The Last Mustang?

Walrus 7 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:15 am

The RAAF has retired its last flying Mustang - A68-750 - from service, thanks to the government's refusal to fund it. It has been reported as the last Mustang on the strength of any air force in the world.

Is this statement right?

Walrus

setter · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:43 am

Well Errrrrrrrr

It's A68-170 as far as I know this is the correct serial 750 was a USA built P51D - Not this one.

It has ceased flight operations for the present as of last weekend as the RAAFM is to concentrate on Trainer types from now on.

intriguingly The Sabre that they previously flew has gone to Temora to be ressurected ......................Stand by I reckon ......................

Regards
John p

Walrus 7 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 3:31 am

John,

The rear panel is marked A68-750. The entry in the WRG has it as 170. I presume the marking 750 is because it is flying under another identity. I didn't check the serial when I first posted. My apologies for that, all.

The best result is that it ends up in private hands, either Temora or other. Provided they don't let it sit around and decay for a few years before deciding what to do with it.

I was down at the B24 hanger at Werribee the other day and there was talk of not only the grounding of the Mustang, but also that there was no money going to be made available for hangar repairs either, which is putting the entire Point Cook collection at risk. I am not surprised, this government hates any aeroplane that doesn't have a red kangaroo on the tail.

Have you heard anything along these lines?

Walrus

setter · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 3:57 am

Walrus

Well
I am no expert on Point Cook but they do have an administration and a board - perhaps questions need to be asked about the future and these people could help?

Government in Australia has NEVER Adequately funded aircraft preservation and it is certainly not about to do so now - Fresh comercial approaches are what is needed - a few innovators looking into the whole funding arrangements for public museums would not hurt one little bit.

Regards
john p

eric · **Joined:** Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:13 pm **Posts:** 15

heres a photo

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:23 am

Oh, how nice it would be to have a military that cared enough about historical aircraft to keep operating them!

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:29 am

How about the British BBMF (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight) and RNHF (Royal Navy Historic Flight) - they do operate vintage aircraft and are part of the RAF and RN respectively !

Martin

RickH · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:49 am

Martin, didn't their funding change a few years ago?

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3331

RickH wrote:

Martin, didn't their funding change a few years ago?

BBMF - no change
RNHF - now funded via the Swordfish Trust

http://www.flynavyheritage.org.uk/

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

setter the temora sabre is one that they bought back from the states from the sander's iirc as far as i know the raaf museum still own's their former flying sabre
paul
ps the temora sabre is a94-909
the former flyer is a94-983

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:04 pm

oz rb fan wrote:

setter the temora sabre is one that they bought back from the states from the sander's iirc as far as i know the raaf museum still own's their former flying sabre
paul

Was that the one that was once displayed at the Planes of Fame's Fighter Jets Museum?

Mike

setter · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2005 3:57 pm

Oz rb fan

The Temora situation has changed and the RAAFM example is travelling there to be restored and operated by them and I am not sure as to what will be happening to the one they were restoring. The RAAFM will retain ownership - it will just be operated by Temora. This info comes from an RAAFM communication and is not a rumor.

Regards
John P

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

mike as far as i know the original temora one came from the sander's but i could be wrong but when it came back it also came back with lynnet zuccoli's sabre which was painted in us colours but definetly a cac sabre maybe this is the one that was at planes of fame.
setter this is amazing news as the main reason for taking the museum sabre out of the air was corrosion in the main spar's . they had another set of wings but the attachment holes were out of round there is ment to be a cac approved fix for this but i don't know what it is.
i hope that the orignal temora sabre will still at least be saved for static display.
paul[/quote]

setter · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:14 pm

oz rb fan

I think the issues with the RAAFM machine are much smaller than the task of dealing with their own "Greenfield" site aircraft.I was also under the impression that the RAAFM example had more issues with the leading edge tanks than the spars - we were always looking out for more tanks ?

As an aside there are 7 CAC Sabres in Kermits storage yard and they are for sale in the States - perhaps there is something there worth salvaging

Regards
John P

croweater · **Posted:** Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:15 am

That is the aircraft that started it all for me, as a teenager when the Raaf used to lay it all on at their airshows. I can remember standing what seemed like just a few meters away as she came to life- if there is to be more life, awesome. Sad to here about the mustang though.

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