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Post by baldrick on Jul 13, 2018 16:35:13 GMT 12
Not that I remember them saying. I would think that that would be a major undertaking especially if the aircraft has been out of the air for quite some time. There was a bloke or a team of blokes down Vic way were or are having a crack at putting one into the air sometime ago and I haven’t heard much since, but that was a few yrs ago btw. Do you have any photos of Winjeel 35 as my soon to be wife uncle owns that particular Winjeel? I believe the Mirage you are referring to is the one now at HARS. |
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Post by kiwi285 on Jul 16, 2018 14:08:10 GMT 12
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Post by kiwi285 on Jul 16, 2018 14:18:08 GMT 12
Getting towards the end of the photos now but these one really piqued my interest as they are pretty rare and especially in the case of the Kawasaki Ki-61 it is the first one I have seen in the flesh. In the case of the DAP Beaufort I have seen several in Australian and at Hendon and have sat in the Greg Cussack example up in Queensland. Looking forward to seeing examples of both these aircraft in the air again some time.  P1390079 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390080 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390081 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390082 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390083 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr This looks like a new Kawasaki Ki-61 fuselage but no one I talked to seemed to know.  P1390140 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr Will put the Beaufort ones up soon. |
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Post by kiwi285 on Jul 16, 2018 14:57:33 GMT 12
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Post by Bruce on Jul 16, 2018 15:26:05 GMT 12
Looks like someone sharpened the pencil too much! The Swearingen Merlin does look a bit funny compared to the Metros we are used to! |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 16, 2018 16:42:27 GMT 12
WOW....I didn't know HARS had a DC-4 in their collection until I saw the photograph in this thread.
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Post by kiwi285 on Jul 19, 2018 13:34:24 GMT 12
 P1390114 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390116 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390117 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390120 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390121 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390123 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390124 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390122 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390126 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390127 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390128 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr |
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Post by kiwi285 on Jul 21, 2018 16:50:09 GMT 12
 P1390129 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390130 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390131 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390132 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390133 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390134 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390142 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390143 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390144 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  P1390145 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr |
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Post by kiwi285 on Jul 27, 2018 19:29:33 GMT 12
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dodgypilot
Leading Aircraftman
civil jockey
Posts: 1
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Post by dodgypilot on Dec 4, 2018 11:00:45 GMT 12
Just for the record HARS is 100% volunteer and still growing with a couple of notable recent additions. The Australian Royal Navy Historical Flight, or a large part of what is left is being transfered to HARS and hopefully a lot of it will be eventually on display at the Navy base near Nowra, with a few items to the main HARS Museum and some to the Parkes base. John Travolta donated his ex-Qantas B707-138 to HARS last year and we are still working on getting this aircraft to Australia with a plan to fly it in and to keep it flying.
One ex NZ Fokker F27-500 (ZK-PAX) is currently at HARS and we are eagerly waiting the arrival of a second one (ZK-POH) both of which served with NZ Post. Plan is to fly one as a HARS member shuttle and at the moment I am the Team Leader on the F27 project. Happy to receive any info from people who knew these aircraft in NZ especially those who worked on them.
One of the DH Vampires is getting close to flying again, The Southern Cross replica aircraft is also not far off taking the air again - two outboard engines to complete overhaul and mounting and then it is go.
Please come and be welcomed at HARS whenever you can visit. There is a great Cafe 'Connie' in house for a delicious lunch or just a barista coffee.
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Post by ZacYates on Dec 4, 2018 12:18:41 GMT 12
Baldrick beat me to it, the Mirage being restored to airworthy at Wangaratta went to HARS and is seen in those earlier photos. From memory it will be static. The book A Higher Calling by Adam Makos is well worth reading, it's about the two pilots involved in this remarkable "escort mission". Thank you for sharing these photos Mike, I'm sorry I missed them on the first posting. Brilliant stuff - HARS really is a treasure trove. (And the Beaufort A9-141 restorer is Ralph Cusack, but for all I know he has a son named Greg!) |
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Post by steveh on Dec 4, 2018 20:30:56 GMT 12
Thanks ZacYates for bringing this to the top again, I hadn't spotted it before & wow, what a collection. Thanks kiwi285 Mike for sharing them, I had no idea Hars was this extensive, definitely on my radar now. Steve. |
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 18, 2019 23:30:30 GMT 12
Apparently one of the reasons that Mirage IIIO A3-42 eventually ended up at HARS was because the owner couldn't access an engine stand in order to get the ATAR out of the old girl.
