Contents: The Desert Air Force

President‟s Message

Heard at the Hangar Door

About a lifetime ago I visited the Pima County Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Today the

Pima Aerospace Museum is one of the worlds finest aviation museums. In 1977 it was a

barren patch of the Arizona/Sonora Desert full of aircraft. Their Liberator was one of the

first to come out of India in the early 1970‟s. For more see this editions feature article,

“The Desert Air Force”.

From the Editorial Desk

The above book will bring back memories

that many enthusiasts would rather forget.

The buried Spitfires in Burma received

worldwide publicity, thousands of dollars in

sponsorship: it was even mentioned in the

House of Commons and it was all a hoax.

For a while the story was believed with a

fervour bordering on religion and woe

betide anyone who expressed doubt. My

son did and was immediately threatened

with a ban from a social media site for

being overly negative.

This is known as deplatforming and it is the

insidious weapon of what is termed, the

cancel culture. Hold a view with which

these people disagree, express an opinion

they don‟t like and your post or social

media account disappears or worse; your

job disappears.

As operators of a social media platform, the

AHSA must be aware of these pitfalls. We

should encourage debate, discussion,

discourse and especially dissent. We

should never fall under the influence of this

new age philosophy of intolerance.

Possibly we should look to the less

contemporary philosophy of Voltaire who

said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I

will defend to the death your right to say it”.

Keith Gaff Dip. Mktg; Dip. Bus. Mgt;

Dip. eComm; Cert 4 TAE 40110

EDITOR

Our Committee

Dave Prossor President

Derek Buckmaster Vice President

Mark Pilkington Secretary

Robert Van Woerkom Treasurer

David Knight Membership

Secretary

Dion Makowski Committee

Member

Phil Vabre Committee

Member

Grp. Capt. David Committee

Fredericks Member

Australian Aviation Historical Society Inc.

P.O. Box 461

Lilydale, Victoria, Australia 3140

A.B.N. 60 092 671 773

Website: www.ahsa.org.au

Email: secretary@ahsa.org.au

Editorial email: kgaff@bigpond.com

The views expressed in this publication are

those of the authors and do not, necessarily,

represent the views of the Aviation

Historical Society of Australia Inc.

© AHSA Inc. 2020

Keith Gaff

The first thing you saw when you entered the museum was the worlds only surviving Boeing 307

Stratoliner. This aircraft had been fitted with Boeing B-17G wings and was on loan from the

Smithsonian Institution. Later returned to the Smithsonian; it was restored to fly by Boeing. In May

2002 it ditched into the sea off Seattle after running out of fuel. It was recovered and rebuilt

although, thankfully, it never flew again.

One of the most remarkable aviation museums I visited in my travels was the Pima County Air

Museum in Tucson, Arizona. It was hot and dry (it almost never rains in that part of the world)

and the ground is baked harder than concrete. All in all a fun place to visit; but it was

fascinating wandering around amongst the aircraft, even if you did have to watch out for the

odd rattle snake.

The North American F-86D Sabre was the first American interceptor exclusively armed with

rockets directed by an integrated fire control system and it wasn‟t done with micro chips and

integrated circuits: it was done with vacuum tubes.

The most numerous of all Sabre variants was the F-86E and Pima‟s was a very nice example.

One of the challenges the museum faced then was how to stop the canopies crazing in the

intense sunlight.

Lockheed T-33‟s were everywhere in the United States: at the time of my visit some were still on

the active list. Pima‟s T-33 looked very nice, I suspect it was a recent addition to the museum.

Pima was next door to Davis-Monthan air base, the storage centre for retired U.S. aircraft. When

the museum acquired an aircraft it was often a simple matter to just tow it from the base to the

museum.

Now this was impressive; an absolutely complete Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker. These aircraft were

used for many years; well into the jet age. It always seemed a little incongruous to me that jet

fighters or bombers would have to slow down to top up their fuel tanks.

Hard to believe, but this started out as a Canberra. Martin took the English Electric Canberra and

turned it into the Martin B-57 high altitude weather and reconnaissance aircraft. The wings on

this thing were huge.

Surprisingly, only 4 Boeing B-47 Stratojets remain in the world. Pima‟s is a very nice example.

