Warbird Information Exchange

Thanks for clearing that up CDF

The Sea Venom cockpit section is WZ-945.
I tracked it down whilst researching my book on the Sea Venom, I've been restoring them as well for a while
now and like to keep track of who's got what.

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Steve Long
Ex RANFAA A-4 Maintenance & RAN Historic Flight
Supervisor Camden Museum of Aviation.

Ok so the MOTAT TBF-1C Avenger is NZ2527 one of the last three to fly with the RNZAF in the 1950s as a target tug (along with NZ2504 and NZ2503). And in the background of the photo of Mustang "NZ2510" is the Air Force Museum's Avenger which is actually a TBF-1 (although for all intents and it is a 1C but has the nose-gun as well as wing guns making her very rare indeed). NZ2504 was the very last operational Avenger with the RNZAF being retired to gate guard duties in 1959. She was restored to taxi status in 1979/80 as a target-tug(minus turret) and then in 1986 was restored into original condition as received in 1943 but painted as NZ2521 a TBF shot down over Rabaul in 1944.
Oh and other interesting point is for some reason NZ2527 has wings with no guns but she definitely is a TBF-1C. Further investigation shows she did have them at one point as did all 6 of the first TBF-1 Avengers so how she comes to have them now is a mystery indeed.

It is A3-87 c/n 321 VH-AJY

Although there are no identifications left on the airframe due to the intense fire in the cockpit area, the story of its acquisition by Syd aligns with the known fate of this aircraft above.

Back in the 1980's and 1990's I searched the military disposals and civil register following up the fate and remains of every Wackett when I was scouring for any surviving parts, and corresponded with the Station Manager of Woologorong Station near Burke in Queensland, where VH-AJY was last registered to, and was advised of its subsequent playground and burning fate at Cloncurry in the late 1950s.

I later corresponded and spoke with Syd Beck seeking the identity and origins of his airframe and discussed the similarity of his recovery from Cloncurry in the 1970's and its condition, and made him aware of the history of VH-AJY.

There wasn't any other Wackett that corresponds in time and place to Syd's recovery, or its condition.

I later visited Syd in the late 2000's and inspected the frame for any identity marks, which unfortunately do not exist, but am confident this is its true identity.


Geoff Goodall correctly records it on his website, but it is still relatively unknown elsewhere such as adf-serials.com.au

http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-av ... -part1.htm

Syds' wreck is certainly a post war civil operated aircraft, the rear cockpit RHS electrical box remains is not standard Wackett or RAAF.

The Wackett has two primary identification plates, the airframe makers plate is mounted on the sub-panel below the front instrument panel, this is missing in most of the survivors, and is totally non-existant in Syds' wreck, while the fuselage frame has an aluminium manufacturing bracelet riveted around a tube near front rudder pedal mounts, and this often survives and is able to be referenced back to the production records, however again it is totally non-existant in Syds' wreck.

The final identifier "can" be the serial of the engine, depending if the airframe is still carrying the engine fitted by the manufacturer, as the correlation of engine numbers to airframes is known, but unfortunately the ongoing problems with the Scarab in RAAF service resulted in a lot of engine churn, and in any case, while the engine is present in Syds' wreck, its data plate is not.


Unfortunately Syd's steel fuselage frame is suffering severe rust due to the extensive fire it has suffered (the wooden wing appears to have been burnt in situ as the wing mounts are still in place with charcoaled spar remains, and the tanks may have had some fuel residue?), and other than being a source of a few parts (which in the main could probably be fabricated new in any case), its best purpose is as a static display as currently presented "as is".

I personally don't believe it would survive a sand blasting, other than at the rear where the fire did not take hold.

But it is a unique survivor.

I haven't as yet tracked down a post war photo of VH-AJY / A3-87


Regards

Mark Pilkington

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20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

Good news is that they weathered the recent cyclone in Mareeba and the Beck collection is staying together (literally)

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Disclaimer: Photo discription, original photographer and/or original web source credit unknown unless otherwise noted.

Thanks a million Mark, it is much appreciated.