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Warbirds
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Rally Harvard to Stay
One entrant in the recent UK to Australia Air Rally that has attracted the attention of the warbird movement was a Harvard IIA with the wording ‘Spirit of San Francisco’ painted along the fuselage. Flown by Peter McMillan and Keith Clarke, the Harvard, reported to be N4995A, finished the rally and was then quickly flown south from Caboolture, Qld to be included in the aircraft auction held by Monarch Aviation at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, at the end of May. The Harvard, which one source indicated was initially for sale at around $120,000 at the end of the race, achieved the highest bid at the auction, $90,000. It is understood that the sale is subject to approval by the owner, now back in the USA, to accept the offer. Regardless of the outcome of this particular bid it would appear that the rally Harvard will stay in Australia. On the subject of Harvards and that breed, AT-6D N29944, was recently taken off the US register as bound for Australia. This machine is most likely the aircraft being imported from the USA by Mick English of Bathurst, NSW, as it has been learnt that a Harvard has just arrived at Bathurst. These two imports bring to some 21 the number of Harvards/ AT-6s/Texans and SNJs now in Australia.
Duigan Biplane Replica
If there was an award for replica aircraft of the year it would have to go to Ron Lewis of Heathcote, Victoria, for his replica 1910 Duigan Biplane. In 1910 farmer and engineer, John Duigan, designed, built and flew what has since become recognised as the first successful Australian built aircraft. On 16 July 1910 the machine flew from Spring Plains Station at Mia Mia, Victoria. In recent years the original Duigan machine was on display at the Museum of Victoria until put into storage pending the construction of a new Museum. It was while in storage that Ron Lewis, a retired mechanical engineer, studied the Duigan, drew up plans and built the replica. Sunday May 27 saw the official unveiling of the replica at Mangalore Airport where special guest of honour was Mrs Margaret Reece (nee Ferguson) who as an eight year old girl saw the first flight of the original Duigan. The replica, powered by a VW engine, is a faithful copy of the original machine and pilots and engineers at the unveiling commented that although Duigan built his aircraft only seven short years after the Wright Brothers made the first powered controlled flight, the principals of the structure and controls are little changed to what we see today. The workmanship of the replica is first class and the concept and construction of the Ron Lewis Duigan can be summed up in one word: Magnificent!
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