Designed soon after World War 2 it was called the „Jesus Christ aircraft‟, because that‟s what

most people blurted out when they first saw one.

Always overshadowed by the Douglas C-47, the Curtiss C-46 Commando was, nevertheless, a

very capable aircraft and many became civilian freighters after they were retired from the

military.

The Douglas A-26 Invader was the 2nd longest serving piston engined aircraft in the United

States Air Force, after the Douglas C-47. Fast and heavily armed they served in the COIN warfare

role for many years.

An aircraft that remained in service for many years after World War 2 was the North American B-

25 Mitchell medium bomber. Under the wing of this aircraft I encountered another museum

visitor; a rattle snake snoozing in the shade of the wing. I‟m not sure who got the bigger fright.

This Boeing B-29 Superfortress was obviously used post World War 2 as evidenced by the lack of

gun turrets. Where the museum acquired this machine I‟m not sure. By the time the museum was

established in the early 1970‟s the B-29‟s would have been long gone from storage.

Looking suitably sinister was this Douglas B-26 Counter Invader. These aircraft were used in the

early stages of the Vietnam War and had been upgraded by Douglas to extend their lives. The

civilian OnMark company produced an executive transport version name The Marksman.

Here‟s one for member Dave Anderson; a Douglas R4D Super Gooney. Douglas tried, with limited

success, to extend the life of the DC-3 series by upgrading the aircraft with bigger engines and

airframe modifications, most notably an enlarged fin. Most saw service with the U.S. Navy and

U.S. Marine Corp.

The Pima County Air Museum covered many acres of the desert floor which allowed it to exhibit a

lot of very large aircraft like this Douglas C-54 Skymaster. The practical problems of maintaining

these large aircraft were only just beginning to show up; how do you paint them, how do you

keep the tyres inflated?. All the things enthusiasts never considered when they start something

like this.

The Republic RF-84F Thunderflash was the photo recon version of the Thunderstreak with the

engine air intakes relocated to the wing roots and cameras fitted in the nose. They were used by

the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard ad the West German Luftwaffe.

The ultimate version of the naval Sabre was the North American FJ-4 Fury, a highly modified

version of the F-86. Paint stripping these aircraft was a real problem. It had to be done with an

orbital sander, chemical paint stripper would bake solid on aircraft aluminium heated by the sun.

A truly elegant aircraft, even with all the bumps was this Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star. One of

the first of the airborne early aircraft it was derived from the Lockheed Constellation airliner.

Big for a fighter, the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo had a very long career with several air forces

including American, Canada and Nationalist China. They were produced in single and two seat

configurations.

One of the first of the big, heavy lifters was the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II. The U.S. Air Force

used these aircraft to transport aircraft, missiles and all many of over size loads.

Here is a Mirage on steroids; the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger. I was surprised to see one of these

at Pima. Although the Delta Dagger was out of service most of those in storage had been

earmarked for conversion to radio controlled target drones.

I rather like the Grumman Cougar, but the photo recon version leaves me cold. Whoever

concocted that nose job should redo their course in rhinoplasty.

The largest and heaviest aircraft ever to serve aboard the U.S. Navy‟s aircraft carriers was the

Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. Nicknamed “The Whale” they entered service as nuclear bombers and

finished their days as aerial refuelling tankers.

Strangely, among all the aircraft on display at that time, there was only one helicopter. This U.S.

Army H-34 was a VIP or Presidential transport judging by its paint scheme This is the design that

was the basis for the Westland Wessex.

The Grumman F11F-1 Super Tiger was an upgraded version of Grumman's U.S. Navy fighter the

Tiger. While an impressive performer; it could do Mach 2 at 60,000 feet it did not secure a

production contract and only two were built. This is the sole survivor and I believe it is now

displayed at the U.S. Navy museum at China Lake.

Here‟s an interesting beast. This Lockheed AP-2H Neptune was one of a number used for

psychological warfare and gunship duties on the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the Vietnam War.

Everything about this aeroplane screamed spook.

Pure aeronautical pornography; the supersonic Convair B-58 Hustler had a short service life due

to its high cost of operation and lack of operational flexibility. When these aircraft were built the

airframe cost more than its own weight in gold.

