Southern Cross......
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Southern Cross......
....no, not Kingsford Smith's one.
I'm sure someone here can help. I have a friend visiting Brisbane, and I've told her to go to a museum and take me some photos of the remains of an A/C that I'm pretty sure is in Brisbane - but I can't fnd any reference to it.
I used to have a magazine article about its discovery, but I've lost it (if anyone has a copy.......) It was an attempt to fly from UK to Australia in a single engined plane in the 20s/30s. The a/c and the pilot (whose name I've forgotten) disappeared in Africa and were never heard from again. In the 60s there was a report that a patrol of the French Foreign Legion had found the remains, and a bunch of UK car/plane nuts- Hamish Moffat, Keith Schellenberg and others - decided to go and recover it. They succeeded, and it was shipped to Australia as they thought it ought to end up at its intended destination.
I'm pretty sure the remains are now in a Brisbane Museum. Any info gratefully received - and as I say, if by some small chance someone has a copy of the article (it was in a classic car magazine - long shot I know!!) or any more info.....
I'm sure someone here can help. I have a friend visiting Brisbane, and I've told her to go to a museum and take me some photos of the remains of an A/C that I'm pretty sure is in Brisbane - but I can't fnd any reference to it.
I used to have a magazine article about its discovery, but I've lost it (if anyone has a copy.......) It was an attempt to fly from UK to Australia in a single engined plane in the 20s/30s. The a/c and the pilot (whose name I've forgotten) disappeared in Africa and were never heard from again. In the 60s there was a report that a patrol of the French Foreign Legion had found the remains, and a bunch of UK car/plane nuts- Hamish Moffat, Keith Schellenberg and others - decided to go and recover it. They succeeded, and it was shipped to Australia as they thought it ought to end up at its intended destination.
I'm pretty sure the remains are now in a Brisbane Museum. Any info gratefully received - and as I say, if by some small chance someone has a copy of the article (it was in a classic car magazine - long shot I know!!) or any more info.....
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This one?
Southern Cross Minor flown by Captain W N (Bill) Lancaster.
Quite a juicy story by all accounts! (pre flight)
Southern Cross Minor flown by Captain W N (Bill) Lancaster.
The "Southern Cross Minor", as it was christened by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, was purchased by him in 1931 for an attempted record breaking Australia to England flight
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The one in the pic above is the aircraft Kingsford Smith flew from Oakland to Brisbane in the first Pacific crossing - the Southern Cross.
I think this is what you're looking for (copy and paste job):
Captain Bill Lancaster
http://www.tne.net.au/wil/avhisi.html
In 1962 the French Army discovered the wreck of Bill Lancaster's 'Southern Cross Minor' AVRO Avian. Having been lost in the severe desert region of Africa, near Reggan, Algeria, 29 years before. This solved a mystery which had enthralled the World in 1933.
Australian Captain Bill Lancaster poses with his Avro Avian Mk.V Southern Cross Minor before setting out on his 1933 attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Cape Town, South Africa
http://africanhistory.about.com
A former Australian Flying Corps pilot and a former boxer and accomplished horseman, Bill took great risks in trying to break the London to Cape record of a Puss Moth flown by Amy Johnson. His plane was much slower and he took minimal supplies. He was broke and desperate.
Despite entreaties by officials at Reggan not to fly South across the desert, as he had been 30 hours in the air without sleep, he took off in the dark. The engine lost power and failed within two hours and he crashed and lay upside down unconscious for several hours. He survived for a week before dying and leaving a poignant diary. The remains of his plane is in The Queensland Museum, Brisbane, in a realistic display.
I think this is what you're looking for (copy and paste job):
Captain Bill Lancaster
http://www.tne.net.au/wil/avhisi.html
In 1962 the French Army discovered the wreck of Bill Lancaster's 'Southern Cross Minor' AVRO Avian. Having been lost in the severe desert region of Africa, near Reggan, Algeria, 29 years before. This solved a mystery which had enthralled the World in 1933.
Australian Captain Bill Lancaster poses with his Avro Avian Mk.V Southern Cross Minor before setting out on his 1933 attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Cape Town, South Africa
http://africanhistory.about.com
A former Australian Flying Corps pilot and a former boxer and accomplished horseman, Bill took great risks in trying to break the London to Cape record of a Puss Moth flown by Amy Johnson. His plane was much slower and he took minimal supplies. He was broke and desperate.
Despite entreaties by officials at Reggan not to fly South across the desert, as he had been 30 hours in the air without sleep, he took off in the dark. The engine lost power and failed within two hours and he crashed and lay upside down unconscious for several hours. He survived for a week before dying and leaving a poignant diary. The remains of his plane is in The Queensland Museum, Brisbane, in a realistic display.
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Thats the one, thanks very much.
I'm really annoyed with myself for losing the magazine with the article in it. It detailed the trip that Shellenberg / Moffat made to retrieve the remains, and reproduced a couple of entries from the diary.
I'm really annoyed with myself for losing the magazine with the article in it. It detailed the trip that Shellenberg / Moffat made to retrieve the remains, and reproduced a couple of entries from the diary.
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southern cross minor
I read your post on Southern Cross Minor and found it not to be very correct! As Wylton Dickson was the one that paid for and organised the retrivel of the souther cross and also i Wylton & David Billett brought the plane back out of Gadia in Sahara to London set & it up in Australia House before Wylton sending it back to Qld i have all documents, photos to prove this? my name & Davids were not noted by Qld Museum as they said to many names already i have that document to Wylton Dickson was the director of World Cup Rally and lots more!
Regards Paul Batten
Regards Paul Batten
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Bill Lancaster and expedition to retrieve plane
Try reading Verdict of a Lost Flyer by Ralph Barker - doesn't outline the retrieval of the plane by Wilton Dixon and friends but describes events leading up to the crash and a number of diary excerpts. There is a video/dvd of the expedition to retrieve the plane. I remember watching it many years ago in London at Wilton Dixon's studio. Bill Lancaster was my grandfather.
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Bill
Hi Debbie that would have been in Noel Cowards old place i helped fix it up for Wylton?I can say that a lot of things that are said about this plane are not acurate i have copies of log book plus paper clipings ? Most of the people that got the plane out to Gadia were having all sorts of panic attaces and arguments but now they make up there on storys!!
