Warbird Information Exchange

Can a moderator, if happy put this on the main WIX hangar section as a "restoration project to follow" as a sticky?, alongside the Lancaster, A-26 and B-17 etc already there? This topic will be updated as news on the project comes available to share.

Today i spent 4hrs interviewing some of the volunteers behind the other main Catalina project in Australia, the Catalina Flying Memorial.This project's PBY Catalina project has been based at the Bankstown airport undergoing repairs for 5years nearly and is requiring a fair bit of sponsorship, support and volunteers by the end of the year to reach a looming and very important long term goal.

On November 3 2012 the CFM is hoping to hold its regular Catalina Festival at the former RAAF Rathmines bases north of Sydney (1hr driving). At this 6th event, they are wanting to try and fly into the lake, their Catalina in for the first time since 2008.

The resources needed for this end of year project goal, is requiring tho to get to this back to flying stage, significant funds - $100,000 - $150,000 is needing to be raised or found from donations and sponsors.
Work on hydraulics, aircraft systems and airframe parts also need to be approved before she can refly.
It can all be done. Some of the planned work is needing some of the money to be raised, so they can bring in specialists to fix some of the items needing overhaul etc.

The volunteers are also seeking to further raise the project profile, aims, goals, create ongoing interest and importantly attract more donations from people wgo are interested in warbirds and especially Catalinas.

Some people maybe not be aware but the Catalina in WW2 was to Australia, what the Spitfire was to England... a frontline and important aircraft.
RAAF Catalinas operated as far around Korea and Japan during WW2 i have been told...showing the reach the RAAF took them too in attacking the Japanese military.

As part of this record and preserving history, there are current 7 Catalina in Australia - 1 flying, 1 been restored back to flight status (CFM)along with another 1 maybe pending a decision in Qld. There are 4 others at various museums on display covering from Sydney, country NSW, Melbourne and Perth.

At the former base, RAAF Rathmines, the other half of the project alongside the Catalina is to create a new museum and build a new hangar to house the Catalina at the former seaplane base in the future. There is much local support for having a Catalina based on the Central Coast of NSW.

An interesting fact that some may not know, is the flight engineer was located in the middle of the Catalina on a seat hanging from the upper fuselage at the wing level, so he could control the engines. He had 2 small windows looking outwards as a viewing indicator.

I will be putting together a story for the Australian Pilot magazine to raise the project profile further and hopefully be in print before September. The story will also go on my various webpages.

If anyone is interested in become a member or donate or help anyway visit the CFM webpage for further information - http://catalinaflying.org.au. They can also be followed at facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/groups/38244348751/

You mean the retroaviation maintenance hangar? I can move it there, yes. Too soon to make this a sticky. Stickies have to get earned.

_________________
I'm Batman

Liberator - according to my notes there are more than seven...

'A24-30' at Lake Boga, N Victoria (static exhibit)
A24-46 at Albany, WA (stored, not on public view)
A24-88 at Moorabbin, Victoria (restoration project)
N9502C at Bull Creek, Perth, WA (static exhibit)
VH-ASA at The Powerhouse, Sydney, NSW (static exhibit)
VH-CAT at Bankstown, NSW (under restoration to fly)
VH-EAX at Longreach, Queensland (decision on future pending)
VH-EXG at Point Cook, Victoria (static exhibit)
VH-PBZ at Albion Park, Sydney, NSW (airworthy)


In addition, there is a nose-section of an unidentified PBY-5A(M) on display at Albion Park and possibly still two marine craft/houseboat conversions extant.

_________________
David Legg
Editor, The Catalina News
The Catalina Society
Author: Consolidated PBY Catalina - The Peacetime Record

Update - today i visited again the Catalina Flying Memorial Limited project at Bankstown Airport and while there was lucky to meet up with an important visitor who is connected to this very Catalina.
Various people from the CFML project as volunteers giving up their Saturday time, were busy fixing / resolving issues on the airframe and discussing future work tasks.

I then proceeded after the Bankstown visit to end up 2.hrs driving up to an airfield near western Newcastle and conducted with the kind help of a fellow Catalina enthusiast/pilot friend, a photographic sortie to record the former RAAF Rathmines seaplane base from the air.

See the the above events in the latest 9 photos added from today at the CFML facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/38244348751/ .

If interested click join the group page and this will ensure you keep up to date and in touch with the project's latest news as released onto facebook.

A reminder why we were all at Bankstown..... come November 2012, the former Rathmines base will come alive with the sights and sounds of the annual Catalina Festival.
Up to 10,000+ people are expected to visit and take in the views of the former base and enjoy themselves on a day out.

This years event tho will be worth circling on the calendar and attending, as a very special guest is planned to attend which will ensure the Catalina Festival event will capture the attention of heritage and aviation enthusiast across the world. It will also be a first in a long long time.

As part of this Festival the major planned attraction - will be the only flying (at this stage) Catalina warbird aircraft in Australia. The HARS Museum PBY "Felix" aka Black Cat, will fly over Rathmines and then will alight on Lake Macquarie, taxi and then come ashore up the old Catalina ramp as shown in the photo on facebook... all going well and be opened up for public display and internal viewing.

The core aim of the Festival over the last few years has been to raise the awareness and to assist in getting the currently based at Bankstown Airport, CFML Catalina back into the air.

The CFML is hopeful (pending some work projects on the aircraft and more/required money been raised by November 2012 ) aiming to also bring the currently painted in red and white paint scheme PBY Catalina up from Bankstown and do the same thing as is being planned for the HARS Catalina at the November 2012 Catalina Festival.

