AHSA Monthly Meeting 16 Sep 2020 (Derek Buckmaster: The Wirraway “Newspaper War”)

DerekB16/09/202027/12/2022

Derek Buckmaster gave a presentation on The Wirraway “Newspaper War”.

The AHSA September monthly meeting was held online via Zoom. A recording of the meeting is included below (click the image below to view the video):

1934 Fifth place in the Handicap Section of the MacRobertson International Air Races was won by New Zealanders Squadron Leader Malcolm McGregor and Henry Walker flying the Miles Hawk Major ZK-ADJ, race number 2, when they crossed the finish line over Flemington Racecourse at 9:50pm on 27 October 1934. Their actual flying time was 118 hours 5 mins 46 secs, from which was deducted their handicap allowance of 35 hours 22 mins 12 seconds. This gave an adjusted handicap time of 82 hours 43 mins 34 secs. The performance of the aircraft and its crew throughout the race was practically faultless, they made consistently good time all along the route, the only problem which beset them being a crack on the engine cowling which started soon after the start and to which they constantly applied galvanized patches. Their only misfortune was a forced landing at Brunette Downs on the Barkly Tableland of the Northern Territory due to a dust storm which reduced visibility to unsafe limits. The time spent on the ground there probably cost them a place in the Handicap Section. Source: Aviation Heritage Vol 24 Nos 1 & 2, 1984

1942 Lockheed Hudson A16-38 operated by "A" Flight, No 1 Operational Training Unit RAAF crashed at Bairnsdale, Victora on 27 October 1942. The Hudson was making a high speed low-level run over the aerodrome for the purpose of filming. As the plane levelled out at about 80 feet above the ground the spar of the right wing failed, causing the wing to break off about 3 feet outboard of the engine. The Hudson rolled rapidly to the right two or three times and then crashed and exploded. All four airman on board were killed instantly. Sources: ADF-Serials; aviation-safety.net website