Mustangs at Maralinga
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Tinpis , I don't know where the 'Capt Crankcase' name came from but I was at his 50th birthday bash and they gave him a homemade birthday card with that name on it signed by all the old aviation fossils in SA at that time (around 1990) and I know he didn't like being called that from the look on his face !
Silly Old Git
I kept bumping into Schwerdts all over the place starting wth a brother in Port Moresby Army in 1970. How many are there? I worked for Tony in the 70's and found him the most pleasant and engaging chap as you can see on the video
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aseanaero - interesting you mention Mustangs buried somewhere in Woomera range area in your post #88. I was associated with 'Kuringai'(?) bombing trials by RAAF ARDU in Woomera in the early 1980's where F111 and Mirage Acft were used. Didn't hear anything about Mustangs, but at Evetts Field (an airfield, about 30NM out of Woomera and separate to Woomera airfield) where the trials were conducted were 10-12 Canberra Bombers spread out. I visited the airfield on three occasions and saw these aircraft myself. The 'Kuringai' bombs would piece the skin of these aircraft and make them inoperative. So, in effect to an average person the aircraft would look as if they had little or no damage. My question is: "Are these Canberra aircraft still at Evetts Field or have they been
sold and removed?"
aseanaero - Also, sorry didn't know about the the 'Atomic Mustang' thread and only found the 'Mustangs at Maralinga' thread that commenced in Nov 2007, so placed the video of the Mustangs at Emu here. Maybe, the 'Mods' need to combine both threads.
sold and removed?"
aseanaero - Also, sorry didn't know about the the 'Atomic Mustang' thread and only found the 'Mustangs at Maralinga' thread that commenced in Nov 2007, so placed the video of the Mustangs at Emu here. Maybe, the 'Mods' need to combine both threads.
Last edited by Spotl; 20th Aug 2011 at 08:59.
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When I was told the story of the buried aircraft the story tellers didn't know what sort of aircraft they were , just WW2 aircraft , I imagine fighters , I doubt they'd be Mustangs
Under USA Lend Lease the equipment had to be returned (which rarely happened) , purchased by the recipient country (UK purchased a lot of equipment at 10 cents in the dollar) , destroyed or scrapped
Lot's of fighter aircraft pushed off ships off the east coast of Australia.
There's also a lot of stories about trenches being dug and aircraft pushed into them and filled in with dirt.
Like most legends 90% of them are bull , especially 'new aircraft in crates' stories , I personally heard of some 'new tiger moths' in crates near Goolwa South Oz , a few years later I actually found them by coincidence and they were very well worn disassembled tigers sitting in a farm barn , some of the bits were in crates :-)
Under USA Lend Lease the equipment had to be returned (which rarely happened) , purchased by the recipient country (UK purchased a lot of equipment at 10 cents in the dollar) , destroyed or scrapped
Lot's of fighter aircraft pushed off ships off the east coast of Australia.
There's also a lot of stories about trenches being dug and aircraft pushed into them and filled in with dirt.
Like most legends 90% of them are bull , especially 'new aircraft in crates' stories , I personally heard of some 'new tiger moths' in crates near Goolwa South Oz , a few years later I actually found them by coincidence and they were very well worn disassembled tigers sitting in a farm barn , some of the bits were in crates :-)
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Woomera I find interesting as being a restricted area and a test site I tend to think some of the Woomera stories might be true (except the underground secret bunker full of new spitfires etc which was a common story around Parafield years ago) but with regards to abandoned test aircraft I reckon there's still a few interesting aircraft sitting out in the desert sun or buried in the desert.
When I say 'Woomera' I'm talking about the whole test area including satellite airfields , not just the main Woomera facility , as you know it's one of the largest areas of restricted land and airspace in the world
When I say 'Woomera' I'm talking about the whole test area including satellite airfields , not just the main Woomera facility , as you know it's one of the largest areas of restricted land and airspace in the world
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I can only recall the two airfields at Woomera. The main airfield near the town and Evetts Field both of which had bituminised runways. Evetts was adjacent to Range 'E'. Operated two-seater Meteors out of Evetts until 1970's. One of the pilots, Stan Borthwick was an ex-Royal Navy LCDR who I knew and told me the Meteors were used as radio controlled aircraft to teach pilots to fly the Jindivik from ground positions. He would go up as a safety pilot!
I believe the Royal Navy disposed of many Lend Lease aircraft at sea from off Brisbane and off Jervis Bay because many of the aircraft it operated in Australia from Mobile Naval Airbases (MONAB'S) were Avengers, Hellcats and Corsairs on Lend Lease Agreement from the US. More on the MONAB story can be found at:
The MONAB Story Home Page
Many secondary airfields in Australia became MONAB's e.g. RAAF Bankstown was handed over to the RN on 27th January 1945 and became HMS NABBERLEY. Whilst the RAN ended up operating three airfields as Naval Air Stations after WWII - Nowra, Jervis Bay and Schofields, the RN had many more in NSW and QLD during the latter stages of WWII. Jervis Bay still had WWII 'fighter' revements and buildings until the 1980's.
How long ago did you discover the Tiger Moths at Goolwa? I knew a pilot at Williamtown when I was there in the early 1970's bought a Tiger Moth at a cheaper price than you'd get a used car then. Think he bought it somewhere around Maitland.