The bulk of the stands went to Pakistan in 1989/90 as part of the massive spares package included with the Mirage IIIOs that were sold to the PAF. The RAAF Museum do have a stand among their collection - however, I am lead to believe there were concerns within the RAAF of potential legal issues of loaning it out - mostly to do with the cost of getting engineering certification that the stand was still safe to operate.
Whilst I'd love to see the 'French Lady' fly again in Australia - I don't think I will ever see it in my lifetime! :-)
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Post by colford on Jan 27, 2019 20:08:14 GMT 12
As of today HARS have set up a new page on Facebook for the HARS Navy Heritage Flight. The first posting on the new Facebook page is fairly informative and is repeated below for those who don't do FB.
1. In the HARS journal ‘Phoenix’ Issue 3 December 2018, the Project Leader Professor Michael Hough, AM updated the readership on the progress then to date of ADF Disposals announcing HARS as the preferred tenderer for the acquisition of the aircraft and spares that formed the RAN Historical Flight based and stored at Naval Air Station Nowra (HMAS Albatross). The announcement was the result of over 14 years of dialogue and is a win-win for both Navy and HARS as the historic aircraft collection will remain largely intact.
2. The collection is now known as HARS NHF (HARS Navy Heritage Flight). The Project Leader Michael Hough has outlined the main aim of the Flight as “preserving Australia's Naval aviation heritage” intact and largely to be located at Nowra.
3. This Facebook page aims to provide our aviation enthusiast readership with updates on progress since late 2018.
4. Following formal acquisition approval and payment of some initial administrative fees it was agreed that the aircraft and associated spares be moved off the operational base of HMAS Albatross. A final date of mid February 2019 was set. Initially it was agreed that the two Grumman S-2 Trackers and pallets of spares be cleared from the operational base, this being effected over 11-12 December 2018. The aircraft and spares were towed/transported across the runways to the Albatross Aviation Technology Park, specifically at aviation company Air Affairs.
A summary of the HARS NHF inventory follows:
1 x Hawker Sea Fury FB II fighter
2 x Bell Iroquois UH-1B helicopters & many pallets of spares
1 x De Havilland Sea Venom FAW 53 fighter in containers
1 x Douglas Dakota C-47B transport, currently in large pieces minus engines
2 x Grumman S2 maritime trackers & many pallets of spares
2 x Westland Wessex 31B helicopters & pallets of spares
5. Presently various airframe project teams are being set up and various options for display of the aircraft are being explored by the HARS Committee. Further updates will be provided soon.
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Post by ZacYates on Jan 28, 2019 12:13:02 GMT 12
Fourteen years of "dialogue". Wow. What a hard slog! Bravo to everyone involved on both sides for reaching this end point, and the new beginning for an important part of Aussie aviation history.
So I feel obliged to ask: what about the Firefly? Anyone know? (And yes, I have asked on Facebook also.)
EDIT: photographer Dave Soderstrom on Facebook says WD826 will go on display at the museum at Nowra, while the example already there will move to the AWM. Disappointing news - hopefully one day a Firefly will fly over Oz again.
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Post by planecrazy on Jan 28, 2019 14:28:51 GMT 12
So am I correct in saying the Navy Heritage Flight will be based at Nowra or will it move
to Albion Park? As in will people be able to go and see these machines and if so where?
Thank you..............
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Post by colford on Jan 28, 2019 19:09:43 GMT 12
Going back to 2008, there were a couple of other aircraft part of the RAN FAA Heritage Flight, there was in addition to the Firefly (and if my memory serves me correctly a few components from a second Firefly), a Bell Kiowa and Westland Scout. From what has been published on the RAN FAA Association website, when the decision was made for the RAN to divest itself of the RAN FAA Heritage Flight aircraft, it was decided that the RAN FAA Museum at Nowra would have first call on any of the airframes to meet their requirements to fill gaps in their collection or to retain historically significant airframes. The AWM of late has also sought to secure where possible, examples of historically significant airframes, particularly where they can be directly and significantly linked to Australian military history and also to fill gaps in their collection.