There were a few World War 2 aircraft at Pima; but not a lot. This Bell P-63 Kingcobra was

brought back to the United States by aircraft collector and religious zealot, Bob Bean.

This shot of a forlorn looking Vultee BT-13 and its surroundings gives you a good idea of how the

museum appeared in those days. You were literally in the desert and you had to be careful. It was

around 100 degrees F in the shade and about 2% humidity. Those not accustomed to the

conditions could become seriously dehydrated very quickly.

The aircraft for which the museum was best known back then. This Grumman F6F Hellcat ditched

into the sea off the American coast in 1943. It was found in the early 1970‟s in very deep water

by a cable laying ship. It was sent to Pima for storage due to the low humidity retarding further

deterioration. It has since been restored which, in my opinion, is a pity. Far better to have just left

it as it was: a veritable time capsule.

Something of a gutless wonder; the Grumman F11 Tiger served the U.S. Navy for a comparatively

short period of time. The were most famous for being the mounts of the U.S, Navys aerobatic

team, The Blue Angels.

Here‟s an interesting colour scheme on this Grumman F9F Cougar naval fighter. It was likely a

utility aircraft or drone director in its final days; the colour certainly said,”hey look at me”.

Unfortunately I had no way of knowing; there was no signage with the aircraft at that time. If you

didn‟t know what you were looking at, you didn‟t have a clue.

One of the lesser known participants of the Vietnam War was the Douglas B-66 Destroyer; the U.S.

Air Force version of the Skywarrior. This tactical bomber was used for electronic intelligence work in

Vietnam. Today examples are fairly rare.

The U.S. Navy flew some weird and wonderful aircraft: the Douglas F4D Skyray was one of the

more stylish. This one still had many of its panels sealed with tape; a technique used when

aircraft are put into long term storage.

This Beech SNB belonged to the U.S. Navy and was used as a light transport. This was one of the

military versions of the Beech 18. This aircraft also looks as though it had recently come out of

storage.

Originally the North American T-28 Trojan was a seriously underpowered trainer but when they

put a much larger engine in it, it became a bit of a monster. Pimas T-28 looked very sharp in its

U.S. Navy trainer markings.

While this Chance Vought F.8 Crusader was a museum piece in 1977, the type was destined to

fly on for more than 20 years. The last operator was the French Aeronavale. Looking at this

aircraft, it is apparent how the Sun took a toll on the paintwork.

The white paint scheme indicates that this Boeing C-97‟s last assignment was humanitarian,

possibly with an organisation very active in the 1970‟s; The Foundation for Airborne Relief. They

flew a motley fleet of ex military transport aircraft.

The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an early and only partially successful attempt at producing an all

weather interceptor. Its primary armament was a battery of unguided rockets carried in the wing

tip pods, fired in a volley to increase the chances of hitting a nuclear bomber.

As aircraft go, the Douglas Skyraider is one of the most significant military aircraft of the 20th

Century, Written off as obsolete in the jet age and virtually retired by the mid 1960‟s it came into

its own during the Vietnam War and the U.S. military scoured the world looking for airframes to

refurbish and put back into service.

Americas first operational was the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star. The F-80 took part in the first jet

versus jet fighter combat in history during the Korean War. While the Shooting Star survives at

Pima many of its contemporaries met their end as target drones.

Nicknamed “Scooter” by its pilots the Douglas Skyhawk was surprisingly small, but it could carry

an enormous bombload. All in all, a very neat design.

When I took this photo I had no idea what the aircraft was and I had to wait until I returned home

to figure it out. It‟s a Lockheed Seastar, the naval version of a Lockheed T-33. It‟s the only

example I‟ve ever seen.

Another relatively obscure U,S. Navy type was the Douglas Skyknight, an early attempt at

producing an all weather naval fighter. It was also used the U.S. Marines. Rather unloved in the

services, few have survived.

First and in my humble opinion, the most elegant of the American Century Series of fighters, the

North American F-100 Super Sabre enjoyed a long career with a number of air forces and was

still serving in the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard in 1977. I saw several fly in to Davis-Monthan

Air Base, adjacent to the museum, for storage.

