TEMORA 2018
Temora Aviation Museum THE TEMORA AVIATION MUSEUM IS AN AUSTRALIAN AVIATION MUSEUM LOCATED IN TEMORA, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE MUSEUM WAS ESTABLISHED IN LATE 1999, BASED ON THE COLLECTION OF WARBIRD AIRCRAFT OWNED BY DAVID LOWY. LOWY REMAINS THE PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE MUSEUM, WHICH IS OVERSEEN BY A FOUR-MEMBER GOVERNING COMMITTEE. THE MUSEUM IS HOME TO MANY HISTORIC EX-MILITARY AIRCRAFT THAT RANGE FROM THE WORLD WAR II ERA TO THE VIETNAM WAR ERA AND HOLDS AIRCRAFT SHOWCASE (ON THE 1ST & 3RD SATURDAYS OF MOST MONTHS) TO DISPLAY SOME OF ITS OPERATING AIRCRAFT. THE MUSEUM OFTEN HOSTS VISITS FROM HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT AND ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE COMBAT AIRCRAFT SUCH AS THE F/A-18 HORNET.
RYAN PT-22 RECRUIT THE RYAN PT-22 RECRUIT, THE MAIN MILITARY VERSION OF THE RYAN ST, IS A MILITARY TRAINER AIRCRAFT USED BY THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS AND ITS SUCCESSOR, THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES FOR PRIMARY PILOT TRAINING. THE PT-22 WAS THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS’ FIRST PURPOSE BUILT MONOPLANE TRAINER AND WAS DEVELOPED IN 1941 FROM THE CIVILIAN RYAN ST SERIES. THE RAPID EXPANSION OF WARTIME AIRCREW TRAINING REQUIRED NEW TRAINERS, AND THE RYAN PT-22 WAS ORDERED IN LARGE NUMBERS. NAMED THE “RECRUIT”, IT ENTERED OPERATIONAL SERVICE WITH THE U.S. THE PT SERIES WAS IN HEAVY USE THROUGHOUT THE WAR YEARS WITH BOTH MILITARY AND CIVIL SCHOOLS, BUT WITH THE END OF THE WAR, WAS RETIRED FROM THE USAAF.
Vultee BT-13 Valiant THE VULTEE BT-13 VALIANT WAS AN AMERICAN WORLD WAR II-ERA BASIC (A CATEGORY BETWEEN PRIMARY AND ADVANCED) TRAINER AIRCRAFT BUILT BY VULTEE AIRCRAFT FOR THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS, AND LATER US ARMY AIR FORCES. A SUBSEQUENT VARIANT OF THE BT-13 IN USAAC/USAAF SERVICE WAS KNOWN AS THE BT-15 VALIANT, WHILE AN IDENTICAL VERSION FOR THE US NAVY WAS KNOW N AS THE SNV AND WAS USED TO TRAIN NAVAL AVIATORS FOR THE US NAVY AND ITS SISTER SERVICES, THE US MARINE CORPS AND US COAST GUARD.
CAC CA-13 Boomerang THE CAC BOOMERANG WAS A FIGHTER AIRCRAFT DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRALIA BY THE COMMONWEALTH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION BETWEEN 1942 AND 1945. APPROVED FOR PRODUCTION SHORTLY FOLLOWING THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN’S ENTRY INTO THE SECOND WORLD WAR, THE BOOMERANG WAS RAPIDLY DESIGNED AS TO MEET THE URGENT DEMANDS FOR FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TO EQUIP THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (RAAF). THE TYPE HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST COMBAT AIRCRAFT TO BE BOTH DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED IN AUSTRALIA.
