mark_pilkingtonAs reported on propliners.com
“After a 1.5 year period of maintenance and inspections the only flying DC2 left in the world took to the sky ones again last Friday the 27th of May.
First a short flight around 12:00 for 15-20 minutes after which everything was checked again.
Then around 16:00 a longer flight which included 3 touch ‘n goes.
The 70 year old bird performed flawless.
Willem
WTH Photography can be found here: http://www.honders.net”
One “Uiver” safe and sound, one “Uiver” to go!~
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonWell said Mark
I’m just on my way to look at something if you know what I mean!I think your idea is great and I think Woomera is an ideal facility – we need to start construction on buildings as soon as possible because once everybody sees the intrinsic good sense we will be flooded with airframes – Woomera 2006 International Warbird spectacular should be something to witness
Well done John P
John,
Was “something?” there when you looked at something??
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkington“Aviation Ark”
Setter,
I think its time we all spoke the “unspoken” and think of future generations and posterity, and invoke the “Aviation-Ark” strategy.
Australia, with its arid land and dry climate, political and economic stability and island continent surrounded by seas to protect it from invasion and world epidemics, two of every flyable, static museum or currently under restoration types from both the UK and USA should be immediately sent to Australia for safe keeping and display (we will give rob and others short term “warbird visa’s” to visit every year).
I think therefore, the aircraft to be immediately sent south are:
BBMF Flying Lancaster
RAFM S for Sugar Lancaster
B17 Sally
B17 Memphis Belle
B29 FIFI
B29 Enola Gay
B24 Diamond Lil
B24 (Collings Foundation)
Beaufighters – See Setters post above
………………………………I will let other experts complete the list
Setter and I will start arrranging resources to do the unpacking at this end!
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonAnother photo of A30-11 at Albury following its removal from its pedestal.
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonA drawing showing the DH-86B modifications to the tailplane and fin design.
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonIn 1984 KLM sponsored a reinactment of the Uiver flight by the US owned N39165 (s/n 1404) which was chartered and flown to Australia in KLM PH-AJU “Uiver” colours, here is a picture of that aircraft visiting the “Uiver” Memorial DC-2 “A30-11” (s/n 1286).
N39465 still flies in its KLM “Uiver” colours, now owned by the Aircraft Guaranty Trust with the Aviodrome Netherlands, as the only flying example of the DC-2 remaining in the world. see remaining photo’s below:
N1934D (s/n 1368) remains “airworthy” but stored for static display with the Museum of Flight – Seattle USA, (final photo below)
while s/n 1376 PK-AFL/VH-CDZ remains under long term restoration to airworthy status by International Air Parts in Sydney, creating the opportunity of at least 2 if not 3 flying DC-2’s into the future.
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonDH-86 Express
The experience of Australian DH-86 aircraft is explained well in “Airliners in Australian Service” by Eric Allen -Aerospace Publications 1995.
Australia suffered a number of unexplained crashes of DH-86 commencing with the “first of type” in country VH-URN “Miss Hobart” of Holyman Airways, that only survived 18 days of service, in October 1934.
Two months later VH-USG of Qantas also crashed and two theories were put forward, fin post failure causing the fin to collapse.
I would agree with JDK that the British Industry, both manufacturing and regulation, had no interest in hearing such analysis from the colonials.
Adding to these attitudes was the ascendency of the US designs, the DC2 and Boeing 247 airliners had both performed spectacularly in the 1934 Centenary Air-race, (the DH Comet being a purpose built racer), while the DH-89 Dragon Rapide contemporary came in 9th, it is easy then to see DH and British authorities being very defensive of the DH86 Express.
VH-USF of Qantas was inspected in Singapore and found a fault with the fin as well, leading to the removal of its Certificate of Airworthiness, while VH-USD of Qantas was inspected on delivery in Australia and also found to have a fault in the tail assembly.
The DH-86 finally entered regular serive with Qantas in April 1935, but in October 1935 Holyman’s lost their second DH-86 when VH-URT “Loina” was lost over Bas Straight.
Pilot confidence in the DH-86 dropped and a third Holyman DH-86 undertook an emergency landing resulting in serious damage in the crash, when the pilot saw movement in a wing strut fairing and assumed imminent wing failure.
