FESTIVAL OF BOATS - TRAINS AND PLANES

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Cameron Barnett
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Props & mags OCTOBER 2014 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MUSEUM 66 LIPSON STREET, PORT ADELAIDE P.O. BOX 150, PORT ADELAIDE, SA 5015. PHONE (08) 8240 1230 http://www.saam.org.

Planning commenced for the Festival in March this year. It was sponsored by the Port Adelaide Enfield Council and Renewal SA.

By using the funds grant and the resources of each Museum an event was put together that obviously appealed to the public.

At least 10,000 people visited SAAM over the two days of the event.

1 Props & mags OCTOBER 2014 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MUSEUM 66 LIPSON STREET, PORT ADELAIDE P.O. BOX 150, PORT ADELAIDE, SA PHONE (08) FESTIVAL OF BOATS - TRAINS AND PLANES This was the first event conducted by the MUSEUMS IN THE PORT the SA Maritime Museum the National Rail Museum and SAAM. Planning commenced for the Festival in March this year. It was sponsored by the Port Adelaide Enfield Council and Renewal SA. A small committee of representatives from each Museum plus a member of the Council and Renewal SA made up the event organisers. By using the funds grant and the resources of each Museum an event was put together that obviously appealed to the public. The Big Red Bus in action I am sure all those members who helped over the two days will agree it was nothing less than a huge success. In fact I think our Museum was close to capacity at times. At least 10,000 people visited SAAM over the two days of the event. The highlights were many some were: the popularity of the Big Red bus the steam train running between SAAM and the NRM the balloon the engine runs - the interest in the workshop - the ever popular BBQ the bands the F-111 and all the other events taking place in Lipson street at all the Museums. The Press Release reproduced on page 3 sums up the event for those members who were unable to attend. My thanks to John Roberts who assisted me on the planning committee and to all The line to get in those members who came and worked so hard to assist us manage the huge crowd. A special thanks to all those who managed to come for both days it was extremely tiring but worth it to see so many people enjoying the museum and the increase in our building fund. David Byrne The Hangar

2 S.A.A.M. COMMITTEE MUSEUM PATRON: THE HON. ALEXANDER DOWNER AC PRESIDENT: DAVID BYRNE Dates for your diary.. GENERAL MEETING 18th OCTOBER 2014 AT 1pm This will be preceded by a BBQ LUNCH 12 noon Cost $5 HISTORY GROUP MEETING at 10.30am COMMITTEE MEETING 6th NOVEMBER 2014 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 15th NOVEMBER 2014 at 1.00pm GENERAL MEETING FOLLOWING A.G.M. VICE PRESIDENT PIETER VAN DYK TREASURER: JOHN HILLIER CURATOR: OPEN COCKPIT DAY THIS MEANS ANOTHER BIG DAY COMING UP (thankfully only one day this time) WHERE WE WILL NEED ALL MEMBERS ON HAND. PLEASE PLACE YOUR NAME ON THE BOARD NEXT TO THE SIGN IN BOOK SO WE CAN ALLOCATE TASKS FOR THIS EVENT. The next event is the Xmas party you just have to come and enjoy. PAUL DAW SECRETARY: MIKE MILLN WORKSHOP MANAGER: GRAHAM BELL PUBLIC RELATIONS: JOHN ROBERTS MEMBERSHIP: ROD KOPP TECHNICAL ADVISER: WAYNNE LEE FIRE ALARM PROCEDURES PLEASE NOTE. ALL PREVIOUS PROCEDURES HAVE HAD TO BE SET ASIDE AS THEY DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE WAY THE FIRE BRIGADE WANTS US TO USE THE FIRE PANEL. THE NEW INSTRUCTION IS MUCH EASIER. IF THE ALARM SOUNDS EVACUATE THE BUILDING CHECK TO SEE WHERE THE FIRE MIGHT BE IF NO OBVIOUS FIRE THEN PHONE OUR FIRE SERVICE (MFS -THE NUMBER IS ON THE FRONT OF THE FIRE PANEL) AND THEY WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO WITH THE FIRE PANEL. THE MFS WILL ATTEND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO CHECK OUT THE SITUATION. THEY CAN ALSO ATTEND TO THE PANEL IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY DIFFICULTY CARRYING OUT THE PROCEDURE IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH 2

PRESS RELEASE New festival puts Lipson Street firmly on the map Visitors flocked to the Festival of Vintage Boats, Trains and Planes this weekend in such numbers that the so-called Lipson Street

The first of its type and anticipated as a biennial festival, it featured all three museums in Port Adelaide: SA Maritime Museum, National Railway Museum and SA Aviation Museum, along with the tall

Final figures are still being collated among the venues, but at this stage SA Maritime Museum can confirm attendance of the Bond Store and their attractions was 11,693.