CAC Wirraway THE CAC WIRRAWAY (AN ABORIGINAL WORD MEANING “CHALLENGE”) WAS A TRAINING AND GENERAL PURPOSE MILITARY AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURED IN AUSTRALIA BY THE COMMONWEALTH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (CAC) BETWEEN 1939 AND 1946. IT WAS AN AUSTRALIAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN NA-16 TRAINING AIRCRAFT. THE WIRRAWAY HAS BEEN CREDITED AS BEING THE FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIAN AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING. DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, BOTH ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (RAAF) AND ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY (RAN) DEPLOYED A NUMBER OF WIRRAWAYS INTO COMBAT ROLES, WHERE THEY SERVED IN A MAKESHIFT LIGHT BOMBER/GROUND ATTACK CAPACITY, STRIKING AGAINST THE ADVANCING FORCES OF THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN. WHILE THE TYPE HAD BEEN PRIMARILY USED AS A TRAINER AND GENERAL PURPOSE AIRCRAFT, BEING PRESENT IN SMALL QUANTITIES WITHIN THE MAJORITY OF FRONT-LINE SQUADRONS FOR THESE PURPOSES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OFTEN PRESSED INTO COMBAT WHEN REQUIRED. TYPICALLY, FIGHTER VERSIONS OF THE WIRRAWAY WERE OPERATED OVER THEATERS SUCH AS NEW GUINEA TO PERFORM GROUND ATTACK MISSIONS AND OTHER ARMY CO-OPERATION TASKS OVER EXTENDED PERIODS UNTIL MORE ADVANCED AIRCRAFT HAD BECOME AVAILABLE IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES. ON 12 DECEMBER 1942, THE WIRRAWAY ACHIEVED ITS ONLY SHOOT-DOWN OF AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT, A MITSUBISHI A6M ZERO, WHILE FLOWN BY PILOT OFFICER J. S. ARCHER.
Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger THE GRUMMAN TBF AVENGER IS AN AMERICAN TORPEDO BOMBER DEVELOPED INITIALLY FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND MARINE CORPS, AND EVENTUALLY USED BY SEVERAL AIR AND NAVAL AVIATION SERVICES AROUND THE WORLD. THE AVENGER ENTERED U.S. SERVICE IN 1942, AND FIRST SAW ACTION DURING THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY. DESPITE THE LOSS OF FIVE OF THE SIX AVENGERS ON ITS COMBAT DEBUT, IT
SURVIVED IN SERVICE TO BECOME ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING TORPEDO BOMBERS OF WORLD WAR II. GREATLY MODIFIED AFTER THE WAR, IT REMAINED IN USE UNTIL THE 1960S. CURRENTLY PAINTED IN MARKINGS OF VT.8 THAT FLEW FROM USS BUNKER HILL PART OF CVG-8 (CARRIER AIR GROUP 8) COMMENCING MARCH 1944.
Consolidated PBY Catalina THE CONSOLIDATED PBY CATALINA, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CANSO IN CANADIAN SERVICE, IS AN AMERICAN FLYING BOAT, AND LATER AN AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT OF THE 1930S AND 1940S PRODUCED BY CONSOLIDATED AIRCRAFT. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY USED SEAPLANES OF WORLD WAR II. CATALINAS SERVED WITH EVERY BRANCH OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES AND IN THE AIR FORCES AND NAVIES OF MANY OTHER NATIONS.
DURING WORLD WAR II, PBYS WERE USED IN ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE, PATROL BOMBING, CONVOY ESCORT, SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSIONS (ESPECIALLY AIR-SEA RESCUE), AND CARGO TRANSPORT. THE PBY WAS THE MOST NUMEROUS AIRCRAFT OF ITS KIND AND THE LAST ACTIVE MILITARY PBYS WERE NOT RETIRED FROM SERVICE UNTIL THE 1980S. AS OF 2014, NEARLY 80 YEARS AFTER ITS FIRST FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUES TO FLY AS A WATERBOMBER (OR AIRTANKER) IN AERIAL FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
Lockheed Hudson THE LOCKHEED HUDSON WAS AN AMERICAN-BUILT LIGHT BOMBER AND COASTAL RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT BUILT INITIALLY FOR THE ROYAL AIR FORCE SHORTLY BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND PRIMARILY OPERATED BY THE RAF THEREAFTER. THE HUDSON SERVED THE ALLIES FAITHFULLY DURING THE WAR ON MOST FRONTS AND WITH LITTLE FANFARE. THE AIR FORCES OF BRITAIN, CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, NEW ZEALAND, THE NETHERLANDS, CHINA, BRAZIL AND AUSTRALIA ALL OPERATED HUDSON’S. DERIVED FROM THE LOCKHEED MODEL 14 SUPER ELECTRA 12 PASSENGER TRANSPORT, THE MODEL 14L/214/414 HUDSON FIRST FLEW IN DECEMBER 1938 AND BY THE TIME PRODUCTION ENDED IN MID 1943, A TOTAL OF 2,941 EXAMPLES HAD BEEN BUILT, MOST OF WHICH SERVED THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES. THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE RECEIVED 247 HUDSON’S BETWEEN JANUARY 1940 AND MAY 1942 IN SEVERAL VERSIONS.
