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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 23, 2017 19:01:45 GMT 12
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Post by Peter Lewis on Feb 24, 2017 7:47:27 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 24, 2017 8:12:34 GMT 12
Interesting the different colour schemes on that page, all different from the scheme it wore in New Zealand. So was this a private venture rather than RAAF - the pilot is in RAAF uniform so I assumed he was on official business.
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Post by baz62 on Feb 24, 2017 9:17:33 GMT 12
Hmm for some reason the link won't work. Might be my phone. :-( |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 24, 2017 9:20:17 GMT 12
Works fine for me Baz.
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Post by suthg on Feb 24, 2017 10:29:12 GMT 12
I have a good copy photo of this aircraft at home and can post it later on tomorrow. Graeme
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Post by isc on Feb 24, 2017 22:04:34 GMT 12
In Peter N. Anderson's book the are a couple of photos of VH-BVM ,one at Richmond RAAF base just before the trans Tasman flight. isc
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Post by komata on Apr 30, 2017 7:54:57 GMT 12
There is something odd about the top two pics which no one has commented on; the fact that the cowling clearly states that the maintenance crew consists of two NCO's; a Sergeant and a Corporal. When combined with the previously mentioned RAAF uniform, one has to wonder if there is perhaps more to this story than may be first apparent.
Thoughts anyone?
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Post by Mustang51 on Apr 30, 2017 11:15:32 GMT 12
No, just that he was still in RAAF when he owned the aircraft from what I have been able to dig up and there were plenty of serving RAAF types with Mustang maintenance experience.
I was upset at not being able to interview him at greater length apart from a telephone call. He as then in a nursing home north of Sydney and told me a lot of things about his career. Not just about the trans Ditch flight but also about his other ';adventures'. How about a Thunderbolt in Egypt that had been resurrected from a yard, fitted with a different radial and used to trial crop spraying.... Unfortunately he passed away shortly thereafter.
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Post by pjw4118 on Apr 30, 2017 15:27:34 GMT 12
In the first photo it looks very much like Cyril Baigent who was a CO at Whenuapai in July 1953 and flew Mustangs regularly during that time .
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Post by komata on Apr 30, 2017 18:28:13 GMT 12
Mustang51
Thank you; the things that are left off 'authoritative' records.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 3, 2018 23:38:16 GMT 12
This is from the The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld.) Sat 18 Jul 1953:
RECORD TASMAN TRIP
366 mph try-out for air race
SYDNEY (by teleprinter)— Strong tail winds enabled Flight Lieutenant J. L. Whiteman to break the trans-Tasman air speed record in a Mustang fighter.
He flew from Sydney to Auckland in 3hr 31½min, averaging 366 mph for the 1280 miles, to break the record by 12 minutes.
Flight Lieutenant Whiteman has entered the Mustang in the London-Christchurch air race n October.
At Whenuapai airport, 23 miles north of Auckland, Flight Lieut. Whiteman was cheered as he emerged from the Mustang's cockpit with a small suitcase and a cane lunch basket packed by his wife, who had seen him off at Richmond, near Sydney. Also at Richmond were Flight Lieut Whiteman's three children and scores of RAAF men.
Radio check
Before he left, Flight Lieut. Whiteman said he would check his position by radio with Lord Howe Island, Norfolk and other listening stations in the South Pacific.
The Mustang carried 356 gallons of fuel and full emergency gear for flying over water. This included a rubber dinghy, shark repellent, life jacket, hard rations, and a fresh water container.
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Post by nuuumannn on Jun 5, 2018 17:32:44 GMT 12
From Mustangs of the RAAF & RNZAF by Peter N Anderson:
"To test the aircraft under actual race conditions it was decided to make an attempt on the Sydney-Auckland Trans-Tasman record, which then stood at 3 hours 49 minutes. After hurriedly gaining its Certificate of Airworthiness, A68-5, now VH-BVM, departed Richmond RAAF Baseat 11:11amon 16 July; the actual start of the record attempt began when the aircraft passed over the control tower at Sydney Airport. Numerous snags were encountered on the trip due to supercharger and radio failure, but despite these setbacks, Flt Lt Whiteman completed the crossing in 3 hours 31 min, 30 seconds, thus establishing a new record."
On the same page is a photo of it at Richmond in that scheme, as well one in all over red as "Johnnie Zero" and two as G-ARKD.
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Post by Mustang51 on Jun 6, 2018 7:25:13 GMT 12
What would he know about Mustangs...........?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 6, 2018 9:21:51 GMT 12
Everything he knows he's heard in airshow commentaries, eh Ando?
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Post by Mustang51 on Jun 6, 2018 9:46:45 GMT 12
Never believe what a commentator says !