So from a standing start that s an amazing result for SA Maritime Museum alone.

3 PRESS RELEASE New festival puts Lipson Street firmly on the map Visitors flocked to the Festival of Vintage Boats, Trains and Planes this weekend in such numbers that the so-called Lipson Street Party put SA s first heritage precinct firmly on the map. The first of its type and anticipated as a biennial festival, it featured all three museums in Port Adelaide: SA Maritime Museum, National Railway Museum and SA Aviation Museum, along with the tall ships Falie and One & All, collectively attracting a very buoyant crowd of well over 31,000. Final figures are still being collated among the venues, but at this stage SA Maritime Museum can confirm attendance of the Bond Store and their attractions was 11,693. That s on a par with the visitors the Museum attracted during the last Port Festival in 2013, an event which has a much higher profile since its inception in So from a standing start that s an amazing result for SA Maritime Museum alone. The National Railway Museum were chuffed with a total of 9,900 visitors and the Aviation Museum estimate a total attendance close on 10,000 at their museum, proving that the new collective marketing of Museums in the Port did indeed pay dividends for all. The event on 5 & 6 October had cast its net far and wide, with visitors coming from as far as Port Lincoln to enjoy the spectacle. From the Red Hen trains that chuffed down from the city (carrying some 1,100 passengers) to the double-decker free shuttle buses running between the museums, the Festival of Vintage Boats, Trains & Planes was a real celebration of heritage transport. Kevin Jones, Director of the SA Maritime Museum was overwhelmed by the response to an event he helped create, Yet again we have seen what a wonderful attraction we have in South Australia s first heritage precinct an historic seaport in the Port Centre and home to three fine museums. As with all such collaborative projects, the museums were grateful for the support their volunteers and staff showed across the two days. The Festival of Vintage Boats, Trains and Planes was presented by Museums in the Port, supported by the City of Port Adelaide & Enfield Council and Renewal SA and hopes to return in

4 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of The South Australian Aviation Museum Inc., which will be held on Saturday 15 th November 2014 at 66 Lipson Street Port Adelaide SA 5015, commencing at 1:00pm. The order of business at the meeting shall be the consideration of the accounts and reports of the Executive Committee and auditors, and the appointment of auditors and Executive Committee members. All present Executive Committee members will retire at the meeting and shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations for election to the Executive Committee should be made in writing by financial ordinary members only, signed by the person nominating and proposed and seconded by financial ordinary members. Nominees must have been a member of the Museum for a minimum of one year and must have completed at least 30 hours of rostered duty. Nominations must be in the hands of the Secretary no later than 10 th November Elections will then be held at the meeting for the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and five other positions Should any position receive more than one nomination, election will be by secret ballot. Should it be necessary, two financial members who are not nominees will be appointed by the Chairman to act as Scrutineers of the voting papers to report directly to the meeting. Nomination for Election and Proxy Vote forms are available from the Secretary and/or at the Reception Desk at the Museum. Mike Milln Secretary South Australian Aviation Museum Inc secretary@saam.org.au Ph

5 REQUEST FROM THE LIBRARIAN.. Again an audit of the books this month revealed the following as missing. If you should have them in your possession it would be appreciated if they could be returned, or if you are still using the book for some reason, please enter it in the book located in the Library Book of Aeroplanes Heroes have Wings Return via Dunkirk Vampire Macchi & Iroquois in We find and Destroy Australian Aviation RAAF Annual Wirraway Boomerang and CA Unit Badges of the RAAF in Australian Service Aircraft in WWII Sabre Mig 15 & Hunter Robert Bedford of Kyancutta Nigel Daw LIBRARIAN MUSEUMS IN THE PORT VINTAGE TRANSPORT FESTIVAL more pictures page 6 5

Both aircraft restorations have been progressing slowly with some [lots of?] members enjoying holidays and others wishing they were.

