Australia's 'new' Boxkite

[JDK]

G'Day,
One of the main things I've been helping on recently is supporting the completion of the RAAF Museum's Bristol Military Biplane (Boxkite to most!) by Project 2014 for the Museum. The replica has taken a huge amount of work by various generous and remarkable people, led by the redoubtable Group Captain Ron Gretton AM, RAAF (Retired) and Wing Commander Geoff Matthews RAAF (Retired) project manager and designer respectively.

Exciting times lie (shortly) ahead; the replica was built to fly on the 1 March 2014 at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, Australia on the 100th anniversary of the first flight of an Australian military aircraft, at Point Cook. The RAAF also noticed this anniversary, so they're going to be the annual main RAAF Airshow at RAAF Point Cook - the Centenary of Military Aviation, or 'CMA14' on the 1 & 2 March 2014. It's going to be a big show for Australasia, with, promised, a full array of the current RAAF grey pointy things(TM) and a magnificent array of vintage machinery, much of it in action.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/JDK2/JKightlyBoxkiteCMA_6022crsm_zps6290a6ff.jpg~original
An RAAF Hornet overflies the Boxkite replica at Point Cook, December 2013.

For the first time since about 1917, there will be (replica) examples of all three of Australia's first military aircraft on show; the Boxkite, a Deperdussin and a B.E.2a. The originals equipped the military (Army) Central Flying School, or CFS.

The BE and Dep are static exact replicas built by remarkably dedicated chaps, while the Boxkite is a flyer, and, fingers crossed, weather dependent etc, etc, we hope it will be flown on the day. The BE will be 'all newly' completed, and having watched the progress on it, I think it's a stunner. The Dep has been on show for some time, and it is, too, magnificent - but I also admit a bias.

Anyway, that's the bones of the saga, there's more news and interesting items to share, but till they get posted, I'm more than happy to answer what questions I can - fire away!

Regards,

[joy ride]

I look forward to seeing the video of the first flight!

[noelf]

Good morning James!.

noelf

[Fantome]

The Deperdussin has been on show for some time, and it is, too, magnificent - but I also admit a bias.
Not necessarily a bias boyo. . . . .. for the Dep is as we know a wonderful manifestation of early French aeronautical artistry .. . . whereas alongside the Dep the other two crates . . .. . are . . well.. .. . crates

Someone should post that exceptionally nostalgic photo taken at Point Cook of Henri Petre seated in the original Deperdussin on the occasion of his visit there fifty years after he had instructed on that first course of students who went on to fame and fortune. Excepting the poor souls who perished in Mesopotamia at the hands of the Turks.

Tommy White on that initial course later became Minister for Air in our Federal Government, followed by an appointment to London as Australian High Commissioner. He wrote a graphic account of his imprisonment in Turkey 1915-18, 'Guests of the Unspeakable'. (Years ago in Berkelouw's original bookshop in King Street, Sydney, I found a mint signed first edition for a pittance.) White also wrote a long narrative poem about the life of an airman in the Second World War, entitled 'Sky Saga'. Wiki on Tommy White -

Sir Thomas Walter White KBE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire) DFC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_%28United_Kingdom%29) (26 April 1888 – 13 October 1957) was an Australian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia) politician.
Early life and World War I

White was born at Hotham, North Melbourne, Victoria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Melbourne,_Victoria) and educated at Moreland State School. In August 1914, he began training as an officer in the Australian Flying Corps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Flying_Corps) at Point Cook (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAAF_Williams). In April 1915, he was appointed a captain in the first Australian Imperial Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Australian_Imperial_Force) and adjutant of a small unit that was sent to Basra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basra) to assist the Indian Army (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Indian_Army) in the Mesopotamian campaign (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamian_campaign). He successfully carried out several operations involving landing behind enemy lines, but on 13 November 1915, he was captured while attempting to cut telegraph wires near Baghdad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad). He was imprisoned in Turkey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey), but in July 1918 he escaped from a train in Constantinople (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople) and managed to stowaway on a cargo ship to Odessa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa), Ukraine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine) and he then travelled to London (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London). He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_%28United_Kingdom%29) and was twice mentioned in dispatches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentioned_in_dispatches) as a result. [/URL] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_White_%28Australian_politician%29#cite_note-1)


In London, White met Vera Deakin, daughter of former Australian Prime Minister (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Prime_Minister) Alfred Deakin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Deakin) and quickly became engaged to her. His appointment to the AIF terminated in January 1920 and he married Vera in March 1920, despite the opposition of some of the Deakin family. He became managing director of his father's hardware company, C. J. White & Sons Pty Ltd until 1932.