Another prolific American design was Grumman Tracker anti submarine aircraft. The military could

afford to give Pima one of these; I saw hundreds of them stored at Davis –Monthan. At that time

they were held as spares for other users and later many were converted to fire bombers.

The worlds only surviving Martin Mariner looking resplendent in the sunshine. This aircraft was

acquired shortly before my visit and it had been publicized in the aviation press. The photo that

appeared showed the aircraft without wings. Some bright sparks at the Moorabbin Air Museum

assumed it didn‟t have wings and saw a opportunity. They knew of a pair on a farm at Boort in

rural Victoria and recovered them hoping to do a deal. I came back with this photo and was I

Captain Buzz Kill. The remains of those wings are now mounted on the back wall of the museums

hangar.

A Hercules on steroids; the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was an impressive beast. Unlike many of

its counterparts it did not find a ready market in the civilian air freight world. I seem to remember

that the operating costs of the Cargomaster were high. As such very few have survived.

Dave Prossor

The AHSA AGM election is over for 2020. This time it was via the medium of Zoom with viewing

members remote but able to monitor the proceedings via this new platform.

Members on the internet should have a copy of the Presidents AGM address already sent to them

but it is worth while going over a few things.

For the first time in a few years we have a full house of both committee position holders plus four

committee men including one interstate committee man.

The position holders are:

President: Dave Prossor

Vice president: Derek Buckmaster

Secretary: Mark Pilkington

Treasurer: Robert Van Woerkom

Committeemen: Group Captain David „Freddo‟ Fredericks

Phil Vabre

Dion Makowski

David Knight

David will be our Membership Secretary. As there was only one nomination for the positions of

office bearers no ballot was required. Roland Jahne acted as our Temporary Chairman in the

transaction from the 2019-2020 AHSA to the 2020-2021 AHSA committee and position holders.

Thanks Roland.

Joe Vella was our Secretary in the last year and I do thank him along with Peter Fitton who was a

committeeman.

With a full house so to speak we have a few things to look at in this coming year.

We have chosen to drop the membership fee for members from $75 down to $50 in recognition of

the financial affect that the Corona virus has taken on members in the Pacific region and $73 for

members in the rest of the world. Those fees will be reviewed at the end of the next subscription

year.

Membership is an area that the new committee will have a serious look at with the view to coming

up with ideas on how to raise the member numbers and spread the word that the AHSA is a

worthwhile organisation to belong to. I did note in my AGM Presidents address that there were four

groups that we need to look after with their various interests.

As always I say to members that both our journal, your journal, Aviation Heritage, and our

newsletter, Outlook, need contributions to do our task of recording the history of Australian

Aviation.

The internet is one medium that we can use to our best advantage. We are but one step off

having the journal digitised and available to read and use for research of our AHSA website.

That availability will be a major step forward for both research and recognition and promotion

of the AHSA.

In my AGM Presidents address I noted the issues with the media, the media that we have used

in the past for research or at least to assist with research. This year we have seen the closure

of a number of newspapers and the closure of a number of magazines including aviation

magazines. In the UK one aviation magazine has stated that they will no longer pay for photos

sent in by readers. Finance considerations.

Here in Australia we have seen the decline in media reporting quality, both TV and print. I make

the comment again whatever happened to the motto of Who, What, Why, When, Where and

How. A basic that should have been taught at journo school on day one. Instead they seem to

learn the word „Yeah‟ in order to introduce a TV news clip. Whatever happened to a simple

Queens English „Yes‟?

The decrease in competent journalists is seen coupled with the decrease in print media. That

in turn gets back to the decrease in advertising brought about by the increase of advertising on

the internet.

In print media we have seen the Corona Virus as one reason why people in lockdown are not

buying magazines or newspapers or viewing advertising. The virus and the rise of the internet

has seen a marked decrease in print advertising this year and indeed at times it would appear

that newspaper inserts advertising sales for Harvey Norman have kept newspapers afloat.

Facebook has for years been gathering news articles from other print media but not paying for

that information. That is one reason that if one goes to a news headline you are often

presented with a paywall promoting the sale of a subscription to that newspaper. Not good for

long term aviation research. Even connections on Wikipedia have been known to disappear

with time. Again not good for research.

