Beech Queenair
I have warned him about engine management and meatbombing in Queenairs several times. FWG by memory. Stubborn bugger.
Not the type of aircraft to do it in.
I have logged almost 2000 hours and flown nearly every one of them in the nineties. Once you have mastered it it will never let you down. My all time favourite.
Not the type of aircraft to do it in.
I have logged almost 2000 hours and flown nearly every one of them in the nineties. Once you have mastered it it will never let you down. My all time favourite.
Memory goes that some dildo taxied it into a pole at Jandacot some time ago bending the whole aeroplane, since she never flew straight.
Good to hear it flies straight now
Like I said it was a beautiful aeroplane to fly except for that crap B4 autopilot that sent me into a dive with no warning several times.
Like I said it was a beautiful aeroplane to fly except for that crap B4 autopilot that sent me into a dive with no warning several times.
A65's had 26000 hours, A80's, B80's had 22000 hours airframe life but I think it was all lifted recently.
Excaliburs were fitted with 400 Hp IO-720 eight cylinder engines in place of the IGSO-480's and 540's.
I flew both AEQ and XAE Excalibur Queenairs for Air Eastern in the '90's.
Nice aeroplanes, no gearing and supercharging to worry about, shove all levers to the firewall and off you go. They could uplift around 1200 kg cargo and fly 2 hours with reserves at 175 kts.
Excaliburs were fitted with 400 Hp IO-720 eight cylinder engines in place of the IGSO-480's and 540's.
I flew both AEQ and XAE Excalibur Queenairs for Air Eastern in the '90's.
Nice aeroplanes, no gearing and supercharging to worry about, shove all levers to the firewall and off you go. They could uplift around 1200 kg cargo and fly 2 hours with reserves at 175 kts.
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sms777
you will be glad to know that crap autopilot ex FDV was the first thing that went into the rubbish bin at it's last 100 hourly
Cheers
you will be glad to know that crap autopilot ex FDV was the first thing that went into the rubbish bin at it's last 100 hourly
Cheers
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Excaliburs were fitted with 400 Hp IO-720 eight cylinder engines
if it can cope with lifting and dropping over 100 tonne of fertiliser in a day, - and still give a good chance of achieving TBO, or better, then it says a lot for the sturdiness of the engine.
Possibly a combination made in heaven for the Queenair...
65er
I am glad to hear but.....how come only recently
I have personally ripped the B4 out of ASY around 1994 with my engineer watching in amusement. I have pulled out about 75 kg of dead weight and 10 km of spagetti that resulted in reweigh and rebalance of the aircraft.
I flew the old girl with no autopilot IFR for another 8 years and never missed it.
Hands on flying turned me into a PILOT that I am proud of today.
I do not have a long list of different type endorsements in my log book but I think it would be difficult to find a nicer aeroplane to fly than the old Queenies.
I have personally ripped the B4 out of ASY around 1994 with my engineer watching in amusement. I have pulled out about 75 kg of dead weight and 10 km of spagetti that resulted in reweigh and rebalance of the aircraft.
I flew the old girl with no autopilot IFR for another 8 years and never missed it.
Hands on flying turned me into a PILOT that I am proud of today.
I do not have a long list of different type endorsements in my log book but I think it would be difficult to find a nicer aeroplane to fly than the old Queenies.
Last edited by sms777; 18th Jun 2011 at 08:07. Reason: confirming my log book entries
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doing l@ser camera runs
runs at 35,000 feet
They were flying on 100% oxygen
Normal or 100% O2 was selectable
one of the crew suffered the bends in flight
Lang Kidby
some of it was even legitimate
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Dora-9, thanks for posting the photo of the Civils line up.
As a youngster, aged about 7, I rode in VH-CFI - I sat in the front right seat. That aircraft was my first love. 40 odd years later, I remember it like it was yesterday.
As a youngster, aged about 7, I rode in VH-CFI - I sat in the front right seat. That aircraft was my first love. 40 odd years later, I remember it like it was yesterday.
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FWG by memory
From post #14 et al: VH-FWG used to be operated by a company at Toowoomba (can't recall the name but it had "East" in it somewhere). The Australian Army Survey Corps used to lease it as an aerial photography platform during the 1970s while the Indonesion mapping program was running. I helped change an engine cylinder on it at Nabire (West Irian) in 1978 and had a couple of right-seat rides out of Manado (North Sulawesi) and Gag Island (West Irian) during survey ops in 1979. The pilot in 1979 was a South African named Gordon Egan who had a penchant for low flying over water - must have been a balance reaction to the time spent at high altitude taking photos...
Fris B. - VH-CTE was well after my time there. This was the very early 65 that Jack Brabham flew out from the UK...
Is that a Metro behind CTE?
A Queenair used to transit through YMMB in the early 1980's, doing photographic work for BHP and other mining companies, I think it was based out of Woollongong, any idea what the callsign was?
