Leuchars 100 years of aviation airshow last year… Anouncer ( not the red arrows chap – the general anouncer) ……”and the red arrows pilots actually flew their machines here themselves!!!” Huh?

Oh Dear Dave

This is all very sad I loved seeing these things flying about Nowra and I will never forget seeing Kiwi Red perform at Richmond NSW at the 1988 Bi Centenial airshow – I trust a few will go to Museums – We would like a couple of ours back Please sir?

I served with a few Kiwi Flyers in Vietnam and the standard and attitude of them was a cut above.

Kindest regards
John Parker

Hi all
I think it’s great to have a Walrus coming to a good home in NZ if it happens and I would love to see it happen

As an aside – and I am not trying to upset anybody – the first and only Walrus I have ever seen flying ( Names /title/ model aside ) was a certain Australian Example which I saw flying at Taree NSW and a couple of other locations and which was then swapped by the owner with the RAFM for a Spit ( that later went back Overseas anyway !!) and is now sitting as a stuffed exhibit in the Hendon Museleum along with a few other fine Aussie exhibits, so I find this latest state of events a little ironic.

I am not however whinging about any of this movement and I think it is all quite healthy.

Kindest regards
John Parker

Hi Dan

Great profile – we have one of these flying here in Queensland and i compared this to some photos i took of it and it is now spot on from my perspective.

I am doing a Mk XV Seafire at present – don’t know where I can get some profiles do you ?

Regards
John Parker

JDK and others
1) Nope it isn’t a Ute – It’s a Holden(GM) Torana – a sort of sports touring car based upon a Vauxall Viva with a whopping great six cylinder thrown into it – They were raced here in Aus against the local Ford Falcon V8 and such. Not my cup of tea but went like a scalded cat.
As an aside I once hit a large roo at 170Kph and I was lucky to escape so the Bars do work

2) I think you will find that the Hudson in the color pic with the Beaufort is in fact a Ventura and that it is now at Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra undergoing restoration – and a damn fine job they are doing of it. Parts of the Beaufort have been utilised in several restorations and I believe the Nose section is or has been restored for display up there.

3) D Vincent – There is a highly respected author and Aviation Historian called David Vincent here (He wrote a superb book on Australian Mosquitos and a few others) I would propose that it was he who is mentioned on the photo – He lives in Adelaide and I used to correspond with him many years ago. (a very nice person)

4) JDK My wild guess on the Hudson cockpit shot would be the AWM example stored at the Mitchell anex of the AWM – I have no idea when.

Kindest Regards
John Parker

Hi all

Interestingly (at least to me) two UK preserved Hudsons are Australian including the one at Hendon and another in a Scottish Museum which escapes me at present ( I’m having a seniors moment!)

In fact a few notable Hendon A/C are Ex RAAF including the Beaufort (Prototype/Pattern for all Australian production and the only Bristol powered “Australian” serving Beaufort – the rest were Yank powered.

If it wasn’t for the fact that we flog our aircraft till well past their use by date and are then too lazy to melt them down the world Warbird scene would be a very much sparser place.

John Parker

Hi Dave

I agree , I was very excited to see the progress happening on the Vincent/Vilderbeasts in NZ especially since the type/s saw operational service.

I have seen mention that RAFM Hendon was apparently in discussion about recovering /restoring one so perhaps this is one of the NZ aircraft ? or perhaps there is something remaining in Asia ?

On the subject of big ugly pommie biplanes perhaps you have access to images of the Fairey Gordon being started in NZ – another very big machine. I would love to hear more about this.

Also whilst on this bandwagon is there a Wallace in NZ – if so where and with whom.

Lastly does anybody have images of the other aircraft being restored along with the Vincent – particularly the Hinds.

Thanks for this
Kindest regards
john Parker