White ran unsuccessfully, as a Nationalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_White_%28Australian_politician%29#cite_note-adb-2) for the House of Representatives (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_House_of_Representatives) seat of Maribyrnong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Maribyrnong) in the 1925 elections (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_federal_election,_1925). In 1927, he failed to win the Victorian Legislative Assembly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Legislative_Assembly) seat of Prahran (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_district_of_Prahran). He won the seat of Balaclava (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Balaclava) at a 1929 by-election (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaclava_by-election,_1929). The United Australia Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Australia_Party) came to power in the 1931 elections (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_federal_election,_1931) and in March 1933 he was appointed Minister for Trade and Customs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_for_Trade_%28Australia%29) in the first Lyons Ministry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Lyons_Ministry), replacing Henry Gullett who had stood down due to ill-health. His portfolio was responsible for book and film censorship and he established an advisory board, chaired by Robert Garran (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Garran) to make recommendations to him. On 8 November 1938, he resigned his portfolio, having discovered that Joseph Lyons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lyons) had established an inner Cabinet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Australia) from which he was excluded.

With the outbreak of the Second World War White became a temporary squadron leader in the part-time Citizen Air Force. He took leave from parliament and commanded a training school at Somers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_White_%28Australian_politician%29#cite_note-adb-2) and in 1941 he travelled to England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England) to administer Australian aircrew and to liaise with the Royal Air Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Air_Force). He returned to Melbourne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne) in 1943 and served in the Royal Australian Air Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Australian_Air_Force) Staff School and resumed his parliamentary duties. With the election of the Robert Menzies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Menzies) government in the 1949 elections (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_federal_election,_1949), he was appointed Minister for the Air (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_for_Defence_%28Australia%29) and Minister for Civil Aviation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_for_Infrastructure,_Transport,_Regional_Development _and_Local_Government_%28Australia%29). In June 1951, he resigned from parliament to become Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_High_Commissioners_to_the_United_Kingdom) , a position he held until 1956.


In 1952, White was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_White_%28Australian_politician%29#cite_note-adb-2). He suffered from emphysema (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emphysema) and died of myocardial infarction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction) at his home in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Yarra,_Victoria), survived by his wife and their four daughters.[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_White_%28Australian_politician%29#cite_note-adb-2"]

[Offchocks]

Look forward to seeing it!

Sorry about the slight thread drift, but for those who can't see the one in Oz, there was a Boxkite replica in the film "Those magnificent men in their flying machines", flown by Dickie Martin who is sadly no longer with us.

[ian.whalley]

Bristol Boxkite replica flight testing - YouTube

First flight of the Boxkite. Enjoy!

[joy ride]

Superb!

I was half expecting to see Terry Thomas skulking around in the shadows with a hack saw!

[JDK]

Thanks for the comments! Some in return - We ~ hope ~ it will be flying at the RAAF Centenary of Military Aviation airshow at Point Cook on 1 & 2 March - next weekend. Whatever options we get, the Boxkite will be on public display, so do come and say 'G'Day' if you can do it.

'Fantome' - the Dep was known as the 'Dirty Dustbin' by the instructors and students at Point Cook, and quickly relegated - looks, clearly aren't everything, as the Boxkites and BEs were bent, and repaired and bent and fixed and ultimately a second Boxkite was actually built at Point Cook, due to demand!

I will see if I can post the Petre 50th pic.

I have a copy of the Tommy White bent Boxkite pic, another image with a tale to tell...

Offchocks - there are sadly no original Boxkites left, but there were no-less than three replicas built for that great film Mag Men (and yes, 'joy ride', we are watching out for gap-toothed cads). The Shuttleworth example (flown for Shuttleworth by Dickie, but by Air Commodore Alan Wheeler CBE in the film) is one of these the other two are (static) at the Bristol Museum and the (Australian) Museum of Army Flying at Oakey, QLD. Shuttleworth have been flying their 'standard' Boxkite for nigh-on a half-century now, after it was donated to them, post film, by Bristol, and so they have been a wonderful precedent for the Australian project.

Regards,

[JDK]

The film above was shot in September last year. This shot is from one of the two circuits undertaken on 23 January 2014.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/JDK2/JamesKightlyBoxkite_6126sm_zpsa4aa9f84.jpg~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JDK2/media/JamesKightlyBoxkite_6126sm_zpsa4aa9f84.jpg.html)

Until these flights, and the pictures we're able to view, no-one has seen a full-span 'military' Boxkite in action for over 90 years.