A Queenair used to transit through YMMB in the early 1980's, doing photographic work for BHP and other mining companies, I think it was based out of Woollongong, any idea what the callsign was?
can't recall the name but it had "East" in it somewhere
lease it as an aerial photography platform during the 1970s
Aerodist and the radar APR were being used by Adastra using the Husdon. Unionair won the contract 1967 or thereabouts.
Aerodist
ADASTRA AERIAL SURVEYS - AERODIST
Radar APR
ADASTRA AERIAL SURVEYS - A.P.R.
WREMAPS
Technology in Australia 1788-1988Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
The work was a considerable stimulus to the physics research in both establishments. At MRL, solid state and dye lasers were developed; and a carbon dioxide laser was constructed. From 1967, L. E. S. Mathias was the leader, and innovations included construction of a 2 kilowatt continuous power laser, the first reported electron beam-controlled CO2 laser, the first atmospheric pressure laser, and the first using plasma injection. Much of the work was directed to laser-damage sensitivity of materials, and to laser safety.
The complementary work at WRE, under the leadership of F. F. Thonemann, was on the instrumental use of lasers. Several kinds were built, and experiments conducted on modulation, switching, and frequency multiplication. An early application was the development for the Division of National Mapping of an airborne system (WREMAPS) to measure ground profiles accurately. Later, using frequency doubling to obtain green light from a neodymium laser, they produced a more efficient system called WREMAPS II for the Royal Australian Survey Corps.
Last edited by 601; 19th Jun 2011 at 09:52.
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601 - I see you have some knowledge of Snows operation; you would prob then recall Capt Cranky, who flew a lot of those trips, from whom the info came on the profiles flown, later supported by Lang who I met when we did an Instrument Rating together. I make no assertions as to its accuracy, nor do I have any reason to doubt it. I do have somewhere in my store of memorobillia, some kodak snaps of said Capt Cranky with a reservoir 100% mask on, with the clock reading 35000. The bends story likewise came from them; while I was not there I am given to believe it is true.... do you know otherwise?
The 'legitimacy' referred to my presence in the RHS, not the operation per se.
After Independence in 1975, IIRC Snows Queenairs went on the Moomba (or was it Moonie) oilfield runs as well as night freight. Didn't they end up with Eastland at some point? FWG ended up doing beach darts at CDR. RUU went to Denis Behan eventually, I remember seeing its wings in a pile of aircraft bits at ROM.
The 'legitimacy' referred to my presence in the RHS, not the operation per se.
After Independence in 1975, IIRC Snows Queenairs went on the Moomba (or was it Moonie) oilfield runs as well as night freight. Didn't they end up with Eastland at some point? FWG ended up doing beach darts at CDR. RUU went to Denis Behan eventually, I remember seeing its wings in a pile of aircraft bits at ROM.
Last edited by Jamair; 20th Jun 2011 at 02:18.
with the clock reading 35000
oilfield runs
The 'legitimacy' referred to my presence in the RHS, not the operation per se.
RUU still appears on the CASA Register as being registered to DB.
Who could forget Capt C.
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Queenair commuter
In the early 80's I worked with a now long defunct commuter carrier Southern Cross Airways, which was owned by a real estate agent in Marrickville and operated flights out of Flight Facilities at SYD to Nowra, Moruya and Tumut using two Queenairs MWH and CLI. I know MWH was ex Masling. Dunno about CLI. Does anyone know if either of these aircraft are still around? I suspect our flights into Nowra (NOA) were the only time this airport was ever used for scheduled services. We often had to wait whilst the Navy's Skyhawks took off.
Does anyone know if either of these aircraft are still around?
CLI
MyAviation.net - Aviation Photo Gallery
MWH
VH-MWH was current until July 2006, when it was withdrawn from use and de-registered.
VH-MWH
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I suspect our flights into Nowra (NOA) were the only time this airport was ever used for scheduled services
Edit to add think Maslings perhaps.
Last edited by Brian Abraham; 20th Jun 2011 at 06:12.
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Nowra Commuter Service September 1969 to August 1970
Brian Abraham:
Maslings used to have a service that included Nowra ,between September 1969 and August 1970. The route was Williamtown - Sydney - Wollongong - Nowra - Sydney - Williamtown.
My log book shows that my flights were mainly on MWH and MWI.
Nowra had a strong downdraft when landing to the west and the story in those days was that a Caribou came to grief and landed very short with bent wings, the Captain got out and made the announcement " We have arrived" !!
Regards
Tmb
Maslings used to have a service that included Nowra ,between September 1969 and August 1970. The route was Williamtown - Sydney - Wollongong - Nowra - Sydney - Williamtown.
My log book shows that my flights were mainly on MWH and MWI.
Nowra had a strong downdraft when landing to the west and the story in those days was that a Caribou came to grief and landed very short with bent wings, the Captain got out and made the announcement " We have arrived" !!
Regards
Tmb