Mustangs at Maralinga
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Centaurus, you are quite correct, the property was Canarney at Jerilderie. That is where I saw the second Mustang when I went there for the Canarney Cup in 1972, an aviation themed event over the Australia Day long weekend that included one hell of an air-race.
At the time Tony Fisher owned a Lockheed 12A, as well as a pair of Ryan STMs', and used it to commute from Sydney to his properties. Several of the the Herc drivers from Richmond were also checked out on the aircraft as I remember.
Tony's wife, Helen, had heard about these dangerous aircraft called Mustangs and refused to allow him to get one (he hadn't told her he had already bought it) so he didn't get to fly it for a while. I believe he got checked out while on a trip to the USA. He told Helen that he had a P51 endorsement and she was none the wiser. If you ever met them you will realise that it was a considerable act of bravery on the part of Tony to tell Helen what a P51 was.
The decision to sell the aircraft came after two engine failures where he was lucky to be able to dead-stick them into a paddock (Jerilderie does have some advantages). Helen delivered an ultimatum that it was either the Mustangs or her. The failures were later attributed to the Packard built Merlin engines where the oil galleries didn't quite match between two of the components thereby restricting the oil flow.
While I was there the Mustang did some ground runs but did not fly. Tony had removed something to ground the aircraft until payment had been completed. It was the first time I had heard a Merlin running, something you never forget.
At the time Tony Fisher owned a Lockheed 12A, as well as a pair of Ryan STMs', and used it to commute from Sydney to his properties. Several of the the Herc drivers from Richmond were also checked out on the aircraft as I remember.
Tony's wife, Helen, had heard about these dangerous aircraft called Mustangs and refused to allow him to get one (he hadn't told her he had already bought it) so he didn't get to fly it for a while. I believe he got checked out while on a trip to the USA. He told Helen that he had a P51 endorsement and she was none the wiser. If you ever met them you will realise that it was a considerable act of bravery on the part of Tony to tell Helen what a P51 was.
The decision to sell the aircraft came after two engine failures where he was lucky to be able to dead-stick them into a paddock (Jerilderie does have some advantages). Helen delivered an ultimatum that it was either the Mustangs or her. The failures were later attributed to the Packard built Merlin engines where the oil galleries didn't quite match between two of the components thereby restricting the oil flow.
While I was there the Mustang did some ground runs but did not fly. Tony had removed something to ground the aircraft until payment had been completed. It was the first time I had heard a Merlin running, something you never forget.
I visited the property at Jerilderie over 40 years ago, and witnessed one of these fly-ins.
It included a competition where the objective was to shoot beer cans off the top of a 44-gallon drum. The twist was that the shooter had to accomplish this whilst airborne, and I recall seeing various contestants hanging out the side of a Tri-Pacer brandishing a rifle.
I was very impressed with one contestant who on each pass managed to dislodge a beer can from atop the drum, achieving a 100% score. At the completion of his entry however, his "assistant" who had been hiding behind the drums and dutifully dislodging a beer can on each pass stood up.
I also recall that in order to obtain his P51 endorsement, Tony Fischer went to Merced in California and located someone who owned one there. After explaining his predicament (i.e. unable to obtain the rating in Australia), the Californian owner agreed to let Tony fly his 51, but explained that insurance was an issue. This was resolved by Tony writing him a cheque for the value of the aircraft (which Tony had the means to do); if worst came to worst, the owner would cash the cheque.
Tony successfully completed his circuits (I believe it was a single-seater) with no damage, and the owner tore up the cheque.
Imagine finding a Mustang owner willing to do that today!
It included a competition where the objective was to shoot beer cans off the top of a 44-gallon drum. The twist was that the shooter had to accomplish this whilst airborne, and I recall seeing various contestants hanging out the side of a Tri-Pacer brandishing a rifle.
I was very impressed with one contestant who on each pass managed to dislodge a beer can from atop the drum, achieving a 100% score. At the completion of his entry however, his "assistant" who had been hiding behind the drums and dutifully dislodging a beer can on each pass stood up.
I also recall that in order to obtain his P51 endorsement, Tony Fischer went to Merced in California and located someone who owned one there. After explaining his predicament (i.e. unable to obtain the rating in Australia), the Californian owner agreed to let Tony fly his 51, but explained that insurance was an issue. This was resolved by Tony writing him a cheque for the value of the aircraft (which Tony had the means to do); if worst came to worst, the owner would cash the cheque.
Tony successfully completed his circuits (I believe it was a single-seater) with no damage, and the owner tore up the cheque.
