Australian Atomic Mustangs.....................

agent86 · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 3:57 am **Posts:** 926

Hello again to all,
Another old Air Classic's story I have often thought about was the story of a guy who recovered a number of Mustangs(NAA orCA?)from an atomic test site in the australian outback.The story claimed that after he discovered them ,he returned with a battery and some fuel and started some of them!This after sitting out in the elements for something like 16 years.If I remember correctly ,he eventually sold his personal aircraft due to Australian authorities dislike of private ownership and flying of warbirds at that time.Does this story ring any bells for anyone?Anyone know the guys name?airframe numbers?present locations of recovered aircraft?etc.etc.just wonderin,Thanks,Tim.. :shock:

Jeff · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 4:41 am **Posts:** 81

you are sort of right in some of the details there were 6 cac built mustangs exposed to atomic blasts at maralinga.
they were recovered and all sent to america, mostly to cavalier aircraft so parts of them might be flying today. One of them, the first aussie mustang, A68-1, was flown from the site after some minimal repairs etc with the undercarriage locked down to Parafield airport in Adelaide.
The rest though were trucked out I believe.

if you check the warbirds register you'll find the details of them. I know as I sent the details to Scott ages ago.

agent86 · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 3:57 am **Posts:** 926

Thank you for the info jeff,its much appreciated...........Tim......

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:16 pm

By my understanding, 5 of those were disassembled and made into "parts" for Trans-Florida/Cavalier Mustangs;

A68-7, A68-30, A68-35, A68-72, and A68-87.

It would be impossible to determine whwere those airframe parts are now.

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Sat Jul 17, 2004 5:59 pm

Randy Haskin wrote:

By my understanding, 5 of those were disassembled and made into "parts" for Trans-Florida/Cavalier Mustangs;

A68-7, A68-30, A68-35, A68-72, and A68-87.

It would be impossible to determine whwere those airframe parts are now.

This is the info I have in the registry:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/ca17-a687.html
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/ca17-a6830.html
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/ca17-a6835.html
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/ca17-a6872.html
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/ca18-a6887.html

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2004 10:27 am

IIRC the above is broadly correct. Yet again (sorry folks!) the full story was told by someone who'd researched it, with pics and had talked to many of those involved with the recovery - including info on the damage to the a/c dependant on how far they had been parked from ground zero etc. - where? Warbirds Worldwide. I'm not anywhere near my copies, so it's over to someone else to dig up the iss.

Cheers
James K

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2004 10:57 am

Paul Coggan has been over here a couple times...anyone in contact with him who might be able to shed the light here?

For what it's worth, the Cavalier people weren't really aware of the lineage of the airplanes when they bought them. According to someone who was there, there were "rumors" about the airframes having participated in atomic tests but little else said about it.

Helldivers · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:31 pm

Hi Short Fuse Sally based at Anoka is one of the suvivors.Its owned by Bill Brugaman(spelling?)

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:16 pm

The history and details of the aircraft were well researched and documented in Peter Anderson's Mustangs of the RAAF, I understand at least 3 of the aircraft are flying including A69-1, which was flown out from the site, although for various reasons dont admit their Australian origins.

Alan · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:26 pm

These aircraft were at Emu and NOT Maralinga. Maralinga is some distance away!

Anthony "Tony" Schwerdt and Stan Booker were the winners of the Tender.

Tony flew A68-1 from Emu to Coober Pedy on the 31 October 1967 where it remained for a while before a ferry permit was issued to move the aircraft to Adelaide (Parafield Airport).

Warbirds Worldwide 47 has details.

Any photographs you are likely to see of the aircraft at the test site were most likely taken by Geoff Goodall, compiler of The Warbirds Directory.

Alan

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Sun Jul 18, 2004 6:18 pm

Anonymous wrote:

The history and details of the aircraft were well researched and documented in Peter Anderson's Mustangs of the RAAF, I understand at least 3 of the aircraft are flying including A69-1, which was flown out from the site, although for various reasons dont admit their Australian origins.

If there were six at the test site, and five of them went to Cavalier (which were broken down into subcomponents and used to build up new Mustangs with different identities)...how can there be two airplanes out there flying that aren't admitting their RAAF heritage?

Is the total number not six?

Jeff · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 4:41 am **Posts:** 81

sorry, was working fast and very early morning after a very full day off the top of my head. you are very right that the mustangs were at emu and not maralinga.
been checking on some things about maralinga recently and the name just came out.

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Fri Jul 23, 2004 4:51 am

I believe that one set of ex-Australian wings went to Bruce Morehouse in Texas for his project. This is the plane that went to Tony Banta, and uses serial #44-73142.

T J Johansen
Oslo, NORWAY

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Australian Atomic Mustangs.....................

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