Yakovlev Yak-3U THE YAKOVLEV YAK-3 WAS A WORLD WAR II SOVIET FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. ROBUST AND EASY TO MAINTAIN, IT WAS MUCH LIKED BY PILOTS AND GROUND CREW ALIKE. IT WAS ONE OF THE SMALLEST AND LIGHTEST MAJOR COMBAT FIGHTERS FIELDED BY ANY COMBATANT DURING THE WAR. ITS HIGH POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO GAVE IT EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE. IT PROVED
A FORMIDABLE DOGFIGHTER. MARCEL ALBERT, WORLD WAR II FRENCH ACE, WHO FLEW THE YAK IN USSR WITH THE NORMANDIE-NIEMEN GROUP, CONSIDERED IT A SUPERIOR AIRCRAFT WHEN COMPARED TO THE P-51D MUSTANG AND THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE. AFTER THE WAR ENDED, IT WAS FLOWN BY THE YUGOSLAV AND POLISH AIR FORCES.
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk THE CURTISS P-40 KITTYHAWK IS AN AMERICAN SINGLE-ENGINED, SINGLE-SEAT, ALL-METAL FIGHTER AND GROUND-ATTACK AIRCRAFT THAT FIRST FLEW IN 1938. THE P-40 DESIGN WAS A MODIFICATION OF THE PREVIOUS CURTISS P-36 HAWK WHICH REDUCED DEVELOPMENT TIME AND ENABLED A RAPID ENTRY INTO PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONAL SERVICE. THE WARHAWK WAS USED BY MOST ALLIED POWERS DURING WORLD WAR II, AND REMAINED IN FRONTLINE SERVICE UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR. IT WAS THE THIRD MOST-PRODUCED AMERICAN FIGHTER, AFTER THE P-51 AND P-47 BY NOVEMBER 1944, WHEN PRODUCTION OF THE P-40
CEASED, 13,738 HAD BEEN BUILT, ALL AT CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION’S MAIN PRODUCTION FACILITIES AT BUFFALO, NEW YORK. THE KITTYHAWK WAS THE MAIN FIGHTER USED BY THE RAAF IN WORLD WAR II, IN GREATER NUMBERS THAN THE SPITFIRE. TWO RAAF SQUADRONS SERVING WITH THE DESERT AIR FORCE, NO. 3 AND NO. 450 SQUADRONS, WERE THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN UNITS TO BE ASSIGNED P-40S. OTHER RAAF PILOTS SERVED WITH RAF OR SAAF P-40 SQUADRONS IN THE THEATER.
Mustang THE NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION P-51 MUSTANG IS AN AMERICAN LONG-RANGE, SINGLE-SEAT FIGHTER AND FIGHTER-BOMBER USED DURING WORLD WAR II AND THE KOREAN WAR, AMONG OTHER CONFLICTS. THE MUSTANG WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO USE THE ALLISON V-1710 ENGINE, WHICH, IN ITS EARLIER VARIANTS, HAD LIMITED HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE. IT WAS FIRST FLOWN OPERATIONALLY BY THE RAF AS A TACTICAL-RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND FIGHTER-BOMBER (MUSTANG MK I). THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ALLISON WITH A ROLLSROYCE MERLIN RESULTED IN THE P-51B/C (MUSTANG MK III) MODEL AND TRANSFORMED THE MUSTANG’S PERFORMANCE AT ALTITUDES ABOVE 15,000 FT, ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO COMPETE WITH THE LUFTWAFFE’S FIGHTERS. THE DEFINITIVE VERSION, THE P-51D, WAS POWERED BY THE PACKARD V-1650-7, A LICENSE-BUILT VERSION OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE MERLIN 66 TWO-STAGE TWO-SPEED SUPERCHARGED ENGINE AND WAS ARMED WITH SIX .50 CALIBER (12.7 MM) M2/AN BROWNING MACHINE GUNS.
IN NOVEMBER 1944 THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO ORDER AUSTRALIAN-BUILT MUSTANGS, TO REPLACE ITS CURTISS KITTYHAWKS AND CAC BOOMERANGS IN THE SOUTH WEST PACIFIC THEATRE. THE COMMONWEALTH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (CAC) FACTORY AT FISHERMANS BEND, MELBOURNE WAS THE ONLY NON-U.S. PRODUCTION LINE FOR THE P-51. IN 1944, 100 P-51DS WERE SHIPPED FROM THE U.S. IN KIT FORM TO INAUGURATE PRODUCTION. FROM FEBRUARY 1945, CAC ASSEMBLED 80 OF THESE UNDER THE DESIGNATION CA-17 MUSTANG MARK 20, WITH THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN-BUILT AIRCRAFT FLYING ON THE 29 APRIL 1945 AND THE FIRST AIRCRAFT WAS HANDED OVER TO THE RAAF ON 31 MAY 1945. THE REMAINING 20 WERE KEPT UNASSEMBLED AS SPARE PARTS. IN ADDITION, 84 P-51KS WERE ALSO SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO THE RAAF FROM THE USA.