Imagine finding a Mustang owner willing to do that today!
Not the best of landings in the above clip. However, if it wasn't for the taxiway that the aircraft came across (launching it back into the air) just after touching down, the pilot probably would've got away with it.
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Sorry budgie,
I don't agree. The taxiway had nothing to do with it. He 'flew' over that bit.
watched it over and over, after the first bounce, just as the aircraft settled again, he pulled a large amount of backstick in about the moment the mains touched for the second time. The tail is still maybe 2 feet in the air, and the backstick forced a flyaway, without the power/airspeed to control it.
My view is, if he'd left it alone after the bounce, it would have settled, probably not prettily. But then, all good for us to speculate from in front of the button box.
Jas
I don't agree. The taxiway had nothing to do with it. He 'flew' over that bit.
watched it over and over, after the first bounce, just as the aircraft settled again, he pulled a large amount of backstick in about the moment the mains touched for the second time. The tail is still maybe 2 feet in the air, and the backstick forced a flyaway, without the power/airspeed to control it.
My view is, if he'd left it alone after the bounce, it would have settled, probably not prettily. But then, all good for us to speculate from in front of the button box.
Jas
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The video of Miss Helen landing was actually the result of a loss of power due to a problem with the magnetos at Duxford two or three years ago. As you see, there was quite a puff of smoke and the engine does sound rough - he landed well short of the grass runway and hit the sharp slope up to a taxiway which launched the aircraft back into the air, with subsequent heavy landing and damage to the aircraft.
Could have been much worse, he'd just flown over the M11 which runs through a cutting along the airfield boundary...
Good news is that Miss Helen has just returned to the skies after repair and the same guy is still flying her for the owner.
AAIB Report Addendum
Could have been much worse, he'd just flown over the M11 which runs through a cutting along the airfield boundary...
Good news is that Miss Helen has just returned to the skies after repair and the same guy is still flying her for the owner.
AAIB Report Addendum
Thanks for the link Tread. I'd seen that footage a number of times and wasn't sure if the engine was in fact running like a bag of ****, or whether it was just poor sound quality.
Just unfortunate that the aircraft didn't touch down a few feet further along as it would've missed the 'mound' that the taxiway sits on.
Just unfortunate that the aircraft didn't touch down a few feet further along as it would've missed the 'mound' that the taxiway sits on.
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Looking at the control inputs after she was launched back into the air by the taxiway & considering the fact that he had no power to use, it appears that he did everything right & saved the aircraft from even more damage. Elevator doesn't go past neutral when the nose is high & then up elevator as the nose starts to drop; full right rudder to try to control the swing from the damaged left gear & full back stick when the tail was trying to come up.
I would imagine that he knew that he was going to touch down short & would have problems crossing the taxiway due to the hump & was as prepared as he could have been.
Not surprising that he is still flying her.
I would imagine that he knew that he was going to touch down short & would have problems crossing the taxiway due to the hump & was as prepared as he could have been.
Not surprising that he is still flying her.
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it appears that he did everything right & saved the aircraft from even more damage
It was just unlucky that he had chosen to land on the grass runway rather than the concrete - the original runway was truncated by the motorway development and the threshold is more or less at the hedge...
That taxiway lip should be built up to avoid further occurrences - a B-17 did something similar after inadvertently landing short some years before but, with power available, was able to sort the bounce out.
Thanks Spotl for providing a link to that fantastic documentary.
I knew nothing about this story before finding the thread. There is just something special about stories of finding old abandoned warbirds and returning them to the sky. What a shame red tape prevented the old girl from staying home.
Reminds me of the equally fascinating story of the Kee Bird, the old Superfortress left behind on some Alaskan ice flow after a forced landing. What is it with these classic tales all ending in tragedy.
Anyhoo, thanks for providing details of this wonderful tale
I knew nothing about this story before finding the thread. There is just something special about stories of finding old abandoned warbirds and returning them to the sky. What a shame red tape prevented the old girl from staying home.
Reminds me of the equally fascinating story of the Kee Bird, the old Superfortress left behind on some Alaskan ice flow after a forced landing. What is it with these classic tales all ending in tragedy.
Anyhoo, thanks for providing details of this wonderful tale
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I haven't seen Tony Schwerdt for 20 years and great to hear he's still flying (he must be 70 yrs old now)
I think Tony sold his Mustang for $6,000 , if you ever meet him don't remind him :-)
I think his brother Paul is a member of pprune.
This is a thread from 2009 on the same subject
http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-general-a...-mustangs.html
I think Tony sold his Mustang for $6,000 , if you ever meet him don't remind him :-)
I think his brother Paul is a member of pprune.
