VH-SFF ("A59-67") "Wiff-Oh"
Type: L-237 Ventura PV-1
Msn: 5378
Owner: RAAF Museum.
Base: Point Cook, VIC.
History:
17JUL43Brought on charge by Royal Canadian Air Force as 2221. Served with No 115 (BR) Sqn until late 1944.
11AUG50Struck off charge by RCAF. 53Disposed ex RCAF Vulcan ALTA. 01DEC53To Universal Trading Corp, New York, NY as N1590V.
04DEC53To Spartan Aircraft Co, Tulsa, OK for conversion to executive configuration. 10AUG55First flight after executive conversion.
09MAR54To Trade-Ayer Inc, Linden, NJ.
01JUL58To Spartan Aircraft Co, Tulsa, OK. NOV61Re-registered N159V to Spartan Aircraft Co. 24AUG64Re-registered N159U to Spartan Aircraft Co.
25FEB69To Clark's Aerial Service, Brownfield, TX who modified the aircraft for aerial seeding.
07OCT77To Brownfield Aerial Inc, Brownfield, TX. 15DEC77To Aristera Co, Lubbock, TX.
02OCT78To Juan D. Perez, Tampa, FL.
26SEP83To Hill Air Co Inc, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
02JUL85To Jim Ricketts of Aero Nostalgia Inc, Stockton, CA. Aircraft had been stored in the open at Fort Lauderdale from 1980 to 1986.
26SEP86Ferried from Fort Lauderdale to Stockton by John Crocker and Bob Love for restoration to military configuration for RAAF Museum in exchange for Canberra A84-229. 11NOV87First post-restoration test flight crewed by Rob Poynton, Blaine Gardner and Peter Anderson.
11JUN88Departed Oakland CA for Hawaii on delivery to Australia. Crewed by Rob Poynton, Jim Czerwinski and Peter Anderson. Turned back with navaid and fuel transfer problems.
28JUN88Departed Oakland for Hawaii crewed by Rob Poynton, Dave Spinelli and Peter Anderson. Mid upper turret had been removed since first attempt. 02JUL88Departed Honolulu for Majuro crewed by Rob Poynton, Graham Syphers and Peter Anderson.
05JUL88Departed for Tarawa but returned to Majuro after cockpit escape hatch separated in flight.
10JUL88Departed Majuro for Tarawa. After refuelling, the aircraft departed for Honiara.
11JUL88Departed Honiara for Brisbane.
12JUL88Departed Brisbane for Point Cook.
13JUL88Registered VH-SFF to RAAF Museum, Point Cook, VIC. Operates in 13 Sqn markings with assumed serial A59-67, coded SF-F and named "Wiff-Oh". It is believed that the original "Wiff-Oh" was actually A59-81 SF-D.
19NOV96Belly landed in a field after double engine failure during an air show at RAAF Richmond, NSW. The aeroplane was subsequently trucked back to Point Cook for static restoration.
18JUN02Struck off register as withdrawn from use.