about a lifetime ago i visited the pima county air museum...
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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.
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