Preserved Vampire Airframes in Australia and New Zealand

vampiredave · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:39 am **Posts:** 44

Australia
Vampire F 30 A79-1 Fighter World, Williamtown, NSW (preserved)
Vampire F 30 A79-14 Camden Aviation Museum (cockpit section)
Current location unknown? (ex-WA Museum of Aviation)
Vampire F 30 A79-89 Beck Collection, Aviation & Military Museum, Mereeba, Qld
Vampire F 30 A79-109 Forbes, NSW (pole mounted)
Vampire T 55 A79-119 Probably VH-ZVZ / R4221 / carries serial 'RRAF-119' ex-Zimbabwe AF
Vampire FB 31 A79-160 Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Albion Park (cockpit section)
Vampire FB 31 A79-165 Victoria, WA (private)
Vampire FB 31 A79-175 Parkes (private; dismantled)
Vampire FB 31 A79-178 RAAF Museum, Point Cook (cockpit section: stored)
Vampire FB 31 A79-202 Sth Australia Aviation Museum, Port Adelaide, SA
Vampire FB 9 'A79-321' ex-SAAF 211 / Zimbabwe AF R8128 shopping park, Braybrook, Vic
Vampire F 30 A79-375 painted to represent 'A79-876' RAAF Museum, Point Cook
Vampire FB 9 'A79-417' ex-SAAF 252 / Zimbabwe AF R1382 Moorabin Air Museum, Melbourne, Vic
Vampire FB 31 A79-440 (Calvert Model Aeroplane Club, Qld; private)
Vampire F 30 A79-450 RSTT Wagga Wagga as INST 12.
Vampire F 30 A79-476 Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra (cockpit & front fuselage)
Vampire F 30 A79-529 Corowa, NSW pole-mounted
Vampire FB 31 A79-593 Wingham, NSW pole-mounted
Vampire T 35 A79-602 / N11920 Lincoln Nitschke Museum, Greenock, SA
Vampire T 35 A79-603 RAAF Pearce (tail booms fitted to A79-620)
Vampire T 35 A79-606 Hazelmere, WA private (stored)
Vampire T 35 A79- 608 Classic Fighter Jets Museum , Adelaide, Sth Australia
Vampire T 35 A79-612 RAAF Wagga Wagga pole-mounted
Vampire T 35 A79-616 RAAF Museum, Point Cook (composite with wings & tail of A79-827)
Vampire T 35 A79-617 / ZK-VAM / N11923 Temora Aviation Museum, Temora, NSW (airworthy)
Vampire T 35 A79-620 RAAF Pearce (restored with parts from '603 for gate guard duties)
Vampire T 35 A79-623 Heartbreak Skirmish Range, Marsden Park, NSW derelict
Vampire T 35 A79-636 / VH-HLF / 'NZ5712' RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Vic
Vampire T 35 A79-637 / VH-FJW HARS Albion Park (restoration)
Vampire T 35 A79-638 Beverley Aeronautics Museum, WA (pole-mounted).
Vampire T 35 A79-640 HARS Albion Park
Vampire T 35 A79-642 Temora Aviation Museum (spares)
Vampire T 35 A79-647 Kenwick, WA (private)
Vampire T 35 A79-648 Camden Museum of Aviation, Narellan, NSW
Vampire T 35 A79-651 Beverley Aeronautical Museum, WA
Vampire T 35 A79-656 Toowoomba, Qld (store)
Vampire T 35 A79-660 (private; cockpit section)
Vampire T 35 A79-661 HARS Albion Park
Vampire T 35 A79-663 Bill's Machinery, Perth, WA (wings of A79-660) pole mounted.
Vampire T 35 A79- 664 (private)
Vampire T 35 A79-665 HARS Albion Park (Illawara, NSW)
Vampire T 35 A79-666 RAAF Laverton (spares)
Vampire FB 31 A79-733 Bankstown (spares)
Vampire T 35A A79-804 Townsville, Queensland
Vampire T 35A A79-807 CNAPG Wagga Wagga, NSW (HARS loan)
Vampire T 35A A79-819 Moorabin Air Museum, Vic
Vampire T 35A A79-821 RAAFA of WA Aviation Heritage Museum, Bull Creek, WA
Vampire T 35A A79-822 Fighter World, RAAF Williamtown, NSW
Vampire T.35A A79-824 Location uncertain? Brighton VA ,USA?
Vampire T 35A A79-826 HARS, Albion Park
Vampire T 35A A79-828 Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra, Qld
Vampire T 35A A79-829 / VM-YLP East Sale (Dismantled?)
Vampire T 35A A79-830 Amberley, Qld
Vampire T 35A A79-Moorabin Air Museum, Vic
Vampire T 35A A79-840 (private)
Vampire T 35A A79-842 (private)
Vampire T 55 VH-ZVZ /'RRAF-199'/R4221(ex-Zimbabwe AF) Old Aeroplane Company, Tyabb, Vic (airworthy)
Sea Vampire T 22 XA101 Camden Aviation Museum, NSW (cockpit section)
Sea Vampire T 22 XA167 Bankstown, NSW (composite airframe, inc A79-643)
Sea Vampire T 22 XG770 / N6-770 'XG766' RAN Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra, NSW

