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SPECIAL – INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW ROUND-UP
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
75th
ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATIONS
FIREBOMBERS
Old props, new Hercs
& the Mars
SPECIAL FEATURE
RENO AIR
RACES
Aussie Jets &
Unlimited Gold
Conserving Point
Cook’s Spitfire
AIRSHOWS
Oshkosh
✪
Blakesburg
✪
Jersey
✪
Midland
✪
Legends
NEWS
New Aussie Spitfire
✪
Norseman
✪
Fairey Battle
✪
Caproni 100
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YAFFA 05124
Contents
Volume 27, Number 2, November 2015 – January 2016
80
Features
52 Hercules & Thor in Australia
James Kightly
outlines the current use in Australian
of two historic and rare versions of the perennial
Hercules family.
18 “We Are Lost”
Michael Claringbould
tells the tragic tale of the disappear-
ance of a Free French Air Force Blenheim in North Africa.
24 Victorian & Interstate Airways Ltd
From the archives of the
Aviation Historical Society,
Roger
McDonald’s story of the Essendon-based airline formed in 1936.
54 A Fateful Ferry
Andy Wright
details a W.W.II flying accident that would
continue to affect the pilot for decades to come.
27 Freda Mary Thompson
Neil Follett’s
profile of an Australian aviation pioneer.
62 Unwelcome Intruder
Michael Claringbould
reviews the Rikujoh teisatsu-ki,
an obscure type that scoured Australian skies in W.W.II.
30 Recovering Lacy Smith
and his Spitfire
Alf Batchelder
and
Andy Wright
pay tribute to Henry Lacy
Smith and the RAAF Museum’s conservation of his Spitfire.
68 Fly low, fly fast, turn left…in a jet
For the past fourteen years, the fastest aircraft around the
Reno pylons have been from the Jet Class.
Editor Rob Fox
reports on the Australians that have been in the thick of it. 
36 Avro Cadet
Mike Shreeve
looks at Kermit Weeks’ ex-Australian Avro
643 Cadet II at his Fantasy of Flight facility in Florida.
72 ‘Hoot’ Gibson wins at Reno
Roger Cain
reports on the 52nd National Championship
Air Race won by retired NASA astronaut Robert ‘Hoot’
Gibson in ‘Strega’.
38 The last Metalplane
Philip Makanna of GHOSTS .com
presents a pictorial
portrait of the last flying Hamilton Metalplane
44 Wildfire Bombers
Roger Cain
looks at some of the modified old military
and propliner aircraft used to help control the wildfires
in North America.
48 Martian Twilight?
James Kightly
brings us up to date with the Coulson
Group’s Martin Mars water bombers in Canada.
COVER: The Historic
Aircraft Collection’s
Hurricane Mk XIIa
5711 (G-HURI). For the
75th anniversary of
the Battle of Britain
it was repainted as
P3700, a Hurricane
MkI, of No 303 (Polish)
Sqdn. Picture,
Philip Makanna,
GHOSTS.com
4 News
42 Poster
60 Personal
Effects
74 Airshows
F L I G H T PAT H
| 3
Regulars
News
The Spitfire Mk.IXb (MH415) coming apart on ‘Connie’ Edwards’ Texas ranch. Disassembly of the Spitfire
for shipment to Pay’s Air Service in Scone NSW began in early October 2015.
[Platinum Fighter Sales]
Editor:
Rob Fox
Ph: (03) 9580 7436
Email: mail@robfoxphotography.com
Contributing Editors:
Michael Claringbould, James Kightly,
Ron Watts, Andy Wright
All letters and contributions should
be sent to the editor:
PO BOX 253 Bentleigh Victoria 3204.
Research:
Monica Walsh, John Hopton
ADVERTISING
National Sales Manager:
Andrew Murphy, 17–21 Bellevue Street,
Surry Hills NSW 2010.
Tel: (02) 9213 8272,
Email: andrewmurphy@yaffa.com.au
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Email: johnviskovich@yaffa.com.au
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FLIGHTPATH
is published four times a year by
Yaffa Media Pty Ltd
ABN 54 002 699 354
17–21 Bellevue Street,
Surry Hills NSW 2010.
All Mail to:
GPO Box 606, Sydney, NSW 2001
Spitfire & Buchon
destined for
Australian Skies
The much-discussed Spitfire from renowned
collector Wilson ‘Connie’ Edward’s ‘barn’ is
heading for Australian skies.