The AHSA website is an area that we need to update and refresh. If it is to attract new

members we need to get it up to date with fresh items of interest. Another project for the new

committee‟s term.

One item that members will be pleased with is that of the various Zoom talks. There have been

a large number with more to come. And some interesting topics. Good value for money here.

Most can be accessed after the presentation.

Using the Zoom medium is something that is both new and exciting and is something that the

AHSA will harness for use in the future, While the virus is with us expect that members

meetings and indeed even committee meetings will be via Zoom. Members will be able to

attend member‟s nights without leaving home thus avoiding night roads and the dangers that

night driving presents.

It is worth noting that the Sydney Power House Museum move has been stopped. The Power

House Museum is situated in the CBD area and is an easy get-to. The proposed move was to

the outer west of Sydney. Not good for visitors to get to be they local, overseas or interstate

visitors. One wonders if the wants of the customers, the visitors who come in the front door,

were seriously considered or was it just a case of development investment dollars. We will

probably never know. It has been said that the proposed new site was flood prone and that it

was to be a smaller site. The stay is to be welcomed. Indeed the Powerhouse should be

expanded at its current location.

This year, 2020, is almost a write off. The Virus has almost killed the aviation industry. While

the airlines are regrouping they have been operating trickle services. I had a Jetstar flight

booked to go north and then a few weeks later advised that the flight had been cancelled.

Meanwhile the general aviation industry, at least the flight training industry operations at

Moorabbin airport have been effectively shut down. That will have long term effects with a very

slow return to operations. For those who were under training will they get a commercial pilots

licence only to find that there is a reservoir of more experienced pilots out of a job just waiting

to pick up any position. For the pilots in training with big VET Fee-Help loans they may find that

they have a huge debt to repay at some time in the future and no flying job to help pay it off.

We live in extraordinary and ever changing times.

At Moorabbin airport we hear that the airport authority is to knock down some six hangers and

five buildings at the western end of the airport. Gone also is the aircraft parking in that area.

The land is reported to be used in future for factories and car parking for DFO. This does not

come anywhere near the expression develop aviation at the airport.

,

Again I thought I might baffle the

brains trust; but I failed. Quite a few

members got this. It‟s a Helwan

Ha300, built in Egypt and designed

by Willy Messerschmitt. It is now on

display in Germany.

Okay; no more Mr. Nice Guy. I‟ve

always liked this elegant design,

but what is it ?. If you think you

know please email me at

kgaff@bigpond.com.

Son and heir, Brad thought our garden

shed needed cleaning out (it did) and he

found all kinds of forgotten goodies. This

polythene Vickers Viscount came from

the Moorabbin Air Museum. In the late

1980‟s the museum had a contact who

owned an injection moulding tool for this

toy. He had been hopeful that Coles or

Woolworths would purchase them for

sale in their stores. That came to nothing

but the museum acquired a stack of

them and they were a best seller; the

perfect toy, cheap, cheerful and virtually

indestructible.

Also found in the shed were a couple of plastic placemats. In 1984 the Antique

Aeroplane Association of Australia brought the Dehavilland DH 88 to Melbourne as part

of Victoria‟s 150th Anniversary celebrations and the 50th Anniversary of the 1934

Centenary Air Race. The final function of the exercise was a dinner at Flemington

Racecourse, the finishing line for the race. I attended the dinner and souvenired a couple

of placemats and then forgot about them for nearly 40 years. I don‟t know if the plaque

is still there: Neil Follet couldn‟t locate it in his aviation memorial search.

Although Model Expo was cancelled this year the collection of books

for sale has continued with a view to AHSA participation in the 2021

Model Expo. Once the Corona Virus restrictions ease (please God let

this nonsense stop !) we will, again, be soliciting donations of surplus

books to be sold for the benefit of the AHSA. If you have any surplus

aviation books let your humble Editor know at kgaff@bigpond.com or

call me on 0409 166 497. While one hates to be the morbid and

mercenary participant in this conversation, if you know of a deceased

estate, better the AHSA gets it than the rubbish bin.

Most enthusiast know that the Skyhawk didn‟t need folding wings for storage in an aircraft

carriers hangar so what‟s this all about?. The U.S. Navy used two gutted Skyhawks as mobile

displays at fairs and community functions. To facilitate road transport the wings and fin were

hinged to prevent the aircraft being over width or over height.