HARS were seeking to acquire a parcel of land adjacent to the RAN Museum site at Nowra to build their own restoration and display hangars for the aircraft. It would have included an apron and taxi way to access the runway at the Museum end of the strip to allow the aircraft to still be flown from there. From what I understand that is still their aim, but it is something that is likely to be achieved longer term due to both the financial cost of acquiring or leasing the land from Defence and the cost of building the proposed facility and taxi way, plus likely long period to negotiate the deal with Defence. Defence/Navy in the meantime need the aircraft and spares acquired by HARS removed off the operational base at Nowra. So HARS will be moving the aircraft and spares. The Trackers have already moved across the field to Air Affairs, then the others split across Albion Park and Parkes. In most cases, the split of airframes puts those that have a higher potential profile eg the Sea Fury, or in better condition for more immediate display or potential return to flight to Albion Park; the other(s) to Parkes for storage or longer term conservation for display.
RAN has a timeline for works at Nowra to upgrade base facilities to support current and future Australian Defence requirements, so need the aircraft out of their current locations by end of February 2019. HARS therefore has to move quickly on that front. That move will also put a big call on HARS resources to move the aircraft and spares by the Defence deadline.
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Post by Calum on Jan 29, 2019 13:57:39 GMT 12
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Post by colford on Feb 5, 2019 22:56:37 GMT 12
HARS have put out a press release today regarding the HARS Navy Heritage Flight and movement of the first aircraft from Nowra to HARS at Albion Park:
" Wessex Arrives Wednesday
Australia’s Navy aviation heritage will take a significant step to preservation when a former RAN Wessex helicopter arrives at the HARS Aviation Museum, at Illawarra Regional Airport, on Wednesday afternoon 6 February at about 3pm.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) has been selected as the preferred tenderer to acquire selected aircraft and spares previously operated by the RAN’s Fleet Air Arm at Nowra. This tender outcome is the result of over 14 years of dialogue between the RAN and HARS to develop acceptable ways of preserving Naval Aviation heritage, a dialogue which resulted in a restricted tender process where Australian Heritage Organisations were invited to tender to acquire the whole set of aircraft and spares.
HARS was selected as the preferred tenderer and, as the required administrative procedures are successfully completed, the selected aircraft and spares have now been transferred to HARS’ ownership, and all are in the process of being removed from the operational sections of HMAS Albatross.
The airframes involved are:
Grumman Trackers (2),
Iroquois (2),
Sea Venom (1),
Sea Fury (1),
Wessex (2) and a
C47 (1).
As a practical illustration of the transfer of assets, HARS plans to move a Wessex helicopter by road from HMAS Albatross to HARS Aviation Museum at Albion Park on Wednesday. This historic airframe will be available for viewing at the HARS Tarmac Days on Friday Saturday and Sunday.
HARS will create a HARS Navy Heritage Flight tasked to preserve Australia’s Naval Aviation Heritage and it is HARS’ long term intent to have selected airframes of the flight relocated back to, or kept at, Nowra.
Each airframe allocated this way to HARS ownership illustrates the wide range of conditions of these airframes ranging from very good (Tracker 844) through largely intact (Sea Fury) through display only (Wessex) and dismantled in containers (Sea Venom).
Project Leader for the HARS Navy Heritage Flight, Professor Michael Hough said: “We are delighted and honoured to be selected in this way to assist in the preservation of Naval Aviation Heritage.”
Former RAN aircraft to be featured as the HARS Navy Heritage Flight develops, Tracker, Dakota, Sea Fury, Wessex and Huey. "
The caption under a photo of the two Grumman Trackers notes: "The two Trackers - 844 is currently undergoing a maintenance regime from a team of LAMEs from HARS."
So anyone down between Nowra and Albion Park tomorrow afternoon may see an unusual sight on the road between those two locations. I expect given the nature of this significant move and HARS setting up the Navy Heritage Flight, we might see some coverage on the local TV news channels and the local press.
If HARS can get Tracker 844 operational and airworthy before Wings Over Illawarra 2019 in May, that will be a big drawcard for the event. Of course, they then have to have the aircrew re-certified or newly certified to fly it.
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Post by planecrazy on Feb 6, 2019 9:35:52 GMT 12
Wonderful news, "844" looks like she has been well looked after.
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