Chipmunk VH-RVV - Please check your log book

[Fris B. Fairing]

The Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra recently completed a static restoration of Chipmunk VH-RVV. It got me wondering how many aviators did their training in this aeroplane while it was with the RVAC from 1957 to 1965. If you crossed paths with VH-RVV the QAM would be interested to hear your story (e.g. soloed at 13, went on to fly Concorde). Please be prepared to sunstantiate your claim to fame with photocopies of your log book. Hopefully we will be able to compile an interesting social history of the aeroplane.

http://www.adastron.com/aviation/vault/VH-RVV.jpg

That's a genuine RVAC decal on the aeroplane too.

And in answer to the inevitable questions; Westland Wessex and Bristol Hercules (ex HP Hastings)

Rgds

[HarleyD]

This Chippie was one of those that my father learned to fly in at Mildura, which had an RVAC 'Country Flight' operating at that time.

I am not sure if Father soloed, or did his flight test in Victor or Yankee, but it was one or the other. (and the other for the other I am sure) I will check up on that when I have the opportunity. I have some pics of it somewhere in the all over silver of the time.
After PPL father went on to Pie Chasers, The C model 172, then the Mighty Concrete Sparrow, which restored his interest in flying, before building himself an aircraft in the early days of the ULAA. He always loved the Chippies. He has Altzheimers now so no use ringing him up. I will go through the albums and look for the documents of his flight training when I find the box they are in.

As a child I flew in Victor and Whiskey, and went on to become a complete know-all on Pprune, which is no real claim to fame, as there are plenty of bigger know-alls than me here. I try so hard, but just cannot compete with these young blokes.

HD

[Fris B. Fairing]

Harley

Thanks for your input. Details from your Dad's log book will be much appreciated. There is a comprehensive history of VH-RVV plus many photos on the QAM website (http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/chipmunk/VH-RVV.htm)

Rgds

[tail wheel]

Harley

"As a child I flew in Victor and Whiskey, and went on to become a complete know-all on PPRuNe, which is no real claim to fame, as there are plenty of bigger know-alls than me here. I try so hard, but just cannot compete with these young blokes."

That is a bl00dy classic statement!!! If it is not copy write, mind if I keep that in my repertoire of Mod comments? :} :}

Fris. What a beautiful Chippie! It is a credit to the Museum.

Do you know if that white and blue chook house in the back ground was operated in PNG for some time in the 70's or 80's? Looks the same colour scheme, think the PNG machine had a radial engine, an 1820 or 1830?

[Blackleg]

Fris.

VH - RVV was the second Chipmunk I flew at RVAC on August 1 1959 when I did my original endorsement.

It was also the last one I flew on February 2 1964, the day I left the RVAC as an instructor to join airlines.

The Chipmunk was a great aircraft to fly and instruct on.

[Dora-9]

Fris B. fairing – am I correct in assuming you’re associated with the QAM?

I can’t help with log book entries (I’m an ex RAC of WA man myself), but I can comment on the colour scheme. I’m delighted to see the RVAC badge added; as you’ll see from my photos I saw RVV before this was applied.

While I applaud QAM for their efforts and I’m delighted to see a Chipmunk on display, at the risk of being a pedant may I respectfully submit there are several areas where the colour scheme isn’t quite right?



I’m deeply suspicious of the shade of Day-Glo used. The RVAC used Day-Glo red, not orange. While this paint was noted for instability, which lead to the RVAC quickly abandoning it, I can’t find a shade approaching this one in any colour photos I have.
The top of the rear fuselage up to the rudder should also be Day-Glo.
The treatment where the Day-Glo met the lower leading edge of the fin is incorrect; rather than the right-angle turn to wrap around the lower fin leading edge the lower edge should continue in a straight line.
Canopy handles should be red.
Wing-roots should be blue.
The “V” on the cowl is fractionally too short and positioned a little too far aft (note the position in reference to the circular access hole).
Where the fuselage stripe flows back from the spinner backplate – the stripe is far too curved; they should be almost straight lines.
The propellor blades (forward face) should be an anodized silver/grey colour, with yellow tips and narrow red striping. Rear faces were black with yellow tips.


As I said, these really are intended as constructive comments; I’m delighted to see a Chipmunk on display.

Cheers,

Rod Blievers

"blievers at bigpond dot com"


VH-RVV at Moorabbin Vic, November 1963:


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/Blithering/VH-RVV-at-Moorabbin-Vic-16.jpg


Compare with RVV at QAM:


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/Blithering/VH-RVV-restoration-at-QAM-C.jpg


VH-RVK at Latrobe Valley, c.1963. Note the treatment of the Day-Glo on the upper rear fuselage. Note also that this is the palest example of Day-Glo I can locate:


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/Blithering/VH-RVK-at-YLTV-Aub-Coote-v.jpg

[Stationair8]

Great photos Dora-9.

The callsign RVV was taken up by a newly purchased Cherokee 180, as the RVAC moved into a more modern fleet.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Tail Wheel

The helicopter in the background is actually an RAN Wessex. Probably it did visit PNG, most likely on board a rather large yacht.

Dora-9

Your expertise on matters Chipmunk is well known so your diligence in scrutinising the restoration is greatly appreciated. The colour on the tail is an attempt at reproducing faded Day-Glo, some say successfully. While I'm not questioning the validity of your recommendations, one has to tread carefully when managing an entirely voluntary workforce. One quickly learns to be thankful for small miracles and accept that minor, non-irreversible departures from spec can be rectified next time round. Nevertheless, I expect that even the harshest critic would concede that it's an improvement on this:

http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/chipmunk/VH-RVV-20.jpg

In answer to your first question, yes I've been involved with QAM for 37 years.