El Presidente, Dave Prossor sent me an interesting little snippet, a copy of a small article that

appeared in the Herald-Sun in 2015. Apparent the Imperial War Museum in Britain now

accepts the Manfred von Richtofen, the top scoring pilot of World War 1 was not shot down by

Canadian Roy Brown, but Australian troops on the ground. Jolly sporting of them even if it took

100 years to admit it. Funny I always thought this little bloke did the deed.

Keith Gaff

Defending Our Skies By Yong Kiat Goh

I‟ve always been interested in the

smaller air forces of the world;

everything from the Irish Air Corp to the

Forces Aerienne du Burkina Faso. For

many years I subscribed to publications

like the long gone and much lamented

Small Air Forces Observer and Insignia

magazines. In recent years, as coverage

of more conventional aviation subjects

has reached saturation point, a more

esoteric list of titles has begun to

appear.

When I first laid eyes on this book I knew

it would end up on a book shelf in my

study. “Defending Our Skies” is a

pictorial history of the Republic of

Singapore Air Force and its aircraft. The

RSAF hasn‟t been around for that long,

but it has operated an interesting

selection of aircraft including Douglas

Skyhawks, Hawker Hunters and the

Lockheed T-33. Today it flies the F-15, F-16 and the F-35 and has been deployed to Iraq and

Afghanistan.

This is a lavishly illustrated, hard cover, large format book that is packed with information

about a very formidable air force of which few of us are, more than vaguely, aware. While |I

know that many in the AHSA are primarily interested in Australian aviation, this is a book I

would recommend to anyone with an interest in aircraft. Now, here comes the rub: I

purchased my copy from a small, specialist hobby supplier, Gundam Hobbies which secured

a small number. I doubt any other bricks and mortar bookstore would stock it, but it is

available on the Internet (isn‟t everything ?). My copy cost me or rather my wife a whopping

$90.00: I got it for a birthday present after some very broad hints. Esoteria and quality are

never cheap, but this book is very well worth it.

Because of the publication dates of Outlook my Seasons Greetings are always early. To all

our members and readers, do have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. All things

being equal we‟ll see you in 2021.

Australian built aircraft and the industry. By Keith Meggs. Vol. 2, Comprising books 1 and 2.

Members will recall that Vol.1 with books 1 and 2 has been out some years now and this, the

second volume, has been published by Keith‟s sons. A great move. For AHSA members

wanting the new volume go to www.australianbuiltaircraft.com.au.

The new Volume is priced at $226.00 that includes both GST and postage. The new volume

covers wartime production and should make for a great read and be a good research tool.

AHSA members may want to get this new volume to compliment the earlier volume. In the

future the two volumes will be come a valuable addition to any aviation library.

Member Keith Heale needs some help (don‟t we all?) and I‟ll let him make the request in his

own words.

Does anyone have access to any of the magazines “Man and Aerial Machines?”, a series of

monographs "for Those with a Serious Interest in The Aeronautical History of Australia”. They

were edited and published by Trevor Boughton and John Hopton. My particular interest is to

track down articles on Basil Watson, who, in 1916, built a Sopwith SLTBP or “Runabout” in

the billiard room of his family home in Brighton, and subsequently made several pioneering

long distance flights in the aircraft. The magazines also address many other fascinating

subjects. If anyone can copy, lend or sell me any of these magazines, please contact me at

keith@heale.id.au or mobile 0411 989 373.

I‟m indebted to Roger McDonald and others for this little gem: he must know that I rather like

crash photos. At the risk of turning Outlook in the “Crash Comic” here it is. This was once

Cessna Agwagon VH-PAU which cam to grief at Cootamundra on September 28th. I‟m not a

LAME but I‟m guessing this isn‟t going to buff out.

Roland Jahne sent me this interesting little snippet. The Royal Australian Air Force has just

launched its space vehicle. The Dart rocket was launched from Koonibba rocket range in South

Australia. The Dart is 3.4 metres long and weighs 34kgs and I find it amazing the thing can put a

payload in orbit. The payload would be small, but in the era of miniaturisation that‟s no problem.

Say hello to my little friend.