The Australian Aircraft Restoration Group is pleased of announce its acquisition of a rare and historically significant DAP (Bristol) Beaufort Bomber A9-13, the 13th example built in Australia, with funding assistance under the National Cultural Heritage Account, for restoration and future static display of a complete aircraft at the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin.
The National Cultural Heritage Account helps Australian cultural organisations acquire Australian protected objects, as defined by the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (PMCH Act). Its purpose is to encourage organisations to buy nationally significant objects that they could not otherwise afford, with the intention that they be preserved and made accessible to the public.
Funding from the Account assists organisations that cannot raise the full purchase price for an Australian protected object.
DAP Beaufort A9-13 was the 13th locally built Australian mark V Beaufort Bomber, with the first 20 being assembled from imported UK parts, but fitted with Australian built Pratt and Whitney 1830 Twin Row Wasp engines. A9-13 was originally built to an RAF order of 180 aircraft and was delivered as RAF serial number T9552 in January 1942 and was one of 20 Australian Beauforts delivered to 100 Squadron RAF at Richmond NSW.
The first 58 aircraft were constructed with British serial numbers for delivery to the RAF for use by RAF 100 Torpedo Squadron at Singapore, however only 6 aircraft ever left Australia for Singapore, with 1 crashing on the way, and the remaining 5 hurriedly returned to Australia following the Japanese invasion.
T9552 was transferred to the RAAF as A9-13 in May 1942 following the fall of Singapore, along with all other Australian RAF Beauforts and a new RAAF 100 Squadron was formed to operate Beauforts adopting the number and many aircrew from the RAF 100 Squadron attachment already in Australia along with those who escaped from Singapore. In April 1942 A9-13 was transferred to Number 1 Operational Training Unit at Bairnsdale in Victoria for use in the training of Beaufort aircrew before allocation to operational squadrons and served with 1 OTU until December 1942 when it suffered a forced landing due to engine failure
A9-13 continued to serve with 1 OTU until January 1944 when it was transferred to 1 Aircraft Deport at Laverton from where it was issued to 8 Communications Unit serve in New Guinea as a replacement for A9-79 in a communications and support role.
While serving with 8CU in New Guinea A9-13 was used to calibrate ground based airfield and early warning radar installations, as well as general communications and "milk" runs.
During a flight to deliver fruit and vegetables in May 1945 to the 100 Squadron base at Tadji airfield near Aitape in Northern PNG A9-13 suffered a forced landing and was converted to components.
In 1974 the remains of A9-13, along with twenty other wartime wrecks including 4 Beauforts, 7 P-39 Airacobras, 6 P-40 Kittyhawks and 1 A-20 Boston were recovered for American collector Dave Tallichet by Monty Armstrong and Charles Darby. A9-13 was exported to New Zealand and later brought to Australia by Monty Armstrong where it was displayed for a period at Point Cook and later Essendon Airport where some early restoration was undertaken, before being moved to Queensland for display at the Museum of Australian Army Flying at Oakey.
While the remains of A9-13 form the basis of the assembled aircraft, its original cockpit was badly damaged by fire during the forced landing and a replacement cockpit from Beaufort mark VIII A9-210 was recovered from Tadji at the time to form the basis of the restoration.
The partly restored A9-13 has remained in private ownership since its recovery from New Guinea and has been in storage in Queensland until its recent purchase.
A9-13 is the oldest surviving Beaufort bomber in the world, the oldest Australian built survivor, being the 13th production example and the only remaining example with the early turret fitted as all other survivors are Australian built DAP mark VIII examples with the later fuselage design.
http://www.aarg.com.au/Beaufort.htmregards
Mark Pilkington
Secretary - Australian National Aviation Museum
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