Belfast in Cairns

[Fris B. Fairing]

I am advised that the C-47 formerly VH-SPY has been sighted today on a private property at Edmonton south of Cairns. The aircraft is currently stored in the open inside a fenced enclosure. Wings and props are not fitted. The new owner's name is unknown.

[RuudLeeuw]

Hi all,
I worked on an item for my
Page 49 - Photos by Friends and Guests
on Shorts SC.5 Belfast RP-C8020 at Cairns

based on
No Cookies | The Cairns Post
and posts on various forums (KeyPublishing, PPRune, Scramble)

Hope for the latest on this humongous bird...
Uupdates or add'l info appreciated

[buzzz.lightyear]

It’s been moved and turned around. Doors are open and ladders up to the fuselage. I saw pix of it recently surrounded by water after the rain last week or so..

[aroa]

Yep, saw that . Great to see 'something' might be happening.... to save it,???... by flying it somewhere else.???

hate to think the big bird would just be scrapped.

[packapoo]

Originally Posted by buzzz.lightyear

It’s been moved and turned around. Doors are open and ladders up to the fuselage. I saw pix of it recently surrounded by water after the rain last week or so..

Thought for a moment there they'd done the right thing and dumped it in the tide...

[cowl flaps]

... by flying it somewhere else.???

It would be a very brave pair who would fly that thing again.

[LeadSled]

It would be a very brave pair who would fly that thing again.

Why, if it has got a "ferry" permit??
Tootle pip!!

[aroa]

Why would you want to dump it in the tide ?? , sh*ttybits.
Its a magnificent piece of aeronautical engineering and seriously uncommon/rare. On the verge of extinction ?..is this the last of the breed ?

Would great if it only got to be parked at YMBA... great starting block for the NQ Aviation Heritage Centre..!! A small museum could be INSIDE !!

[packapoo]

I realised it would be most irresponsible, that's why I looked again.

As to the rest, well, a magnificent piece of UKish how not to aeronautically engineer and thankfully rare. Guess the Port Authority wish it were even rarer....

[sandiego89]

Engine runs? For the Belfast, or for another application?


Short Belfast Under Resurrection in Australia?

[cowl flaps]

A phone pic I took last tuesday. The old girl's not looking too shabby.

[packapoo]

Phone pic?
New safety criteria? Surely not.
Always thought it was the things you couldn't see that would hurt you...

[theozguru]

Has there been much movement on this plane? Has someone actually paid the parking fees? I wonder if they are going to fly it out like they did the 737-200 out of Perth to Jandakot one early Sunday morning.

[cowl flaps]

Originally Posted by theozguru

Has there been much movement on this plane? Has someone actually paid the parking fees? I wonder if they are going to fly it out like they did the 737-200 out of Perth to Jandakot one early Sunday morning.

It's been moved around in the last few months. Has been engine runs too. Not what you'd do if it was to be scrapped.
The 727-200 that sat with it a few years ago was chopped up for scrap. Parking fees on the Belfast would be in the millions, at a guess, after all these years.
Also it has been re-painted from the white to a military-like light grey. It must have some value,- being a one off.

[packapoo]

Probably one of the pollies from that not-so-squeaky-clean country a little further North that like to spend all their down time in Cairns, have 'sold' it to their Defence Force.....

[mattyj]

Also it has been re-painted from the white to a military-like light grey. It must have some value,- being a one off.

are you sure it’s grey paint? From a distance, bird doo, burned rubber residue, dust and burned jet fuel residue have a similar appearance

[cowl flaps]

Originally Posted by mattyj

are you sure it’s grey paint? From a distance, bird doo, burned rubber residue, dust and burned jet fuel residue have a similar appearance

If bird shit and all the other substances are shiny, you may well be right on the money, mattyj.

[aroa]

Major article in the cns 'Weekend Post' re the imminent demise of 'Hector' the last Belfast not in captivity, atho a paroled prisoner.
Anyone know what was the 'legal issue' with the Airstapo that grounded it.? Not that the local environment is doing it much good.
Would make a great specimen for the newly minted FNQ Aviation Museum, 10 minutes away.
HARS reckons its not relevant to Oz. So what ? its a rare bird, pulls in the spotters and tourists, and once gone ...never to be seen again. Unless you want a holiday in the UK

[LeadSled]

So sad.
Tootle pip!!

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Haven’t been to CNS in a while...
It is now 2 months on from this reported “imminent” demise of Hector, can anyone please report on the situation now?