New Zealand
Vampire F 1 INST 166 / TG433 John Smith, Mapua (cockpit section; private)
Vampire F 3 INST 167 / VT806 Ferrymead Aeronautical Society, Christchurch
Vampire FB 5 NZ5751 / VZ843 Ken Jacobs North Shore (store)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5755 / WA338 Ted Packer. Christchurch (store)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5757 / WA311 RNZAF Museum, Christchurch
Vampire FB 5 NZ5758 / VZ838 / INST 196 Ferrymead Museum, Christchurch (store)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5765 / WA314 / INST 201 NZFPM Wanaka (RNZAF Museum loan)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5767 / WA374 Classic Flyers Museum, Tauranga (cockpit section; RNZAF Museum loan)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5769 / WA306 / INST 197 Ashburton Aviation Museum
Vampire FB 5 NZ5770 / WA444 Southward Motor Museum, Paraparauma. (private)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5772 / WA452 / INST 203 RNZAF Museum, Ohakea (gate guard)
Vampire FB 5 NZ5776 / WA375 Flying Heritage Collection, Everett, Washington (Museum)
Vampire FB 9 WR202 / INST 171 Museum of Transport & Technology, Western Springs, Auckland, NZ
Vampire FB 52 NZ5732 John Chambers, Ardmore / North Shore (store)
Vampire FB 52 NZ5734 / INST 184 Ross Jowitt, Ardmore (store)
Vampire FB 52 NZ5735 / INST 186 RNZAF Museum, Wigram (store)
Vampire FB 5 WA311 / NZ5757 / INST193 Wigram, New Zealand (preserved)
Vampire T 55 NZ5701 RNZAF Museum, Wigram (wings/tailbooms)
Vampire T 55 NZ5702 Philip Burns, Dunsandel (cockpit section; private)
Vampire T 55 NZ5703 Philip Burns, Dunsandel (fuselage;private)
Vampire T 55 NZ5704 / INST 187 RNZAF Museum, Wigram (cockpit section)
Vampire T 55 NZ5705 Museum of Transport & Technology, Western Springs, Auckland (status unknown?)
Vampire T11 NZ5707 / XH265 Ashburton Aviation Museum (loan from P Burns)
Vampire T11 NZ5709 / XH271 Ken Jacobs, Ardmore / North Shore (private)
Vampire T11 NZ5710 / XH317 / INST 205 RNZAF Museum, Wigram (store)
Vampire T11 NZ5711 / XH366/ INST 206 RNZAF Museum, Wigram(store)
Vampire T 55 U-1225 / HB-RVM / ZK-RVM / 'NZ5712' Brett Emeny, New Plymouth (airworthy)
Vampire T 35A ZK-VAM / A79 – 649 Ross Ewing / Vampire Syndicate (airworthy)

Zac Yates · **Posted:** Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:11 pm

There are a few double-ups (eg VH-ZVZ) and things which make no sense, eg ZK-VAM being owned by Temora Aviation Museum?

The real ZK-VAM/A79-649 is owned by the EJ Currie Family Trust (refer to http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_L ... del_ID=381). As far as I know the late Ross Ewing had no involvement with it for some years, according to the above link it changed hands around 1998.

