Record Breaking Australian Mustang "Rebel" at Whenuapai

[errolmartyn]

James Leighton Dennett Carlile Whiteman was born in Christchurch on 13 Jul 1910.
He attended Christ's College in Christchurch during 1919 - 1920.
He died in the Veteran's Hospital at Narabeen, NSW in 2003.
An interesting chap whose varied flying career would probably fill a book on its own.
Errol

[Mustang51]

Two books I think

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Errol.

[tbf2504]

I note the aircraft has an unusual whip aerial in front of the cockpit starboard side. I wonder if it was some form of temporary HF arrangement for trans-tasman comms?

[Dave Homewood]

Interestingly the Wikipedia page on the 1953 London to Christchurch Air Race only lists the five Canberras, the Hastings, the Viscount and the KLM DC-6B.

But an article from the Press, on 19 Feb 1953, lists the following entrants.

SPEED SECTION
Royal Australian Air Force: English Electric Canberra B, Mark 2.
Royal Australian Air Force: English 1 Electric Canberra B, Mark 2.
Royal Air Force: English Electric Canberra P.R.
Royal Air Force: English Electric Canberra P.R.
Royal Air Force: English Electric! Canberra P.R.
Royal Air Force: Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant B, Mark 1.
Royal Danish Air Force: Republic FB4G.
American Aircraft Corporation, P. D. Freytag (U.S.A.): Vickers Supermarine Spitfire, Mark 24.
Captain H. Hill and Colonel J. Dyer (U.S.A.): North American FB2 (Twin Mustang).
C. H. Goodlin (U.S.A.): de Havilland Hornet 3.
Squadron Leader A. J. R. Oates (Australia): de Havilland Mosquito, Mark 41.
J. L. Whiteman (Australia): North American Mustang.
Captain J. Woods (Australia): de Havilland Mosquito.

HANDICAP SECTION
British European Airways: Vickers-Armstrongs V-701 Viscount.
Custer Channel Wing Corporation (U.S.A.): Custer Channel Wing 5. K.
Royal Dutch Airlines: Douglas DC6A.
Mrs G. McKenzie (Australia): Douglas D.C. 3.
Royal New Zealand Air Force: Handley Page Hastings C 3.
Rausch Aviation (U.S.A.): Lockheed Lodestar.

There are also two further entries in this section from Captain J. Woods, of Perth, and Colin Kerby, of Melbourne. They are being held pending the arrival of certain information.

[Dave Homewood]

Could a Spitfire 24 fly across the Tasman safely?

Really interesting there were private entries of the Spitfire, DH Hornet and Twin Mustang.

[davidd]

Some of the designations of aircraft types only identified by numbers have been butchered to the extent that one cannot be identified at all, while the second can only because the popular name was included.

For Royal Danish Air Force: Republic FB4G read F-84G.

For Captain H Hill & Colonel J Dyer (USA) the North American FB2 is of course the Twin Mustang (F-82)

I think the Wikipedia page (which sounds pretty limited to me) only includes the aircraft that actually completed the race (or got at least half way - our very own Hastings. And were the two RAAF Canberras actually British-built B.2s? Just realized that the Vickers Valiant listed did not finish, nor even start in the race. I believe it was the glossy black B. Mk 2 prototype, which was soon withdrawn from contention.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes quite correct on those corrected designations.

It would have been really interesting to see a Mosquito, Hornet, Spitfire 24, Mustang and Twin Mustang all battling it out in the sky!

[davidd]

Sadly all were forced out before they started, through various factors, and all powered by upright V-12s (all Merlins of one sort or another, except for one Griffon in that Spitfire 24!)

[Dave Homewood]

Maybe it is time for a re-match. I am sure we could get a Mosquito, Mustang, Twin Mustang and a Griffon Spitfire together to race from London to Christchurch in 2023 for a 70th Anniversary air race. Maybe even a couple of Canberras, a CC-6 and a Lodestar. Imagine that!

[davidd]

Scratch the Custer Channel Wing! Don't think it was a real contender, but others may know better.