Best wishes

[sixtiesrelic]

I flew it a number of times in 1961 before day-glo colours were added.

[Dora-9]

Fris B. Fairing / Ron:

Now that I’ve crawled out of my hiding place, I feel I owe you an apology. I never intended compelling you to “come out”, I didn’t intend outing myself either for that matter, but most of all I never intended my comments on VH-RVV’s colour scheme to be publicly aired. Now I THOUGHT I was sending you a PM; I was utterly horrified when I saw that I’d actually posted on the Forum.

Having supervised people who were being paid exorbitant amounts and still having huge hassles getting markings correct, I can readily appreciate your problems of dealing with volunteers. I really think that most people don’t truly see what’s actually there!

Regarding the Day-Glo shade, I deliberately started my comments with “I’m quite suspicious…” as I well appreciate that colour interpretation is a hugely subjective issue, I suspect no two people see the same colour. Stand back and watch a group of modellers discussing late war Luftwaffe colours; they’ll disagree to the point of coming to blows!

Day-Glo was relatively unstable; it faded rapidly, eventually becoming very pale and chalky. As a suggestion, to portray faded Day-Glo, perhaps you could overspray the Day-Glo areas with a matt varnish?

I found the photo you posted of Chipmunk bits out on the grass intriguing – hiding behind the plastic tables and chairs is what can only be an ex Royal Aero Club of South Australia rudder. It’s obviously been stored indoors as their dark blue was another colour that faded rapidly. The last letter is partially obscured, but the vertical bar means it must be from either VH-BWF or –BWM. Even more intriguing; both these aircraft are still extant. VH-BWF is now the Pay’s VH-AMV (which until very recently, at least, was flying) while VH-BWM is now Rob Merrylees’ VH-UEU (nearing the end of an extensive restoration). Which one is it, Ron?

Cheers.

[Stationair8]

When did RVAC phase out operating both the Chipmunk and Tiger-moths?

[Fris B. Fairing]

Dora-9

No problem. As they say at the Pelaco factory; "Shirt happens". Here's the answer to your question. The rudder was amongst a collection of parts QAM acquired as a Chipmunk starter kit.

http://www.adastron.com/aviation/vault/VH-BWM.jpg

Rgds

[Centaurus]

Have already sent the QAM some dates and details where I flew RVV at the RVAC from Moorabbin and Laverton with air training corps cadets in the early Sixties.

But as an aside, the CFI in those days was a former Luftwaffe pilot John Bally. Doesn't sound like a Luftwaffe name to me but he acted like a member of the Gestapo at times. He checked me out at night on one of the RVAC Chippies. I was in the instructor seat in the back where the view from the back is dismal. We took off and around 300 feet the engine failed.

I made a hasty weave of the nose looking for somewhere to put it down and set up the glide. No time for a trouble check although strangely not a word from the CFI in the front seat. A few seconds later I saw my throttle go forward and the engine developed full power. Without a word it was obvious the CFI had taken control and now thankfully the Chippie was climbing strongly ahead.

Somewhat acidly I asked the CFI what the f... was going on. Seemed he had cut the fuel cock in the front seat to "simulate" engine failure to test my reactions. His action was one of the more stupid things I had struck in the flying game and told him to never ever risk lives again by cutting fuel at low level. Some years later I heard he had left the RVAC and joined DCA as a testing officer... It figured.

[Dora-9]

A couple of comments/requests from recent postings.

Centaurus: John Bally was Hungarian, I think (but never dared cask him) that he flew for the Hungarian Air Force (allies of the Germans) and not the Luftwaffe itself.

Stationair8: I know little about the RVAC’s Tiger Moths, but they acquired their first Chipmunk in 1953 (VH-RVS), eventually disposing of the last two in their fleet (VH-RVE & RVW) in 1974. Though some clubs retained Chipmunks later than this, the RVAC were the longest continuous operator of this type.

Sixtiesrelic: Interested in your comment about flying VH-RVV “before the Day-Glo was applied”. Do you mean in the blue scheme? From photographic evidence very few RVAC wore the first permutation of the blue scheme (i.e. without the Day-Glo); note that there was a different third post Day-Glo variation too. The only two I can positively identify were VH-RVL & RVS – do you have any photos please?

Thanks

[sixtiesrelic]

Well Centaurus there's no doubt that you were there then.
After that great gentleman, Laurie McPherson, 'der Cherman' was a nasty experience mit all hiss yellink und choutink. I luckily left the RVAC for warmer climes before I got far into my commercial training.
I spotted him years later at Redcliffe when he was flying a Lake Amphibian about. Had a little bit of bother 'n got soaked in it I heard.
Seemed a suitable aeroplane for him, what with the prop blades making as much noise as his voice could as they chopped the exhaust into little gas balls.
Check your PM Dora.

[emeritus]

Two weeks after getting my PPL in July of 58 I started my endorsement on the Chippie. Unfortunately my instructor ( Wes Robinson ) was on leave and I was lumbered with Bally. He used a throat mike and being the first period after lunch I found that when he wasn't yelling and carrying on in my ear all I could hear was his stomach rumbling and belching!

Finished my endo on RVV and did my CPL pre licence test (with Bally ) and CPL night test with Fred Fox on RVV also, it being shortly after he went to DCA

Emeritus

[Fris B. Fairing]

Thanks everyone for your contributions. Ideally I am looking for material that can be published on the QAM website and this obviously requires a real name. If a PM won't be satisfactory please email me [email protected]

Rgds