HAWKER Hurricane THE HAWKER HURRICANE IS A BRITISH SINGLE-SEAT FIGHTER AIRCRAFT OF THE 1930S–1940S THAT WAS DESIGNED AND PREDOMINANTLY BUILT BY HAWKER AIRCRAFT LTD. FOR SERVICE WITH THE ROYAL AIR FORCE (RAF). ALTHOUGH OVERSHADOWED IN THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS BY THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE’S ROLE DURING BATTLE OF BRITAIN IN 1940, THE HURRICANE ACTUALLY INFLICTED 60 PERCENT OF THE LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THE LUFTWAFFE IN THE ENGAGEMENT. THE HURRICANE WENT ON TO FIGHT IN ALL THE MAJOR THEATRES OF SECOND WORLD WAR.
THE HURRICANE EVOLVED THROUGH SEVERAL VERSIONS AND ADAPTATIONS, AS BOMBERINTERCEPTORS, FIGHTER-BOMBERS AND GROUND SUPPORT AIRCRAFT IN ADDITION TO FIGHTERS. FURTHER NAVALISED VERSIONS WHICH WERE POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE SEA HURRICANE, HAD MODIFICATIONS ENABLING THEIR OPERATION FROM SHIPS. SOME WERE CONVERTED TO BE USED AS CATAPULT-LAUNCHED CONVOY ESCORTS. BY THE END OF PRODUCTION IN JULY 1944, 14,487 HURRICANES HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN BRITAIN AND CANADA.
Supermarine Spitfire THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE IS A BRITISH SINGLE-SEAT FIGHTER AIRCRAFT USED BY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND OTHER ALLIED COUNTRIES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER WORLD WAR II. MANY VARIANTS OF THE SPITFIRE WERE BUILT, USING SEVERAL WING CONFIGURATIONS, AND IT WAS PRODUCED IN GREATER NUMBERS THAN ANY OTHER BRITISH AIRCRAFT. IT WAS ALSO THE ONLY BRITISH FIGHTER PRODUCED CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE WAR. THE SPITFIRE CONTINUES TO BE POPULAR AMONG ENTHUSIASTS; ABOUT 54 REMAIN AIRWORTHY, AND MANY MORE ARE STATIC EXHIBITS IN AVIATION MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE IN THE PACIFIC IS PROBABLY BEST KNOWN DUE TO THE SHARK’S TEETH 457 SQUADRON RAAF PAINTED ON THEIR AIRCRAFT. THE SPITFIRE CAME TO AUSTRALIA DUE TO A MIX OF BRITISH GEO-POLITICS AND AUSTRALIAN REQUESTS FOR HELP. THE SPITFIRE WAS NOT A GOOD PACIFIC WAR AIRCRAFT. IT HAD SHORT RANGE, LOGISTICS HAD TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE WORLD FROM BRITAIN TO AUSTRALIA AND IT WAS FRAGILE IN COMPARISON TO THE AMERICAN AIRCRAFT OF THE SAME ERA. HOWEVER, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL AIRCRAFT AESTHETICALLY AND WAS LOVED BY THE PILOTS THAT FLEW IT.