Fingers are very much crossed that weather will allow us to see the Boxkite in action at the Centenary of Military Aviation airshow on 1 & 2 March 2014; after all that's a great part of what Project 2014 built the Boxkite for the RAAF Museum for.

And I hope to be able to share a bit more Boxkite 'news' in the next couple of days...

Regards,

[Offchocks]

JDK thanks for the info an photos, I think it is wonderful to see this replica flying and a great job done by those involved!
I flew with Dickie on BAC 1-11s with Monarch in the early 80s. From what he said I gathered he was involved with the film, but may have got it wrong. He was a great character, I enjoyed flying with him and of course having an ale after.

Cheers!

[JDK]

Offchocks - I'll have a look at my refs; the Building the Aeroplanes for the Magnificent Men by Wheeler is well worth having!

Meanwhile...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/JDK2/JamesKightlyBoxkite_5512Sm_zps228f5580.jpg~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JDK2/media/JamesKightlyBoxkite_5512Sm_zps228f5580.jpg.html)

Messing around with old aeroplanes at dawn can have an upside. These kind of images may not be editors or rivetees favourites, but I like them. The RAAF Museum's Boxkite replica in Jan 2014. Taxi tests.

[JDK]

This is a rather neat bit of woodwork.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/JDK2/BoxkiteForeplane_0366sm_zpsedfba809.jpg~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JDK2/media/BoxkiteForeplane_0366sm_zpsedfba809.jpg.html)

And, while obviously a wing section, it's also rather unusual as it is a foreplane, and as you'd expect in this thread, was the one built for the Boxkite.

One of the things that makes the Boxkite very unusual is the pitch control with this foreplane and an elevator, and the fact that, as well as the wings, it has a forward lifting surface (the controllable foreplane) and a (biplane) lifting-surface tail unit. Adds a little interest to lift calculations, I'm sure.

Regards,

[JDK]

I'll be posting some images relating to earlier parts of this thread next week. But over the weekend, I've a centenary to celebrate...

Meanwhile I'd like to leave you with a couple of thoughts. One reason for being able to share all these Boxkite factoids is the book we've just produced. No big fuss, more details on the Boxkite builder's project page: http://boxkite2014.org

For instance we found some great period 'Boxkite Flying Hints', which include gems like:

"Be very careful in turning corners not to turn too quickly, or the machine will turn over sideways."

And another piece of perennially good advice:

"Always remember that it is not difficult to fly, you need 'pluck' and coolness, take plenty of time to do everything and do not overdo it. The personal danger is very small as long as you do the right thing at the right time."

So please, remember your 'pluck' and 'coolness' today and everyday...

Regards,

[Wander00]

I just love that advice - and the project is brilliant; well done so far and good luck for the future

[JDK]

Thanks. Here's hoping we get to fly the Boxkite 100 years on - tomorrow!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/JDK2/BoxkitePic09RAAFMsm_zpsd28f5a1f.jpg~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JDK2/media/BoxkitePic09RAAFMsm_zpsd28f5a1f.jpg.html)

[JDK]

Yesterday, Saturday 1st March, at exactly 7.40 am (local) the replica Bristol Military Boxkite VH-XKT took off and flew at Point Cook, Victoria, Australia, exactly 100 years to the minute after the first flight of an Australian Military aircraft.

There has been a lot of hard work, by a lot of people to make this commemoration happen. I thank them for doing so.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/JDK2/JKightlyRonGGGeoff_8309cs_zpsa732f093.jpg~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JDK2/media/JKightlyRonGGGeoff_8309cs_zpsa732f093.jpg.html)

The Boxkite project at the RAAF Museum had many genuinely interested visitors today, Sunday 2nd March, eminent among whom was Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Seen here with Group Captain Ron Gretton AM RAAF (Ret'd) on the left, and Wing Commander Geoff Matthews, RAAF (Ret'd) the builders of this remarkable, airworthy replica of Australia's first military aircraft.

Regards,

[joy ride]

Excellent, great work.

[Wander00]

Brilliant achievement - congratulations to all

[Philthy]

Yes indeed, a magnificent achievement by all concerned.

Terrific book too, James!

[Fantome]

Waxing lyrical to the good woman about a certain nostalgic re-enactment flight . . .. . . wouldn't you know the comeback ? . . .. . .

"Since Wilbur and since Orville isn't EVERY flight a re-enactment?"

But she was the same rarely moved person who said she was waiting for the sequel to 'Sigh for a Merlin' after she was captive audience to a short piece read out of Henshaw at his best - so when I asked sequel? what sequel? the profane and shocking response was - 'Squat for a Crap'