This combat veteran, Mk IXb MH415, was
built under the same order as the Old Flying
Machine Company’s well-known MH434. Both
aircraft flew operationally together with 222
Squadron RAF and continued their association
post-war with the Royal Netherlands Air Force
in Java (where it again saw combat and was
damaged in a forced landing) and then the Bel-
gian Air Force. In civilian hands they both flew
before the cameras for the movies ‘The Longest
Day’ (1962) and ‘Battle Of Britain’ (1968).
Acquired by Edwards, Chief Pilot for the
filming of the ‘Battle of Britain’, in lieu of
payment for his services, MH415, along with
another Spitfire and some of the movie’s
Hispano Buchons, was shipped to Texas
(see Flightpath Vol.26-No.1). Despite hav-
ing taken a shine to this particular aircraft,
Edwards flew it for a mere 36 hours before
placing it in dry storage in 1973. MH415, a
part of the Edwards collection for a record
47 years, is thought to be the last complete
and unrestored Merlin-powered Spitfire in
private ownership.
The Spitfire was sold by Platinum Fighter
Sales (www.platinumfighters.com) to the
Australian syndicate Warbirds Flight Club,
Australia. The group have commissioned
Pay’s Air Service, of Scone, NSW, to com-
plete its restoration. The aircraft will un-
dergo an IRAN inspection and be sympa-
thetically restored to as close to original
W.W.II flying condition as possible.
Rob Fox
YAFFA AVIATION GROUP:
Australian Flying, Aviation Business
Magazine, Flightpath, Aviation Yearbook
Publisher:
Judy Hinz
Production Director:
Matthew Gunn
Art Director:
Ana Maria Heraud
Studio Manager:
Lauren Esdaile
Designer:
Maria Alegro
Images should be supplied with a separate list of
captions and each image should have a name and
address on it. Slides, prints and electronic versions
of images are all acceptable, but please note that
digital images MUST BE SUPPLIED AT A
RESOLUTION OF AT LEAST 300DPI for the actual
size of the image. Most editorial queries should be
answered within a month; if not contact the editor.
ISSN 1320–5870
At the same time, Ross Pay
acquired the Hispano Buchon
(c/n 165). It will be restored
in the UK before being sent
to Australia.
[Ross Pay]
4 |
F L I G H T PAT H
News
The CWH’s
Norseman over the
varied landscape it
spent its working
career.
[Eric Dumigan]
CWH gets a Norseman
On 25 September 2015, the Canadian War-
plane Heritage Museum took delivery of the
latest addition to their growing fleet of flying
aircraft – Noorduyn Norseman Mk. V (CF-
GSR). Obtained from Ernie & Donna Nicholl
at Huron Air & Outfitters as a part donation
– purchase in early 2014, CF-GSR had previ-
ously served several operators including Ca-
nadian Forest Products, Austin Airways,
Slate Falls Airways, Silver Wings Air Service,
Ilford-Riverton Airways and Bearskin Air-
lines. Most of its life was spent on floats but
it was configured over to wheel landing gear
before being ferried to Hamilton Airport.
The Noorduyn Norseman ranks as proba-
bly one of the most important designs in Ca-
nadian aviation history. An eight seat general
purpose bush aircraft, it was the first Cana-
dian designed and built aircraft to see world-
wide use. Designed by Mr. R.B.C. Noorduyn,
the design incorporated the specific requests
and suggestions of Canadian bush pilots and
good performance on wheels, floats and skis
was considered a prerequisite.
At the outbreak of World War II, the RCAF
placed orders which eventually totalled 99
aircraft of various models. The utility of the
design ensured its post-war use. The last
RCAF example was retired in 1957 although
numerous civilian examples soldiered on
long after this date.
Although CF-GSR never saw service with the
RCAF, in keeping with the Museum's mandate,
the Norseman will be painted in a RCAF scheme
at some point in the future. No decision has
been made yet on the actual paint scheme. Af-
ter some winter maintenance, the Norseman
will be added to the flying schedule and ride
program for the 2016 season.
Eric Dumigan
www.qfom.com.au
Phone:
(07) 4658 3737
Fax:
(07) 4658 0707
Email:
info@qfom.com.au
Address:
Sir Hudson Fysh Drive, Longreach QLD 4730
Closed Christmas & Boxing Day
Q an t a s F o
un d e r s E x
hibition
• Herit age
List ed
1922 Q an
t a s Ha n g a
r
• 747 & 7
07 Air cra
f t Tour s
• Wing W
alk & Fligh
t Deck Tou
• PBY Cat
rs
alina
• W W1 an
d
Flight Sim F35
ulat or s
• McGinne
ss’ Rest a
ur an t
• F o un d e r
s Gif t St o
re
F L I G H T PAT H
| 5
MUSEUM
FEATURES
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