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Dec 01, 2012 6:47 pm

Hi Zac, as I responded to Dave in the other thread here; viewtopic.php?f=3&t=47971

vampiredave wrote:

I didn't have the courage to ask about the airframes preserved in Australia and New Zealand....

Quote:

Why not? You are presumably familiar with the excellent ADF-serials website; if you ask on Warbirdz, Dave Homewood's Wings Over New Zealand and the ADF-serials own forums, I'm sure you'll get a good response, though it's worth trying here too.

http://www.adf-serials.com/

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/

http://www.warbirdz.net/forum/

Dave then posted in the 'Preserved Vampire Airframes in Saudi Arabia' thread (link above) this list which I just made a few checked and referenced corrections to, but then I find this new thread posted this morning. So over again, here's those comments:

Quote:

Dave, I'm no expert on this kind of data, but that list - is it your own 'best guess' or what? Most of it looks OK at a glance, but there's some immediate oddities;

Only one aircraft can have a registration in Australia at a time, so there's only one VH-ZVZ which is an ex Rhodesian Air Force (not ex-RAAF) and based at RAAF East Sale, operated by the Old Aeroplane Co, Tyabb. Details:

http://casa-query.funnelback.com/search ... v_sand=zvz

It's part of the well-known (here) Zimbabwe Vampire recovery of several single and two seaters, a couple of which are on your list. One single seater has been restored to static display at Tyabb.

The Temora aircraft flies as VH-VAM. Don't think you can fly an aircraft on the ZK- (NZ) register in Australia for long, and AFAIK, this aircraft went to the US where it was registered (N No) and flown, then brought back to Australia, registered and is current - no ZK / NZ period.

http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/aircra ... index.html

"Vampire T 35A A79-829 / VM-YLP East Sale (Dismantled?)" - Presumably VH- (Australian prefix) transcription error?

The 'RAAF Historic Flight VH-HLF A79-636' is not flying, and there is no 'RAAF Historic Flight' any more (aircraft are operated by and allocated to the RAAF Museum) and I'm not aware of any RNZAF number for this Australian built and operated aircraft. It hasn't been on show or taxied for at least the last seven years.

http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/e ... ampire.htm

Note links to the two examples on show at the museum at the bottom of the list, your list details seem to be correct there.

As I said the number collectors are better found on those forums I mentioned, rather than here, and I'm sure polite enquiries there will get you chapter & verse on the list as they are well monitored by those forum's members.

HTH!

Ashley Briggs · **Joined:** Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:02 pm **Posts:** 35

The Moorabbin Air Museum has had several Vampires over the years. The first being A79-422 which had originated from The Lord Mayors Children's Camp. This aircraft had replaced the Beaufighter
A8-328 which the Moorabbin Museum had previously recovered. The Vampire was restored and placed on display. In the early seventies the aircraft was exchanged in a deal which took it to the Blacktown Air League. Firefly WD827 came the otherway. The aircraft later had it's pod destroyed by a car running into it. The remains ended up at The Oaks at Camden.
The next was a gutted two seat pod which originated from a scrapyard in Werribee called Gordons. This pod was stripped of usable components and burnt. Unfortunately it's identity was never recorded. The Next Vampire was a Composite comprising of a cockpit from A79-835. This being an ex Wagga training aid. The wings were off separate aircraft the Booms ex Navy.
The next Aircraft A79-819 was also an ex Wagga training aid and came from being on display at the Somerville Holiday camp. This aircraft's pod had suffered badly from the weather and vandals. It was decided by the then curator to assemble the best of both airframes into one which was duly done and the identity of 819 was assumed due to the fact this aeroplane had been a memorial. The remaining airframe was disposed off to a collector in Victoria.

Cheers,
Ash.

vampiredave · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:39 am **Posts:** 44

Thank you very much for the additional information. The two lists were constructed from various sources and I appreciate that some of the details are no longer current.

James: Re: VH-ZVZ. I was unable to open the link http://casa-query.funnelback.com/search ... v_sand=zvz
What is the background to "VH-ZVZ / R4221" and where is it currently located?

David

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:46 am

vampiredave wrote:

James: Re: VH-ZVZ. I was unable to open the link http://casa-query.funnelback.com/search ... v_sand=zvz
What is the background to "VH-ZVZ / R4221" and where is it currently located?

