happen to know Des Cramer althought I havn’t seen him in 20 years.
When I was checking some of the ply from the belly of my Proctor to check the grain direction of the ply, I wiped down the fabric with thinners to remove the silver dope and found the original WW2 yellow it had once been (in that area).
Too often we find these interesting clues and then ignore them or forget them.
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYEdskarf
No details save that it had a flight of 1 hour 5 minutes and flew again the following day
KSK was involved in an accident which resulted it going over on its back at Teleformin, flown at the time by Tommy Briggs
Pat Tool was the pilot who did a forced landed KSK in the river bed in the Sepik district (16th June 1953). She flew as a commercial pilot in New Guinea 1952/3
It would appear that Gibbs had the following Auster J5
VH-KSD, VH-KSK, VH-KSQ, VH-KSS, VH-KST, VH-KSU, VH-KSX.
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYMark
your help is ggreatly appreciated and I thought I would check the log books to see what else I could find.
KSK flew 2555 hours on commercial ops in PNG
On 22 June 1953, KSK was dismantled and carried to some place called Drukikin after a forced landing in/beside the Keang River. It was repaired at Drukikin and then test flown to Wewak. The LAME was a Mr Brearley.and a Mr K Haslett (don’t know if I have spelling correct – reading running writing)
This aeroplane is becoming more interesting by the minute (Interesting for an Auster). I can feel myself becoming attracted to the old girl!
I will endeavor to get the history documented in one place because someone in the future might see this aeroplane as meeting the criteria of “significant” to the aviation history of PNG
To the Pommies reading this PNG was once an Australian Territory and Australia still shovels bucket loads of aid in their direction. PNG is also Australia’s closest neighbor and Australian pilots played a huge role in the development of PNG. It has dreadful flying conditions, 13,000 high mountains and very short one-way airstrips at high altitude in many places. Lots and lots of Australian pilots made their last flights in PNG (ie they died in flying accidents).
PNG during WW2 was where Australian troops beat the Japs – that being the first time the Japs had a big set-back during WW2.
Poms have their BofB, Australia has the battles in PNG as the Japs headed for Australia
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYMark
KSK likely fills the bill and certainly you have raised a number of points I didn’t think about.
However, unless that museum were to cross my palm with a lot of gold (to overcome my extreme dislike of flying aeroplanes being turned into statics) then KSK is likely to remain with me and my family for many years into the future as a flying aeroplane!
However what you have pointed out makes it all the more interesting and helps me overcome my past attitude of “Its a cold night, throw another auster on the fire please!”.
I never thought I would find out what you have told me about KSK and the possibility of it being the oldest surviving commencial aircraft that operated in PNG – now that is a real surprise to me and shows how useful this forum can be – even for subjects that were floated “tongue in check”!
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYMark
Interesting point, about it being the sole surviver of Gibbs Sepic Airways, by the way its VH-KSK, not VH-KRK
Here is a link to what it looks like at the moment
http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6672182
I wonder if there are any photos of what it looked like like when owned by Gibbs Sepic Airways. I actually know a woman (now in here 80’s) who flew it for Gibbs and put it on its back trying to do a forced landing on the banks of the Sepic River in PNG whilst employed by Gibbs.
She has hit me up for a flight when I finish the bit of maintenance being done on it.
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYHi Ross,
Try Tasman Aviation Enterprises at RAAF Base Amberley on phone no. (07) 32829911
or
Jet Turbine Services in Melbourne on phone no. (03) 8346-2130
I think the one at Amberley may be no more – I heard a whisper about some issue with the permits. Besides from the few people I know who used them, the cost was a major driver in looking elsewhere. Mind you they did a great job. I have hundreds of bits all blasted and soaking in oil awaiting a desision on where I can get them plated.
I will give both a call and see what happens.
The issue about bead blasting and cad plating in the dust is a very good point and will cause me to take action over the dust comming out of my cabinet.
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYMark
Maybe if it is the “warbug” that is of interest then its an Auster Mk3 vs an Piper L4 grasshopper.
Now I think my “Weapon of Choice” in that case would be the Mk3 with Aussie history
Lots of cubs are ending up with recreational aircraft regos because of all-up weight considerations.
Its strange that in the world of Tiger Moths, in Australia its former miltary history is of little more than passing interest. For instance my Tiger VH-JRS was A17-300 and has good provenance.
My Proctor on the other hand its military history is of great interest to me and not all that concerned (just passing interest) about its civilian history.
I must say, I do find the Auster’s connection with Gibbs Sepic Airways and Bobby Gibbs is starting to focus my attention and generate some interest.
Originally my main purpose in buying it was to have a spare Gipsy Major engine for my Tiger Moth.
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYScotavia
My old man once had a Humber Super Snipe series 2 – real tank of an car – but I digress. It is the same in Australia a Piper Cub is a far more valuable aeroplane (tandem vs side-by-side seating > more room)
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYGooday All
A discussion about bead plasting isn’t complete without mentioning cadimum plating.
Here in Australia it is difficult to find a plating shop that does it (heavy metal).
What are the alternatives? Zinc?
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYGooday All
What I find interesting is that people pay a lot for a bit of bent metal dug up from a crash site yet when it comes to flying aeroplanes there is little interest save for a couple of types.
I guess its the demographic, people with flyable aeroplanes are too busy with keeping them flying to get too hung up about “Provenance”. Its important but not as important as flying the machine!
In the case of VH-KSK, – yes it is the real aeroplane – the real deal, not just a spitfire whose only connection with the past is a dataplate! (wash my mouth out again I mentioned boring spitfires again- shame!)
Bobby Gibbs flew this aeroplane, from memory I think he crashed/repaired it as well and its history is well documented.
For those that don’t know about Wing Commander Bobby Gibbs, he is a Kitty Hawk pilot/Ace (10 aeroplanes) who operated in the western desert and in the south-west Pacific. He was nominated for the VC for saving a fellow pilot who had force landed in the desert. He also was a part of the “Morotai Mutiny” in the RAAF. His activities make interesting reading – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Gibbes
Having said all that and back to Austers – well they are ugly (when fitted with a Gipsy) and I think that’s part of the problem! All my time since becoming involved with vintage aeroplanes (since 1976) people have been forecasting that Austers will increase in value – I am still waiting!
A British Bulldog is also ugly but some people are attracted to that!
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYZRX61
what a good idea with the ouly scotchbrite I will have to do that as I have fine white powder over everything.
There is an attachment which I could buy which is basically a sealed container of water with a pipe from the blaster cabinet going thru a pipe to under the water. another pipe from the top is connected to the duct extractor system.
The dust from the blasting cabinet is “trapped” in the water and settles to the bottom and is periodically emptied and replaced with clean water.
I will try the scotchbrite method first as it is easy.
thanks
Proctor VH-AHYZRX61
Nice images, what are they of? and tell me more about the grade of glass beads. I just buy the glass beads about 20 litres in a bag.
Anyone know how to seperate the glass beads from the powdered glass beads. I have about mixture of 40 litres and too tight to throw it out, but I am getting too much dust in my blasting cabinet and it makes it harder to see.
Any clues?
by the way we are talking parts that will fly again one day here.
cheers
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