Southern Knights THE SOUTHERN KNIGHTS FORMATION AEROBATIC TEAM CAME TOGETHER IN 1997 AND, SINCE THEN, HAVE PERFORMED AT AIRSHOWS AROUND AUSTRALIA. THE TEAM ARE SOME OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED WARBIRD AVIATORS IN AUSTRALIA INCLUDING GUY BOURKE, DOUG HAMILTON, STEVE DEATH, PETER CLEMENTS AND DARCY O’CONNOR. THE SOUTHERN KNIGHTS FLY A PRECISION DISPLAY SHOWCASING THE DEMANDING SKILLS REQUIRED WHEN FLYING IN CLOSE FORMATION. THE FOUR SHIP ROUTINE CONSISTS OF VARIOUS PRIVATELY OWNED WWII VINTAGE T-6 HARVARDS/TEXANS. THE T-6 WHICH IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “THE PILOT MAKER”, IS A SINGLE-ENGINE ADVANCED TRAINER AIRCRAFT USED TO TRAIN PILOTS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE, UNITED STATES NAVY, ROYAL AIR FORCE AND OTHER AIR FORCES OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH DURING WORLD WAR II AND INTO THE 1950S. DESIGNED BY NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION AND POWERED BY A 600 HORSEPOWER, NINE CYLINDER PRATT & WHITNEY RADIAL ENGINE, THE T-6 IS KNOWN BY A VARIETY OF DESIGNATIONS DEPENDING ON THE MODEL AND OPERATING AIR FORCE. MORE THAN 15,000 OF THE VARIOUS MODELS WERE CONSTRUCTED THROUGHOUT A TEN YEAR PRODUCTION RUN.
RAAF Heritage Trainers THE CAC CA-25 WINJEEL IS AN AUSTRALIAN-DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED THREE-SEAT TRAINING AIRCRAFT. ENTERING SERVICE WITH THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (RAAF) IN 1955 AS A BASIC TO ADVANCED TRAINER, IT SERVED IN THIS ROLE UNTIL 1975. LATER, IT WAS USED IN THE FORWARD AIR CONTROL (FAC) ROLE FOR TARGET MARKING UNTIL 1994, AFTER WHICH IT WAS RETIRED FROM RAAF SERVICE. THE PACIFIC AEROSPACE CORPORATION CT/4 AIRTRAINER SERIES IS AN ALL-METALCONSTRUCTION, SINGLE-ENGINE, TWO-PLACE WITH SIDE-BY-SIDE SEATING, FULLY AEROBATIC, PISTON-ENGINED, BASIC TRAINING AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURED IN HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND.
THE NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION T-6 TEXAN IS AN AMERICAN SINGLE-ENGINED ADVANCED TRAINER AIRCRAFT USED TO TRAIN PILOTS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES (USAAF), UNITED STATES NAVY, ROYAL AIR FORCE, AND OTHER AIR FORCES OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH DURING WORLD WAR II AND INTO THE 1970S. DESIGNED BY NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION, THE T-6 IS KNOWN BY A VARIETY OF DESIGNATIONS DEPENDING ON THE MODEL AND OPERATING AIR FORCE.
Nanchang CJ-6 THE NANCHANG CJ-6 IS AN AIRCRAFT DESIGNED AND BUILT IN CHINA FOR USE BY THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY AIR FORCE (PLAAF) AS A BASIC TRAINER. DUE TO ITS LOW PRICE AND STURDY CONSTRUCTION, THE CJ-6A IS A POPULAR HOBBY PLANE. A USED CJ-6 IN THE UNITED STATES CAN COST AS LITTLE AS $75,000. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS ON THE CIVIL REGISTER OF THE USA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, UK, SOUTH AFRICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES.
IN AUSTRALIA, CJ-6 AIRCRAFT ARE GENERALLY OPERATED IN THE LIMITED CATEGORY. THIS IS ADMINISTERED BY THE AUSTRALIAN WARBIRDS ASSOCIATION LIMITED (AWAL). THE AWAL OPERATES UNDER AN APPROVAL FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT’S CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY (CASA) TO MANAGE THE OPERATION OF EX-MILITARY AIRCRAFT.
Yakovlev Yak-52 THE YAKOVLEV YAK-52 IS A SOVIET PRIMARY TRAINER AIRCRAFT WHICH FIRST FLEW IN 1976. IT IS STILL BEING PRODUCED IN ROMANIA BY AEROSTAR, AS IAK-52, WHICH GAINED MANUFACTURING RIGHTS UNDER AGREEMENT WITHIN THE FORMER COMECON SOCIALIST TRADE ORGANISATION. THE YAK-52 WAS DESIGNED AS AN AEROBATIC TRAINER FOR STUDENTS IN THE SOVIET DOSAAF TRAINING ORGANISATION, WHICH TRAINED CIVILIAN SPORT PILOTS AND MILITARY PILOTS.