7 WING TIPS WE GIVE THEM THE SHEETS Wood or metal sheeting? Doesn t matter, we can handle it. The Battle is getting its new centre section aluminium floor installed and primed while the Anson inner rear port wing now has all ply sheeting installed. Both aircraft restorations have been progressing slowly with some [lots of?] members enjoying holidays and others wishing they were. As the last nail was hammered home into the Anson wing a few quiet yeeeehaahs echoed through the workshop. A milestone indeed with the wing section only needing a coat of dope and some fabric. Well that may happen sooner rather than later with the weather warming up. So if you smell that all familiar aroma of dope, you will know what we are up to. We have a few metal fittings to fit to both sections of the wing and then it will be ready for finishing. With both the inner and outer rear sections fitted the wing will have operational bomb doors, flap and aileron. They will not have their hydraulics, cables and control circuits installed, however. New ply and flap sheeting Cover pieces for the gap between the mainplane sections are being fabricated and will be fitted soon. This will be something we have not tackled before because the wing tapers span wise and also varies in thickness from leading to trailing edge chord wise. So the cover pieces will be a delicate curve that a mathematician would probably call a section of an oblate spheroid. Or something equally vague. So next visit to the workshop, take a deep breath! Over and out Battlers and Anson Crew Only needs a little bog and some paint 7

8 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MUSEUM SIGNIFICANT AVIATOR PROFILES History Group members Barry Berkinshaw and Dean Robinson have been researching significant aircraft used by airlines in Australia. The project is to produce material for a possible future display and DVD presentation, but also a new series of Significant Aircraft Profiles, which will be progressively added to the website and published in the newsletter. The series, at least initially, will concentrate on major post war aircraft acquisitions. Dean Robinson s fine profile on the Lockheed L188 Electra that follows is the first of the series. You can look forward to more! Mike Milln LOCKHEED L188 ELECTRA The 1950s was indeed a transitional period for Australia's two major domestic airlines Ansett-ANA and TAA (Trans Australia Airlines), and its international airline Qantas. The decade began with the carriers operating all piston engine aircraft and concluded with a number of turbo-prop powered types being introduced to the respective fleets. Among the new types was the Lockheed L188 Electra. In comparison with other aircraft types flown by Australia's major airlines, Electra numbers were comparatively small, with only 11 being operated between the three major carriers. Despite their limited numbers, they proved to be a worthy, reliable airframe, bridging the gap between piston power and the forthcoming jet era. Built by the American Lockheed Corporation, the Electra came in response to requests, particularly from Capitol Airlines and American Airlines, for a short/medium haul airliner carrying passengers over an average range of 700 miles (1300 km). American Airlines placed an order for 35 Electras in June 1955, followed shortly by an order from Eastern Airlines for an additional 40 aircraft. Thus committed, Lockheed proceeded with final design work, resulting in the prototype being completed by December The L188 project, as it had been known prior to the name Electra being bestowed on it, could boast some impressive features. A low wing aircraft, powered by four Allison 501 turbo-prop engines (similar to the power plants found in the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion), providing a cruising speed of 350 knots/650kmh at a altitude of 28,000 feet and carrying 80 passengers. Additionally, range was increased to well in excess of 2,000 nautical miles/3,700 km, allowing the aircraft to operate direct Melbourne- Perth services. The Electra entered service in early January 1959 with US operator Eastern Airlines. Unfortunately, three L188s were to crash with loss of life within the first 16 months of the type s introduction to service. The cause, called "whirlpool mode", was eventually identified as a weakness in the engine mountings which produced excessive engine nacelle vibration, leading to wing flexing and finally wing separation. Electras were still permitted to operate while the crashes were under investigation, but their cruising speed was reduced to 255 kts/475kmh. After the fault had been determined, Lockheed recalled all Electras built to that point and, at its own expense, carried out a number of modifications including engine mount bracing and installation of additional wing supports. Each aircraft took approximately 20 days to modify, eventually costing Lockheed a total of some US $25 million. Reg Ansett had visited Lockheed in 1957 and on his return to Australia announced he had ordered four L188s for his airline. Meanwhile, TAA had been carrying out its own research, which led to it wanting to procure the Caravelle, a short/medium range twin jet built by French manufacturer Sud Aviation. On the other hand, Qantas elected to go with the Electra, as it believed it would best suit its shorter routes into the Asia/Pacific region. In May 1958, the Federal government advised that under the shortly to be enacted Airlines Equipment Bill,₁ both Ansett-ANA and TAA would each have allocated two Electras and Qantas four. ₁ The Bill was passed on 10 October 1958 and became the Airlines Equipment Act

Ansett-ANA was first to introduce the Electra to Australia with the arrival of VH-RMA in March 1959.

