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The Southern Cross flying over the Defence Research Centre at Salisbury during flight tests. (ARDU)
Southern Cross Project Completed
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The Southern Cross Flies Again
In the foyer of the Parafield Aerodrome Control Tower there is a picture of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s Southern Cross, a Fokker FV11b-3m, flying over the Bolivar salt evaporation pans on a visit to the airfield. Since early August it has been made a timeless picture by the flights of the recently completed and flight-tested Southern Cross Replica, an enthusiasts’ project managed by the Southern Cross Museum Trust and built under contract by Famous Australian Aircraft Ltd.
The Replica has had a rocky road to the air, strewn with financial obstacles, which probably pales to insignificance Smithy’s difficulties in the twenties in obtaining financial sponsorship for his record-breaking flights.
In the late 1970s Adelaide businessman Mr John Pope conceived the idea of building a full-scale Fokker FVllb replica of the Southern Cross. Federal Government sponsorship was secured and design and construction was commenced. The project faltered for a number of years until the relatively recent formation of the Southern Cross Museum Trust and the injection of further capital, with significant sponsorship from the private sector. Under SCMT Project Manager Mr Jim Schofield (exDofA) the task finally came to fruition in August with the aircraft taking to the air and undergoing its flight test program. Following completion of the flight test program, conducted by an RAAF team from the Aircraft Research and Development Unit at Edinburgh, VH-USU received its Permit to Fly from the Dept of Transport and Communications on 18th September.
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