This is a thread from 2009 on the same subject
http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-general-a...-mustangs.html
I haven't seen Tony Schwerdt for 20 years and great to hear he's still flying (he must be 70 yrs old now)
DF.
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I don't think he is flying any more, well at least he's not on the Beverley run now since Sharp took it over.
PK
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I still remember Tony's "request to cruise the block FLXXX to FLXXX" calls departing Beverley in URU. Back then I didn't know a King Air could go that high!
a real characterIs Chris Sperou (Snr) still flying and still got the T-6 Texan ?
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I've heard from a number of sources of crated aircraft WW2 buried in the Woomera test range , they weren't hidden but basically dumped , the people that told me these stories are either now dead or in their late 60's to late 70's so these stories will fade into time ...
In the meantime get your cash ready for the next sale of the century ...
In the meantime get your cash ready for the next sale of the century ...
Max Blenkin June 29, 2011 - 5:04PM
AAP
The Australian Defence Force is set to embark on the biggest disposal sale of surplus used equipment since the aftermath of World War II.
As the ADF buys new aircraft, ships, vehicles and weapons it's planning to sell off the old kit and make as much money as possible.
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said over the next 10 years' defence would dispose of up to 24 ships, 70 combat aircraft, 110 other aircraft, 120 helicopters, 600 armoured vehicles, 12,000 other vehicles plus assorted communications equipment, weapons and explosive ordnance.
"The Australian Defence Force is about to undertake the biggest disposal of military equipment since World War II," he said in a statement.
"Over the next 15 years the Australian Defence Force will replace or upgrade up to 85 per cent of its equipment."
Mr Clare said what was to be sold represented 10 per cent of the government's non-financial assets.
The funds raised will be reinvested in new military equipment, such as simulators for training.
The sale will start with the release of a request for proposal for the disposal of up to 24 Navy ships across the coming decade. That includes landing ship HMAS Manoora, Adelaide Class FFG frigates and minehunters.
Mr Clare said a plan to dispose of up to 12,000 Army vehicles had also been approved. That includes Land Rovers and Unimog and Mack trucks.
He said that would likely mean the bulk sale of vehicles would go to companies which would repair and upgrade the vehicle for resale.
The request for proposal for the vehicle disposals will be released in July.
Historically significant pieces of military equipment will still be made available to the Australian War Memorial, RSL clubs and other historical organisations.
Mr Clare said he was seeking to reform the disposal procedures to reduce costs, increase revenue and provide opportunities for involvement of Australian defence industry.
He said the British government managed to generate almost $A1 billion from their military equipment disposals since 1997.
Over the same period and with a similar number and type of assets, the disposal of Australian military equipment cost around $20 million.
© 2011 AAP
AAP
The Australian Defence Force is set to embark on the biggest disposal sale of surplus used equipment since the aftermath of World War II.
As the ADF buys new aircraft, ships, vehicles and weapons it's planning to sell off the old kit and make as much money as possible.
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said over the next 10 years' defence would dispose of up to 24 ships, 70 combat aircraft, 110 other aircraft, 120 helicopters, 600 armoured vehicles, 12,000 other vehicles plus assorted communications equipment, weapons and explosive ordnance.
"The Australian Defence Force is about to undertake the biggest disposal of military equipment since World War II," he said in a statement.
"Over the next 15 years the Australian Defence Force will replace or upgrade up to 85 per cent of its equipment."
Mr Clare said what was to be sold represented 10 per cent of the government's non-financial assets.
The funds raised will be reinvested in new military equipment, such as simulators for training.
The sale will start with the release of a request for proposal for the disposal of up to 24 Navy ships across the coming decade. That includes landing ship HMAS Manoora, Adelaide Class FFG frigates and minehunters.
Mr Clare said a plan to dispose of up to 12,000 Army vehicles had also been approved. That includes Land Rovers and Unimog and Mack trucks.
He said that would likely mean the bulk sale of vehicles would go to companies which would repair and upgrade the vehicle for resale.
The request for proposal for the vehicle disposals will be released in July.
Historically significant pieces of military equipment will still be made available to the Australian War Memorial, RSL clubs and other historical organisations.
Mr Clare said he was seeking to reform the disposal procedures to reduce costs, increase revenue and provide opportunities for involvement of Australian defence industry.
He said the British government managed to generate almost $A1 billion from their military equipment disposals since 1997.
Over the same period and with a similar number and type of assets, the disposal of Australian military equipment cost around $20 million.
© 2011 AAP