9 Ansett-ANA was first to introduce the Electra to Australia with the arrival of VH-RMA in March The registration letters, not surprisingly, stood for the airline founder's name: Reginald Myles Ansett. Because of TAA's preference for Caravelle aircraft and the Federal government's decision to back the Electra instead, TAA's first L188 did not arrive until June Electras quickly proved to be popular with the travelling public, reflected by the airlines soon recording high load factors. However, a problem did shortly arise for Electra operators, including those in Australia, when a high noise level and vibration became apparent in the forward cabin, identified as being caused by propeller resonance. Lockheed's solution called for modification to the engine nacelles. Under Lockheed supervision, work was carried out locally by the airline whereby the engines were given a upward tilt of three degrees, the task taking six days to complete. Further problems arose for the two Australian domestic operators and Qantas as a result of the three fatal L188 crashes in the US. The upshot saw all of Australia's Electras having to return to Lockheed's Californian facility at Burbank to undergo substantial reworking at Lockheed's expense. This procedure commenced in December 1969 when Qantas dispatched the first of Australia's Electras back to the US. Overall, the introduction of the Electra into Australia proved to be a winner, raising levels of passenger comfort and reducing flight times. For Ansett-ANA, results were quickly forthcoming in regard to its market share as passengers flocked to the Electra. The Commonwealth s refusal of TAA's bid for the Caravelle resulted in it not being able to place its first Electra into service until July With the necessary modifications carried out, the Electras settled in, providing fast and reliable service within Australia and to various destinations across Asia and the South West Pacific with Qantas. As an illustration of the Electras' capability and passenger appeal, Ansett-ANA was able to schedule six daily Melbourne-Sydney return flights within a month of the aircraft's introduction, such was the demand. Equally astounding was the fact that this demand was in spite of a ticketing/fare structure of either first class or full fare economy only. It would be many years before our airlines adopted cheap, "no frill" airfares. Both Australian domestic airlines added a third Electra to their fleets by September These six aircraft maintained their dominant role for the next few years until the arrival of Australia's first commercial jet aircraft, the Boeing B727, in October As more jet aircraft were introduced, the Electras began to be phased out, with Qantas being the first to wind down its fleet between and TAA withdrawing their L188s through Ansett (from November 1968 renamed Ansett Airlines of Australia) chose another career for its Electras when, in 1972, they were converted in the US to a freighter configuration. In their new guise, the Electras could uplift over 15 tonnes of either palletised or bulk freight. With the success of Ansett Airfreight, a fourth Electra freighter was purchased in For many years these aircraft successfully 9

10 plied their trade across Australia usually during the night hours (in airline parlance, "back of the clock"), carrying all manner of goods ranging from vegetables to race horses. Unofficially known as "Wombat Airlines" by their crew, a wombat logo normally appeared near the cockpit reflecting the nocturnal nature of their operations

11 After 25 years of service with Ansett, the Electras were withdrawn from service in 1984, closing a era which illustrated the aircraft's flexibility and strength to operate in both passenger and freight roles. Interestingly, the Electra is to date the last commercially built aircraft by Lockheed to be operated by Australian airlines. Sources: Eric Allen, Airliners in Australian Service, Vol 1 and 2. Samuel Brimson, Ansett: The story of an airline. PJ Gates, "Electra! The Lockheed L-188", Flightpath, Vol 2, No 4, July/August Stewart Wilson, Ansett: The story of the rise and fall of Ansett Dean Robinson History Group Member October A BLAST FROM THE PAST.. An Extract from October 1988 Props and Mags A humorous tail has been told about getting a permit to tow the Winjeel, (minus its wings) from Port Adelaide to Edinburgh for the airshow. From the 21st to the 23rd of October the Museum was the proud owner of a 9 cylinder, 950hp trailer, registered A CAC never knew they built trailers. Barry Williams went to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to get a special permit and dutifully filled out the form to tell them that it had 2 wheels, a windscreen and a 950hp motor. Honesty got the better of him (or perhaps he just thought they might ask a few awkward questions) so he tried to explain the situation to the unfortunate office girl. Many strange looks and supervisors later, it was mutually agreed that an aeroplane was a trailer and Barry emerged three hours after he entered with a temporary permit to tow it to Edinburgh and back again. To all those celebrating their birthday this month, we wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY and hope you have a great day. DON T FORGET SATURDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2014 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 11.

F27 FOKKER FRIENDSHIP

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MUSEUM SIGNIFICANT AIRCRAFT PROFILES F27 FOKKER FRIENDSHIP Following WWII, the Douglas DC-3 could be found operating in most countries throughout the world, some 10,000 having