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‘V FOR VICTORY’ – CLASSIC FIGHTERS 2011Held over Easter weekend, this ‘Southern Spectacular’ saw the debut of several aircraft, including a P-40C, Albatros D.Va and Strikemaster. Combining intense aerial action from both Great War and WWII aircraft with realistic ground battles proved a winning combination and the highlights were many. Von Richthofen’s Flying Circus saw the familiar red Triplane lead six others into battle, whilst the spectacular destruction of the full scale ‘live’ V-2 rocket just as it climbed off the launch ramp provided a fitting finale to yet another world class event – only at Omaka!
TOMAHAWK TALESPhotographer Gavin Conroy gets up close and personal with the Rod Lewis Tomahawk shortly after it took to the air for the first time following completion by AvSpecs at Ardmore, NZ. Only days later it would make its public debut at Classic Fighters air show. Apart from the stunning aerial portraits this article takes a look at some of the hurdles overcome by the rebuild crew to get this early Hawk back into the skies.
STALKING SOUTHERN SKIESIt was all hands to the pump when a container from Flug Werk, Germany was unloaded at Omaka airfield in early April. It was to be one of the stars of the forthcoming Classic Fighters airshow, however despite efforts above and beyond the call of duty to make this happen, this representative of the Luftwaffe’s iconic fighter would only make a fleeting appearance due to technical issues. Despite this, several test flights were undertaken and pilot Frank Parker describes his experiences flying the Butcher Bird – a first in southern skies.
HISTORY WITH HEART. THE REAL DEAL! (Pt.2)In our last issue we concentrated on the Flying Heritage Collection’s unique ‘Butcher Bird’s history and restoration in the UK. In this, the final of our in-depth look at the world’s only genuine air worthy Focke Wulf Fw 190, we trace the aircraft’s final journey to flight with input from Mike Nixon on the workings of the complex BMW, Dave Goss on systems and Cory Graff on the paint application. This sees the conclusion of a remarkable restoration of an equally remarkable recovery.
STINSON L-5 DOWNUNDEROur last ‘Mystery Aeroplane’ was the Stinson L-5, an aircraft which played an important and often overlooked role during World War Two. Renowned for its versatility and rugged qualities, which were needed for the multitude of tasks it was required to carry out, the aircraft was appropriately nicknamed the ‘Flying Jeep’ , this due to the fact it was spartan in creature comforts but could accomplish what was asked from it with little fuss or fanfare. This article begins with a short historical overview before taking a look at the renaissance of the type in Australia.
Airshows:RAAF Air Pilgrimage
Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia Fly-In