VH-USE of Qantas was lost near Brisbane in 1942, and according to an Airworthiness Inspector, the fin structure was found a considerable distance from the main wreck which had dived vertically into the ground, interestingly this detail was apparantly later overlooked in the official report of crash?, and the Fin was reported as not contributing to the crash?
Apparantly recommendations for major modifications to the DH-86 design by noted Australian Designer L J Wackett were opposed by Qantas, DeHavilland and the UK Air Ministry, Wackett having been a previous victim of opposition from the Society of British Aircraft Manufacturers in closing his RAAF Experimentakl station, and also later in opposing manufacture of “American” aircraft by CAC when formed.
Interestingly the book notes that after the fifth crash of a UK operated DH-86 that the Air Ministry instructed the A&AEE to rerun the CofA trials on the DH86A resulting in alarming results, and identifying a further 7 of 16 aircraft on the UK register being “considered unsafe….and on which no further flying would be permitted”
This lead to the DH86B modifications including obvious external tailplane bracing and finlets etc
In Australia the damage to confidence in both the DH-86 and British design leadership had been done, and the first two DC-2’s for Holyman airlines arrived in April 1936, interestingly despite over 198 DC-2’s being constructed for all major airlines in the USA and many major airlines in continental Europe, I dont believe any of the UK operators imported a DC-2 into service.
The “Colonial” struggle continued on when the RAAF was forced to import Lockheed Hudsons due to ongoing delays in UK aircraft delivery prior to WW2, and CAC selected the American NA-16 as the first aircraft to be mass produced in Australia, resulting in a scathing report by a visiting RAF Air Vice Marshall, C.G. Grey of “The Aeroplane” and also the SBAM.
The RAAF and CAC felt vindicated when the RAF commenced purchased both Hudsons and Harvard mark I’s for its own requirements not long after.
In part DeHavilland’s success with the wooden bi-plane moth in the early 1920’s had resulted in a linage of superb wooden bi-planes through the fox moth, to the Dragon, Rapide, Express and perhaps the definative design the Dragonfly, but had dominated the UK’s suspicion of monoplanes and delayed the UK’s experience in stressed metal construction then being lead by the USA in the 1930’s, and eagerly examined by Germany and Japan with devasting impact on the early 1940’s.
It would seem that the major fault in the DH-86 existed in the empannage and Fin Post, and the reluctance to admit the possibility of DH & UK design flaw.
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonSeems that the cost of repairs of the DC-2 at Albury have been estimated at between $70,000 and $500,000, I would assume the second price is to return the airframe to near airworthy condition while the $70,000 is to stabilise it for static display.
The Council has known this since 2002, and not proceeded with either?, yet in September 2004 they could spend over $900k of proceeds of a land sale on various projects including $68,000 on upgrading the “Uiver” Tennis Club!!, and as JDK identified earlier they are now planning a $10M “Cultural Arts Centre”
regards
Mark Pilkington
********************************
Sat, Dec 07, 2002
City reviews options for Uiver plane
By HOWARD JONES
ALBURYS Douglas DC-2 airliner Uiver memorial will not be going back on its poles outside Albury airport.
Albury City Council will now consider options for displaying the plane either outside or inside the airport or at an alternative location as a memorial to the Uiver that figured in the 1934 landing in Albury.
A report to the council on December 17 will outline options ranging from $500,000 for a full restoration to $70,000 to preserve the plane as it is but taking steps to stop further deterioration.
Two separate reports on the Uiver have been made for the council.
One is by Albury-based company World Aviation and the other by an aviation museum at Nowra.
Airport manager Mr Leigh Ashford said yesterday he thought the council would want to keep the Uiver display at or near the airport.
“But it wont be going back on those poles that is not an option,” Mr Ashford said.
Mr Ashford said the memorial garden around the Uivers poles would have to be remodelled or relocated depending on what option was chosen.
He expected a committee with community representatives would be needed to work through the issues.
One possibility is that a modest renovation is undertaken in the hope that aviation enthusiasts might want to do a full restoration as a voluntary project later.
Community attitudes would probably prevent the council considering a sale of the plane.
The DC-2 suffered corrosion in 23 years of display on the three poles until the plane was removed to Worlands hangar in August.
The Dutch Government has provided some of the $45,000 the council had budgeted for repairs.
********************************
Tue, Sep 28, 2004
Playground to be a city work of art
By HOWARD JONES
WEST Albury children will get the best playground in the city a $274,300 showcase designed by renowned landscape architect and playgrounds expert Ms Mary Jeavons.
