A few pics of warbirds at Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield.

rossjools · **Posted:** Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:18 pm

Hi,
I'm a newbie here but I'd like to share some warbird photos I took at a fly-in at Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield on the last weekend in August. This is called the Festival of Flight and has been run on that weekend each year for the last 17 years. First is a P-51 (CAC CA-18) Mustang wearing the colours she wore while serving with 77 Sqn RAAF in Korea.

Now for another genuine warbird, this time at the other end of the training scheme. This Tiger Moth was one of the first 100 imported from the UK to get the aussie branch of the EATS started and as such retained its RAF serial number. after these first 100 Tigers de Havilland Australia built 1250 more for the RAAF and SAAF. The first shot shows effective camoflage.

Regards,
Ross.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

Welcome and keep those great photos coming! I wish we had more grass strips around here. They are a joy to fly on.

rossjools · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:25 am

Allrighty bdk,
Just for you. First is the mighty Grumman Avenger. Watts Bridge is set in the Brisbane River valley and there are hills to the north, east and south with the western end being pretty open. When this thing came overhead the whole valley seemed to reverberate. the same with two of the three T-28 Trojans when they arrived together.

One of the Avenger landing

Now a couple of the Wirraway landing. The first shot also shows good camoflage, except for the landing lights. The Mustang and a Winjeel await their turn to take off.

Now for a civvie type which was only a few modifications removed from a WW2 warbird. It's the Percival Gull VI, which with a few mods became the Percival Proctor. Incidentally there's a Proctor undergoing restoration at Watts Bridge.

Now for the Gull's Gypsy Six engine.

And one of the Gull taking off.

Now a few of the only turbine engined fixed wing aircraft at the fly-in, a 75% scale Gumman Panther, home designed and built with a helicopter engine.

That's all for now. I'll post some more tomorrow.

Regards,
Ross.

lestweforget · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:41 am

Thanks for posting such great photo's

. I really like the scheme on the Mustang and the scale Panther is just amazing! cheers.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

That Panther is cool! More info please!!!!! Looks like an instant "Classic Wing Downunder" to me...

rossjools · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:40 pm

Hi bdk,
I'm sorry, I don't have much more info on the Panther other than It was designed, built and lives at Watts Bridge. It wouldn't surprise me if it has been in a recent issue of Classic Wings Downunder. It was featured in a local Newcastle tv news bulletin some months before I went to Watts Bridge and was apparently not at all what the test pilot expected. The handling characteristics were quite different from what he'd anticipated and it was reported he almost came to grief on the first flight.

Cheers,
Ross.

rossjools · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:12 pm

Here are some pics of the Trojans that attended Watts Bridge. There were three of therm there. First, abird whcih two years ago was a rusty corroding hulk at the back of a hangar at Toowoomba airport. The Aerotech people have brought it back to life again. It's named Mekong Moon.

I call this last one "Trojan Twins".

I do have some more but I'll have to upload them to photobucket.

Regards,
Ross.

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:27 pm

Thanks for posting these Ross, do you have a side view of the yellow cowled T-28. We had a couple in that scheme here, and I'm wondering if it's one of those...........

rossjools · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:18 am

How about these few Roger?

And a few of the natural metal one.

Regards,
Ross.

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:05 pm

Perfect, thanks for both. I checked my stuff and the planes here are both "A" models, and definitely different birds...

rossjools · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:14 pm

Hi Roger,
Do those A models have the two blade prop. I have a couple of Heller kits which provide optional two and three blade props.

Regards,
Ross.

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:16 pm

Yes, normally the "A" model has a two bladed prop, all the rest had three blades.........

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:17 pm

Looking closer at the exhaust plate in your picture, this plane would appear to have the larger engine, thus it's probably a B or D model.

rossjools · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:29 pm

Hello Roger,
You've just taught me my one new fact for the day. I thought all T-28s had the Wright R-1820 engine, just with different power outputs, or is that what you refer to by "bigger engine".

Regards,
Ross.

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:48 pm

Today your learning,

The T-28A had the seven cylinder 800hp Wright 1300-1

The T-28B and on had the 9 cylinder 1425hp Wright 1820

Only "C" model Trojans had a tail hook.

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A few pics of warbirds at Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield.

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