It was a direct link to the CASA (Australia's civil aviation authority) registration search for 'ZVZ'. As the link does'nt resolve properly, you can go to http://casa-query.funnelback.com/search ... t_register or if that doesn't work, go to http://www.casa.gov.au/ and go for Aircraft Register Search. Any currently registered aircraft will be listed, and many struck off ones are listed as well. Unlike the UK and some other countries the three-letter registrations are reused.

Judy Pay's Old Aeroplane Company's two-seat ex Rhodesian Vampire (VH-ZVZ) is airworthy, based out of the RAAF airfield at East Sale, as the runways at Tyabb where The Old Aeroplane Co are based. If you look up ZVZ as advised above you'll get the owning company details as well as the aircraft's - and they aren't OACo.

HTH!

vampiredave · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:39 am **Posts:** 44

James: Thank you. The words "woods" and "trees" come to mind?

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 04, 2012 5:57 pm

vampiredave wrote:

James: Thank you. The words "woods" and "trees" come to mind?

Not sure why you say that. If you are serious about a census, managing your data accurately is critical, and being able to find and use the world's various public-access civil register databases an essential skill, surely?

What are you doing with these lists? Are you actually updating and correcting the errors pointed out?

Regards,

bombadier29 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:17 pm **Posts:** 272

JDK wrote:

vampiredave wrote:

James: Thank you. The words "woods" and "trees" come to mind?

Not sure why you say that. If you are serious about a census, managing your data accurately is critical, and being able to find and use the world's various public-access civil register databases an essential skill, surely?

What are you doing with these lists? Are you actually updating and correcting the errors pointed out?

Regards,

I think he was probably talking about "not seeing the forrest because of the trees". I'm guessing the information was there and he just didn't see it.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/see_the_f ... _the_trees

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:20 pm

Thanks. Still interested in the other questions though.

JonL · **Posted:** Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:39 am

Quote:

Vampire T 55 NZ5705 Museum of Transport & Technology, Western Springs, Auckland (status unknown?)

I think this is NZ5705 - Motat about 1980

vampiredave · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:39 am **Posts:** 44

My original intention was to update the current status of preserved Vampires airframes. There is no readily-available list of these airframes and I thought that it would be of interest to submit my lists and allow like-minded enthusiasts to share their information for the benefit of all. Such lists will never be completely accurate for various reasons.

Where I come from, "Woods" and "Trees" is a common, shortened version of not seeing the obvious, as previously mentioned:

JDK wrote:

I think he was probably talking about "not seeing the forest because of the trees". I'm guessing the information was there and he just didn't see it.

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:57 pm

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo ... read=17675

Jason · **Posted:** Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:37 am

Ashley Briggs wrote:

The Moorabbin Air Museum has had several Vampires over the years. The first being A79-422 which had originated from The Lord Mayors Children's Camp. This aircraft had replaced the Beaufighter
A8-328 which the Moorabbin Museum had previously recovered. The Vampire was restored and placed on display. In the early seventies the aircraft was exchanged in a deal which took it to the Blacktown Air League. Firefly WD827 came the otherway. The aircraft later had it's pod destroyed by a car running into it. The remains ended up at The Oaks at Camden.
Cheers,
Ash.

I can be of a little help here in advising that the "remains" of A79-422 found their way from "The Oaks" to "HARS" at Albion Park Rail, NSW.
At the very least, the wings & Nene engine are still at the HARS facility at Albion Park (possibly to support a restoration of the A79-160 fuselage), but not sure about the tail booms & empennage?
I now have possession of the A79-422 fuselage remains which at the time of my recovery earlier this year consisted of the the bulkhead No.4 (firewall) forward to the bulkhead No.2. I have since learned that the remains of the forward section of the fuselage (essentially bulkhead No.1 & cockpit floor) may still exist & am pursuing this information as best I can at this time.

If interested, I can give you a detailed history of A79-664 up until I sold it in the early 2000's.

Jason

vampiredave · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:39 am **Posts:** 44

Jason: yes please, I would be very interested in the history of A79-664.

Where exactly is A79-422 at present?

David

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