The ability to see 2 flying Catalina fly over, alight on the lake and taxi up the Catalina ramp is a sight many could see but to reach that outcome, the CFML needs your help!

If your interested in seeing the CFML Catalina get to its "home" base consider becoming a member of the Catalina Club today for only $50 and help preserve the memories of the RAAF Catalina operations for the future generations. The Catalina Club funds go towards getting the CFML project closer to their goal.

If interested in supporting the CFML project or membership visit the CFM webpage for further information - http://catalinaflying.org.au.

The Catalina Festival can also be followed at facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rathmine ... 0446395385

regards

Phil

Would you like to HELP and donate money to get this Catalina back into the air before November 2012? Go to this link http://catalinaflying.org.au/donate.htm and follow the details , every bit helps preserve the RAAF and Australian legacy of WW2, which the Catalina played a major role in.

Have found this interesting link giving a much more detailed insight for the operations at Rathmines if anyone is interested -

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j ... KSr75lbJ_g

Another link that might interest people in the Catalinas

https://www.facebook.com/RathminesMemorialPark

A small update on what is happening with the Catalina at Bankstown Airport - see the facebook page for photos and brief notes on what is being repaired at this point in time. https://www.facebook.com/groups/38244348751/

This video film clip link has been supplied by Malcolm who is part of the efforts in the CFML project to get the Catalina back to flying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJK8gOpOOHg

This film was shot back in 2008 when the CFML Catalina VH-CAT flew over and then did a touch and go at Lake Macquarie, NSW and also flew over the area of the former RAAF seaplane base at Rathmines.

The plan for the Catalina Festival November 3 2012 is at this stage, is looking to have the HARS Catalina do the same thing but this will taxi on the Lake after alighting and then use the aircraft ramp and come ashore at the Rathmines base for public open display....this is the drawcard event and will be the first time since 1950s such an event has been seen at the Lake..
At this stage it is not known if the CFML Catalina will be ready as well for the day and also alight on the Lake as well and come ashore for display... we are expecting to know more closer to the event.

My involvement with the Catalina Festival, will see me taking some of my very rarely seen RAAF WW2 flightgear along to educate up to maybe 10 classes of school children in the 2-3 days leading up to the Catalina Festival this year, so i can teach the kids about the RAAF flightgear as worn by the crews in the Catalina. I am expecting to be explaining why and how the specific gear was used.

I will also be present on the Catalina Festival day with my flightgear collection to show the local public what the gear was like in WW2, as most will have not seen such gear close up before.

As part of my volunteer help on the project, beside some media/magazine work i did recently, i have through my connections and hard work, gained a potential new sponsor to help with the restoration and we are working out some details at the moment as to what they will be doing. We should see a result not too far off all going well, in the near future regarding my bit of effort to help the restoration project.

I will keep you all informed as we progress closer to the main festival date.

Phil

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Just part of the team keeping them going
F111 Ex USAF 67-109 A8-109
Canberra WT492
PBY USN 46679
Constellation USAF 54-0145
Dakota 44-76774
Skymaster 44-9126
Sabre A64-901
HARS, Albion Park, AUSTRALIA

That was PBY-5A N68756, ex-BuAer46590. The hull is now with the Pima Air & Space Museum.

_________________
David Legg
Editor, The Catalina News
The Catalina Society
Author: Consolidated PBY Catalina - The Peacetime Record

Here is an extensive article i have taken around 3.5months to put together.... as i am assisting with trying to get the CFML Catalina back to flying status ..... i recently through my connections and hard work have acquired a large potential sponsor for the project.

A condensed version of this story is expecting to go in the Australian Pilot magazine Oct-Nov 2012 edition all going well.

http://philbuckleytravels.blogspot.com. ... alina.html

Phil

Today i caught up with a few of the hard working CFML volunteers who are restoring the Catalina VH-CAT at Bansktown Airport, Sydney.

See the 30 or so photos i took - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 752&type=1 .

They were working on cockpit systems when i dropped by and they have done more repairs to the tailplane in the last few months.

Interest in the CFML Catalina flying project and associated Catalina Festival at Rathmines and the planned HARS visit with their Catalina in November 2012 to Rathmines....is seeing more people taking an interest in the heritage of the RAAF Catalina force from WW2 each month.

Small update with some good news for the Catalina project., showing how anyone with some work, can make a small contribution to getting the aircraft back into the air.

As part of my assistance towards helping the Catalina return to flight, beside some media work to help raise profile more across the world, i have gained the project support from Dulux Paints in the last month, which will see once discussions are complete at some point in the future, some supplies of paint all going well donated to help repaint the Catalina into a suitable colour scheme.

I have had a working relationship with Dulux Paints for nearly 3 years from my various heritage railway work, having obtained 2 NSW railway projects nearly 230 litres of free pain,t in return for Dulux Paints getting positive promotion.

Hopefully this free paint will be achieved also with the Catalina shortly and eventually a new paint scheme will be painted on, to suit its intended role as a warbird, which is to ensure the legacy of the RAAF Catalina crews are remembered at Rathmines and around Australia.

And a small reminder, it is now 1 month until the HARS Catalina "Black Cat" is planned to alight on Lake Macqauire and visit Rathmines to be put on display as the core display part of the Catalina Festival.

Phil Buckley

More updates on main CFML webpage - http://catalinaflying.org.au/index.htm

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