Cessna O-1 Bird Dog THE CESSNA L-19/O-1 BIRD DOG WAS A LIAISON AND OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT. IT WAS THE FIRST ALL-METAL FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT ORDERED FOR AND BY THE UNITED STATES ARMY SINCE THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES SEPARATED FROM THE ARMY IN 1947, BECOMING ITS OWN BRANCH OF SERVICE, THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. THE BIRD DOG HAD A LENGTHY CAREER IN THE U.S. MILITARY, AS WELL AS IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
Cessna O-2 Skymaster THE CESSNA O-2 SKYMASTER (NICKNAMED “OSCAR DEUCE”) IS A MILITARY VERSION OF THE CESSNA 337 SUPER SKYMASTER, USED FOR FORWARD AIR CONTROL (FAC) AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS (PSYOPS) BY THE US MILITARY BETWEEN 1967 AND 2010. IN 1966 THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE (USAF) COMMISSIONED CESSNA TO BUILD A MILITARY VARIANT OF THE SKYMASTER TO REPLACE THE O-1 BIRD DOG AND THE O-2.
AS WITH THE CIVILIAN VERSION, THE SKYMASTER WAS A LOW-COST TWIN-ENGINE PISTONPOWERED AIRCRAFT, WITH ONE ENGINE IN THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND A SECOND ENGINE IN THE REAR OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PUSH-PULL CONFIGURATION MEANT A SIMPLER SINGLE-ENGINE OPERATING PROCEDURE DUE TO CENTERLINE THRUST COMPARED TO THE COMMON LOW-WING MOUNTING OF MOST TWIN ENGINE LIGHT PLANES, AND ALSO ALLOWED FOR A HIGH WING, PROVIDING CLEAR OBSERVATION BELOW AND BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT.
North American T-28 Trojan THE NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION T-28 TROJAN IS A PISTON-ENGINED MILITARY TRAINER AIRCRAFT USED BY THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AND UNITED STATES NAVY BEGINNING IN THE 1950S. BESIDES ITS USE AS A TRAINER, THE T-28 WAS SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED AS A COUNTER-INSURGENCY AIRCRAFT, PRIMARILY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. IT HAS CONTINUED IN CIVILIAN USE AS AN AEROBATICS AND WARBIRD PERFORMER.
de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou THE DE HAVILLAND CANADA DHC-4 CARIBOU (DESIGNATED BY THE UNITED STATES MILITARY AS THE CV-2 AND LATER C-7 CARIBOU) IS A CANADIAN-DESIGNED AND PRODUCED SPECIALIZED CARGO AIRCRAFT WITH SHORT TAKEOFF AND LANDING (STOL) CAPABILITY. THE CARIBOU WAS FIRST FLOWN IN 1958 AND ALTHOUGH MAINLY RETIRED FROM MILITARY OPERATIONS, IS STILL IN USE IN SMALL NUMBERS AS A RUGGED “BUSH” AIRCRAFT.
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly THE CESSNA A-37 DRAGONFLY, OR SUPER TWEET, IS AN AMERICAN LIGHT ATTACK AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED FROM THE T-37 TWEET BASIC TRAINER IN THE 1960S AND 1970S BY CESSNA OF WICHITA, KANSAS. THE A-37 WAS INTRODUCED DURING THE VIETNAM WAR AND REMAINED IN PEACETIME SERVICE AFTERWARD.
Gloster Meteor THE GLOSTER METEOR WAS THE FIRST BRITISH JET FIGHTER AND THE ALLIES’ FIRST OPERATIONAL JET AIRCRAFT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. METEORS OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE (RAAF) PROVIDED A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN THE KOREAN WAR. THE RAAF ACQUIRED 113 METEORS BETWEEN 1946 AND 1952, 94 OF WHICH WERE THE F.8 VARIANT. THE RAAF BEGAN INTRODUCING THE DOMESTICALLYPRODUCED CAC SABRE IN 1955, WHICH PROGRESSIVELY RELEGATED THE OLDER METEOR TO TRAINING AND SECONDARY DUTIES.
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet THE MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F/A-18 HORNET IS A TWIN-ENGINE, SUPERSONIC, ALL-WEATHER, CARRIER-CAPABLE, MULTIROLE COMBAT JET, DESIGNED AS BOTH A FIGHTER AND ATTACK AIRCRAFT (HENCE THE F/A DESIGNATION). DESIGNED BY MCDONNELL DOUGLAS (NOW BOEING) AND NORTHROP, THE F/A-18 WAS DERIVED FROM THE LATTER’S YF-17 IN THE 1970S FOR USE BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND MARINE CORPS. THE F/A-18 HAS A TOP SPEED OF MACH 1.8 (1,034 KNOTS, 1,190 MPH OR 1,915 KM/H AT 40,000 FT OR 12,200 M). IT CAN CARRY A WIDE VARIETY OF BOMBS AND MISSILES, INCLUDING AIR-TO-AIR AND AIR-TO-GROUND, SUPPLEMENTED BY THE 20-MM M61 VULCAN CANNON. IT IS POWERED BY TWO GENERAL ELECTRIC F404 TURBOFAN ENGINES, WHICH GIVE THE AIRCRAFT A HIGH THRUST-TO-WEIGHT RATIO. THE F/A-18 HAS EXCELLENT AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS, PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTED TO ITS LEADING-EDGE EXTENSIONS.
THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE PURCHASED 57 F/A-18A FIGHTERS AND 18 F/A-18B TWOSEAT TRAINERS TO REPLACE ITS DASSAULT MIRAGE IIIOS. THE FIRST TWO AIRCRAFT WERE PRODUCED IN THE US, WITH THE REMAINDER ASSEMBLED IN AUSTRALIA AT GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT FACTORIES. F/A-18 DELIVERIES TO THE RAAF BEGAN ON 29 OCTOBER 1984, AND CONTINUED UNTIL MAY 1990. IN 2001, AUSTRALIA DEPLOYED FOUR AIRCRAFT TO DIEGO GARCIA, IN AN AIR-DEFENSE ROLE, DURING COALITION OPERATIONS AGAINST THE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN. IN 2003, 75 SQUADRON DEPLOYED 14 F/A-18S TO QATAR AS PART OF OPERATION FALCONER AND THESE AIRCRAFT SAW ACTION DURING THE INVASION OF IRAQ. AUSTRALIA HAD 71 HORNETS IN SERVICE IN 2006, AFTER FOUR WERE LOST TO CRASHES.
BAE Systems Hawk 127 THE BAE SYSTEMS HAWK IS A BRITISH SINGLE-ENGINE, JET-POWERED ADVANCED TRAINER AIRCRAFT. IT WAS FIRST FLOWN AT DUNSFOLD, SURREY, IN 1974 AS THE HAWKER SIDDELEY HAWK, AND SUBSEQUENTLY PRODUCED BY ITS SUCCESSOR COMPANIES, BRITISH AEROSPACE AND BAE SYSTEMS, RESPECTIVELY. IT HAS BEEN USED IN A TRAINING CAPACITY AND AS A LOW-COST COMBAT AIRCRAFT.
THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE ORDERED 33 HAWK 127 LEAD-IN FIGHTERS (LIFS) IN JUNE 1997, 12 OF WHICH WERE PRODUCED IN THE UK AND 21 IN AUSTRALIA. THIS VARIANT IS ALSO POWERED BY THE ADOUR 871. THE HAWK 127 IS OPERATED BY THE RAAF’S NO. 76 SQUADRON AND NO. 79 SQUADRON WHICH ARE BASED AT RAAF BASE WILLIAMTOWN AND RAAF BASE PEARCE RESPECTIVELY. WORK TO UPGRADE THE RAAF’S HAWKS TO A STANDARD SIMILAR TO THE HAWK 128 STANDARD BEGAN IN 2014, AND IT IS PLANNED THAT THE TWO SQUADRONS WILL BEGIN OPERATIONS WITH THESE AIRCRAFT IN 2017.
Lockheed C-130J Hercules THE LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES IS A FOUR-ENGINE TURBOPROP MILITARY TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT DESIGNED AND BUILT ORIGINALLY BY LOCKHEED (NOW LOCKHEED MARTIN). CAPABLE OF USING UNPREPARED RUNWAYS FOR TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, THE C-130 WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AS A TROOP, MEDEVAC, AND CARGO TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT. THE VERSATILE AIRFRAME HAS FOUND USES IN A VARIETY OF OTHER ROLES, INCLUDING AS A GUNSHIP (AC-130), FOR AIRBORNE ASSAULT, SEARCH AND RESCUE, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SUPPORT, WEATHER RECONNAISSANCE, AERIAL REFUELING, MARITIME PATROL, AND AERIAL FIREFIGHTING. IT IS NOW THE MAIN TACTICAL AIRLIFTER FOR MANY MILITARY FORCES WORLDWIDE. MORE THAN 40 VARIANTS OF THE HERCULES, INCLUDING A CIVILIAN ONE MARKETED AS THE LOCKHEED L-100, OPERATE IN MORE THAN 60 NATIONS.