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 6, 2018 10:00:02 GMT 12
I dunno, I recall an Aussie commentator who recommends the crowd to join WONZ, I reckon he's pretty accurate...
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Post by John Inkson on Feb 24, 2019 10:29:03 GMT 12
No, just that he was still in RAAF when he owned the aircraft from what I have been able to dig up and there were plenty of serving RAAF types with Mustang maintenance experience. I've been doing some research and stumbled across this thread. My late father James Inkson was in the maintenance crew for this aircraft. This is another article from the National Library of Australia Archive about the same flight. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954) Tue 21 Jul 1953 Page 3 PLANE CARRIED TRIBUTE Plane Carried Tributetrove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/248587850?searchTerm=%22J%20InksonPLANE CARRIED TRIBUTE A Mustang fighter-which broke the trans-Tasman air re-cord—bears on its fus-elage in red: "Serviced by Sergeant Inkson and Corporal Lane." The inscription is a tri-bute to two R.A.A.F. men who worked in their own time to help to make the record-breaking, flight. On Friday, Flight-Lieut. Whiteman flew the Mus- tang 1175 miles from Sydney to Auckland in three hours 31 minutes to break the record of three hours 49 minutes which a Pan-American Airways Strato-cruiser set in May last year. Flight-Lieut. Whiteman (38) , is an ex-R.A.F and ex-R.A.A.F. pilot. His wife, who lives at Carroll Street, Kogarah, said yesterday that Ser-geant J. J. Inkson and Corporal T. Lane., of Rich-mond R.A.A.F. Station, were experts on the type of engine used in Mus-tangs. "Inkson and Lane have been wonderful." she said. "My husband could not have managed without their help. "Ever since he bought the Mustang from dis-posals in February, Ink-son and Lane have sacri-ficed their leave to work on the Mustang— to recondi-tion and service it." Regards John Inkson |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 10, 2021 19:54:36 GMT 12
TASMAN AIR RECORD
Mustang Sets New Time
MR WHITEMAN AT WHENUAPAI
(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 17.
A New Zealand pilot, Mr J. L. Whiteman, today broke by 12 minutes the record for a trans-Tasman flight. He flew a single-engine Mustang fighter from Richmond, near Sydney, to Whenuapai.
The distance of the flight was about 1280 miles. The Mustang’s average speed was about 366 miles an hour, and during a dive over the Manukau harbour, it reached 600 miles an hour. The plane flew over the control tower at Whenuapai at 4.42½ p.m., after crossing the Tasman in 3hr 31min.
The Mustang has been entered for the London-Christchurch international air race next October. After a smooth landing at Whenuapai, Mr Whiteman climbed stiffly out of his cramped cockpit.
There was a large crowd on the tarmac to greet him. He was given three rousing cheers. Mr Whiteman’s personal luggage comprised one small suitcase and a cane lunch-basket. It took him several minutes to overcome the deafness caused by his dive at 600 miles an hour.
Mr Whiteman claimed that if the supercharger on his plane had been working, he would have reached Whenuapai in two hours and a half. “The supercharger should have cut in at 18,000 feet, and didn’t,” he said. “There must have been a lot of sludge in it.”
The Mustang is tuned to reach a straight and level speed of 450 miles an hour with the engine working properly. At times Mr Whiteman flew at 30,000 ft. The air temperature near Australia was 32 degrees below zero. At 25,000 ft near New Zealand the temperature was 52 degrees below zero.
From Whenuapai, Mr Whiteman sent the following message to his wife in Sydney, “Arrived safely; am frozen stiff.”
The Sydney office of an oil company will give Mr Whiteman £100 for breaking the record. This, he says, will just pay for the fuel. If he had failed to break the record, which had been held by a Pan American Clipper, he would have received £50.
Mr Whiteman has spent about £1500 so far on the Mustang. He bought it at the “right price” from the Commonwealth Disposals Board. It was “brand new.” having flown only about 23 hours. It had been stored for four years. It is 1800 lb lighter than a service Mustang, because it has been stripped of armour and guns.
Mr Whiteman said that his brother, Mr William Whiteman, a Feilding engineer, would probably make the two variable pulsating jet engines that he wanted for the London-Christchurch air race. The design was partly his own, he said, and the engines would be similar to the German wartime “buzz” bombs.
Mr Whiteman expects to leave for Sydney next Friday. He may call at Norfolk Island on the way. The jet engines will not be ready by then.
He has three children, and his family will come to live in New Zealand after the air race.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is storing the Mustang at Whenuapai. Mr Whiteman may fly it on Sunday to Mangere, where he will be the guest of the Auckland Aero Club.
PRESS, 18 JULY 1953
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 10, 2021 19:55:36 GMT 12
I did not realise he was a New Zealander till I found the article that I just posted above. NZ's first warbird owner?
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