I believe the Royal Navy disposed of many Lend Lease aircraft at sea from off Brisbane and off Jervis Bay because many of the aircraft it operated in Australia from Mobile Naval Airbases (MONAB'S) were Avengers, Hellcats and Corsairs on Lend Lease Agreement from the US. More on the MONAB story can be found at:
The MONAB Story Home Page
Many secondary airfields in Australia became MONAB's e.g. RAAF Bankstown was handed over to the RN on 27th January 1945 and became HMS NABBERLEY. Whilst the RAN ended up operating three airfields as Naval Air Stations after WWII - Nowra, Jervis Bay and Schofields, the RN had many more in NSW and QLD during the latter stages of WWII. Jervis Bay still had WWII 'fighter' revements and buildings until the 1980's.
How long ago did you discover the Tiger Moths at Goolwa? I knew a pilot at Williamtown when I was there in the early 1970's bought a Tiger Moth at a cheaper price than you'd get a used car then. Think he bought it somewhere around Maitland.
Last edited by Spotl; 20th Aug 2011 at 09:03.
A look on Google earth should show whats left at Evertts field Woomera.
There's a DVD about re Kee Bird the B50? that got lost ... very lost!... in the Arctic and forced landed in northern Greenland. In the rush to get moving after a colossal effort in getting the enormous aircraft ready for flight after engine and prop changes, control surfaces recovered etc... the jerry rigged fuel set up for the APU is shaken loose on taxi and starts a fire.
All they can do is hop out and watch it fall to pieces. A bit like the B17 in the corn patch recently.
Thus endeth a long cold campout and one "time capsule" aeoplane.!!
Bugger.
Schwerdt brothers... anyone know if Dean is still about. Operated with him naving for Survair out of Adelaide in the late 70s, in Aero Commanders Another av-character, like Tony
There's a DVD about re Kee Bird the B50? that got lost ... very lost!... in the Arctic and forced landed in northern Greenland. In the rush to get moving after a colossal effort in getting the enormous aircraft ready for flight after engine and prop changes, control surfaces recovered etc... the jerry rigged fuel set up for the APU is shaken loose on taxi and starts a fire.
All they can do is hop out and watch it fall to pieces. A bit like the B17 in the corn patch recently.
Thus endeth a long cold campout and one "time capsule" aeoplane.!!
Bugger.
Schwerdt brothers... anyone know if Dean is still about. Operated with him naving for Survair out of Adelaide in the late 70s, in Aero Commanders Another av-character, like Tony
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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.
DF.
DF.
Listen out for Tony on a CHTR over Lake Eyre this weekend. The Professor still straps an aeroplane on like it's a backpack.
FRQ CB
Last edited by FRQ Charlie Bravo; 19th Aug 2011 at 14:32.
Very good thread this one. Tony is quite a character. I'd like to pay tribute to Jim Schofield. Jim flew mustangs in Italy and was part of an escorting group of spitfires for Dwight D's arrival in France following the D-Day invasion. Jim was clearly no slouch as a test pilot on P51D A68-001 and later the Aussie designed variant the XA15 (I think). I met Jim when he was the Regional Director for DCA in PNG and what a great man he was. He loved Aussie Rules and was the patron of the Aviat Football Club and was a mentor to the start of many careers, be they flying or ground based. His son Jon didn't quite follow into aviation and was the base guitarist with Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, later changed to the Messengers. Jim passed away not too long ago in Adelaide. Many in the Bird of Paradise club owe much to Jim who I always found to be a very down to earth and decent man.
Ha ha ha. Think again Desert Flower,
Listen out for Tony on a CHTR over Lake Eyre this weekend. The Professor still straps an aeroplane on like it's a backpack.
Listen out for Tony on a CHTR over Lake Eyre this weekend. The Professor still straps an aeroplane on like it's a backpack.
DF.
The Kee Bird was a B29 that you are referring to in the Arctic with the APU fire.
Kee Bird - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kee Bird - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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There is also a small doco on the Emu birds, including footage of A68-1 landing at Coober Pedy
(3 parts)Awesome footage, I cant believe they got A68-1 up and going after all it'd been through, Huge effort by Tony and the boys! Great piece of avation history.
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Gassed budgie, I'd heard a similar dumping overboard story where commercial fishing nets used to become continually snagged and the offshore area was subsequently avoided. Fishermen never tell lies of course and the snagging net story was told to some who were able to have a bit of a look. Word I heard was whatever was there was relatively intact, something to do with the lack of oxygen at the alleged depths. Notwithstanding, the fisherman was in a bar at the time of telling.
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Some more info for those interested
Life's a hoot: the autobiography of ... - Google Buku
Fact or fable: hunt is on for buried Spitfires | The Australian
Life's a hoot: the autobiography of ... - Google Buku
Fact or fable: hunt is on for buried Spitfires | The Australian
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and more ...
CAC-17 Mustang
Just over a decade later these Mustangs were purchased as is by Stanley Booker of Stan's Airplane Sales, Fresno California, who engaged Tony Schwerdt of Adelaide to remove them. Tony was to keep one himself, and chose the prototype Australian built Mustang A68-1 which his team made air-
worthy under primitive conditions. The other five were dismantled and shipped to the US . Tony flew A68-1 out to Coober Pedy and then on to Parafield with the gear in the fixed down position,but DCA at that time had a firm policy restricting ex-military combat aircraft flying as civil machines, although they did allocate the registration VH-EMQ (he wanted VH-EMU but that was already allocated to a Cherokee) for it. Schwerdt was taken to court by DCA for his unauthorized ferry flight out of Emu.
worthy under primitive conditions. The other five were dismantled and shipped to the US . Tony flew A68-1 out to Coober Pedy and then on to Parafield with the gear in the fixed down position,but DCA at that time had a firm policy restricting ex-military combat aircraft flying as civil machines, although they did allocate the registration VH-EMQ (he wanted VH-EMU but that was already allocated to a Cherokee) for it. Schwerdt was taken to court by DCA for his unauthorized ferry flight out of Emu.