50 yrs since first flight of VH-FMM Airtourer prototype
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: The Coast of Sunshine, Australia
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Why not Peter Fanelli
Possible on a bitumen runway with a hangar close by.
The aircraft will slow down without the use of brakes fairly quickly but will still roll 1000 - 1200 feet, or about 800-900 on grass.
Whilst the passage of time and attrition have thinned the numbers it is the actions of national regulatory authorities and in particular that abomination called EASA that is the greatest threat to the Airtourer.
I wonder how many will still be flying in another 50 years.
Possible on a bitumen runway with a hangar close by.
The aircraft will slow down without the use of brakes fairly quickly but will still roll 1000 - 1200 feet, or about 800-900 on grass.
Whilst the passage of time and attrition have thinned the numbers it is the actions of national regulatory authorities and in particular that abomination called EASA that is the greatest threat to the Airtourer.
I wonder how many will still be flying in another 50 years.
Flight Lt Randy Green conducted the first official flight of 20 minutes, followed by two further flights of 40min and 20min the same day.
He was a fine instructor and we kept in touch for many years until he died a couple of years ago
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: MELBOURNE
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Victa Airtourer 50th
In discussing the 50th Anniversary of the first flight of the Victa Airtourer, mention should be made that on 11 November 1958, East-West Airlines announced they had purchased the manufacturing rights to the aircraft and would commence building them at their Tamworth base. A new company would be formed to undertake the construction and it was planned to build 12 in the first batch once Certification had been achieved. In early January 1959, enthusiastic announcements were made by the EWA General Manager, Captain Archie Smith about the manufacturing plans for the aircraft including the employment of 22 tradesmen to work on it's construction.
The Airtourer prototype arrived in Tamworth on 2 August 1959 where it commenced local flying but shortly afterwards, on the 22 August, the Airtourer suffered an engine failure and force landed in a local Tamworth paddock where it was substantially damaged. This mishap appeared to end East-West's interest in the aircraft and little was heard of it again in East-West circles.
The Airtourer prototype arrived in Tamworth on 2 August 1959 where it commenced local flying but shortly afterwards, on the 22 August, the Airtourer suffered an engine failure and force landed in a local Tamworth paddock where it was substantially damaged. This mishap appeared to end East-West's interest in the aircraft and little was heard of it again in East-West circles.