THE C-130 ENTERED SERVICE WITH THE U.S. IN THE 1950S, FOLLOWED BY AUSTRALIA AND MANY OTHER NATIONS. DURING ITS YEARS OF SERVICE, THE HERCULES FAMILY HAS PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS MILITARY, CIVILIAN AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS. IN 2007, THE C-130 BECAME THE FIFTH AIRCRAF TO MARK 50 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE WITH ITS ORIGINAL PRIMARY CUSTOMER, WHICH IS THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE FOR THE C-130. THE C-130 HERCULES IS THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCED MILITARY AIRCRAFT AT OVER 60 YEARS, WITH THE UPDATED LOCKHEED MARTIN C-130J SUPER HERCULES CURRENTLY BEING PRODUCED.
BOEING C-17A Globemaster III THE BOEING C-17 GLOBEMASTER III IS A LARGE MILITARY TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT. IT WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE (USAF) FROM THE 1980S TO THE EARLY 1990S BY MCDONNELL DOUGLAS. THE C-17 CARRIES FORWARD THE NAME OF TWO PREVIOUS PISTONENGINED MILITARY CARGO AIRCRAFT, THE DOUGLAS C-74 GLOBEMASTER AND THE DOUGLAS C-124 GLOBEMASTER II. THE C-17 COMMONLY PERFORMS TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC AIRLIFT MISSIONS, TRANSPORTING TROOPS AND CARGO THROUGHOUT THE WORLD; ADDITIONAL ROLES INCLUDE MEDICAL EVACUATION AND AIRDROP DUTIES. IT WAS DESIGNED TO REPLACE THE LOCKHEED C-141 STARLIFTER, AND ALSO FULFILL SOME OF THE DUTIES OF THE LOCKHEED C-5 GALAXY, FREEING THE C-5 FLEET FOR OUTSIZE CARGO.
BOEING, WHICH MERGED WITH MCDONNELL DOUGLAS IN 1997, CONTINUED TO MANUFACTURE C-17S FOR EXPORT CUSTOMERS FOLLOWING THE END OF DELIVERIES TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE. ASIDE FROM THE UNITED STATES, THE C-17 IS IN SERVICE WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, QATAR, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, NATO HEAVY AIRLIFT WING, INDIA, AND KUWAIT. THE FINAL C-17 WAS COMPLETED AT THE LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA PLANT AND FLOWN ON 29 NOVEMBER 2015.
E-7A Wedgetail THE E-7A WEDGETAIL PROVIDES AUSTRALIA WITH ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED AIR BATTLESPACE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES IN THE WORLD. THE E-7A WEDGETAIL IS BASED ON A BOEING 737-700, WITH THE ADDITION OF AN ADVANCED MULTI-ROLE ELECTRONICALLY SCANNED ARRAY (MESA) RADAR AND 10 MISSION CREW CONSOLES, TO CREATE ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE. THE E-7A WEDGETAIL&C HAS ALSO BEEN SELECTED BY THE TURKISH AIR FORCE (UNDER “PROJECT PEACE EAGLE”, ) AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE (“PROJECT PEACE EYE”, ), AND HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO ITALY AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
Pilatus PC-9/A THE PILATUS PC-9 IS A SINGLE-ENGINE, LOW-WING TANDEM-SEAT TURBOPROP TRAINING AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURED BY PILATUS AIRCRAFT OF SWITZERLAND. DESIGNED AS A MORE POWERFUL EVOLUTION OF THE PILATUS PC-7, THE PC-9’S FIRST FLIGHT WAS MADE IN MAY 1984 AFTER WHICH CERTIFICATION WAS ACHIEVED IN SEPTEMBER 1985. AFTER THIS, THE FIRST PRODUCTION ORDERS FOR THE TYPE WERE RECEIVED FROM THE ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE, WITH DELIVERIES COMMENCING IN 1985. SINCE THEN, MORE THAN 250 AIRFRAMES HAVE BEEN PRODUCED ACROSS FIVE DIFFERENT VARIANTS AND THE TYPE IS EMPLOYED BY A NUMBER OF
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN OPERATORS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE SWISS AIR FORCE, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE, AND THE ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE. THE ROULETTES ARE THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE’S FORMATION AEROBATIC DISPLAY TEAM. THEY PROVIDE ABOUT 150 FLYING DISPLAYS A YEAR, IN AUSTRALIA AND IN FRIENDLY COUNTRIES AROUND THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION. THE ROULETTES FORM PART OF THE RAAF CENTRAL FLYING SCHOOL (CFS) AT RAAF BASE EAST SALE, VICTORIA.