The playground will be part of a $915,000 swag of projects to be built by Albury council from funds it received from selling public land to Lutheran Aged Care in 2001 for|its 52-bed Dellacourt hostel.
Ms Jeavons, of Melbourne, specialises in playground design and has designed many for child care centres around Australia.
The West Albury playground will encompass elements for children of all abilities with an emphasis on children aged 8 and under.
The area will also include shade shelters, barbecue facilities, a small sports field, tree plantings and public amenities.
Councillors last night accepted recommendations from a group that included neighbours who had opposed the loss of public land.
As well as the playground, the council approved:
l A multipurpose court at Bonnie Doon Reserve including facilities for basketball, netball and tennis ($65,000);
l Shared pedestrian and cycle pathways in West Albury from Padman Drive to Kremur St and Banksia St to the Pemberton St car park. ($70,000 plus State funds to be sought);
l Upgrading Uiver Park Tennis Club ($68,000);
l Westside Community Centre upgrades, mainly security fencing and lighting ($25,000); and
l Bonnie Doon Reserve playing surface upgrade and training lights ($20,000)
The council has already spent $360,000 on a new road to serve Dellacourt and the reserve and has allowed more than $32,000 as a contingency fund.
The Bonnie Doon work is supported by the |Westside Community Centre and Albury Community Health who would like to start programs and competitions at the court.
Ms Jeavons is a landscape architect with almost 20 years experience in the design of childrens environmen
mark_pilkingtonOld Props website DC-2 page with type history and census of survivors
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonDutch site with all DC-2 aircraft histories listed
http://www.wimparmentier.nl/index.html
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonNot obvious to many in its ‘Uiver” colour scheme is the major modification undertaken to A30-11 by Australian National Airways for the RAAF in April 1942 to modify it from standard left hand passenger door to cargo door configuration for transport duties.
This modification was undertaken to replicate similar door configurations existing on 5th Airforce USAAC C-39 Aircraft serving in the South West Pacific.
in all, 3 of the 10 ex Eastern Airlines DC-2s serving in the RAAF were modified inthis way, A30-10, A30-11 and A30-14 – (A30-14 still exists today in storage with the Dutch Dakota Association)
Pics of these 3 aircraft below show:
s/n 1286 A30-11 during its restoration as “Uiver”
s/n 1372 A30-10 during wartime service
s/n 1288 A30-14 currently stored by DDA
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonHere is a support site for the DC-2 (inactive since 2002) that has pictures of the DC-2 being restored prior to installation at Albury Airport.
the site previously listed for the council by JDK offers the following email address for the Albury City Council, owners of the DC-2
[email]info@alburycity.nsw.gov.au[/email]
l
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonWW1 Ace Eddie Rickenbacker
Picture of WW1 Ace Eddie Rickenbacker on the airstair of one of his Eastern Airlines DC-2 with the flying eagle logo adjacent.
also a picture of sister aircraft A30-9 NC13782 recently acquired by the Australian National Aviation Museum Aust National Aviation Museum
regards
Mark Pilkington
mark_pilkingtonmissing photo from previous post
s/n 1372 NC14969 with Eastern (became A30-10) missing upload from above
mark_pilkingtonWorlds Oldest Douglas Commercial Airliner
A30-11 now at Albury airport as “Uiver” was one of 10 DC-2’s purchased by famed US Ace Eddie Rickenbecker for his “Great Silver Fleet”.
Serial number 1286, was registered as NC13736 when it joined Eastern Airlines in October 1934.
It was later sold to the British Purchasing Commission in 1940 for delivery to the RAAF in 1941, where it served with 36 Squadron and also the Parachute Training Unit.
It is now one of 8 such DC-2’s remaining, and as the 26th aircraft built, is now the oldest Douglas Commercial Airliner existing in the world.
attached are some pictures of its sister aircraft in service with EAL, and also the RAAF.
s/n 1261 NC13735 with Eastern
s/n 1372 NC14969 with Eastern (became A30-10)
s/n 1287 A30-5 on delivery to RAAF
s/n 1291 A30- 8 (in service with Wireless Air Gunnery School)
s/n 1257 A30-12 (in operational service with 36 Squadron)
s/n 1259 NC13733 with GAL – later with Eastern (became A30-6)
regards
Mark Pilkington
regards
Mark Pilkington
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