IPEC Aviation – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB03/06/202306/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 2 (June 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly AHSA journal - Aviation Heritage - has recently been posted to members. The contents of all articles are listed below: Aviation...

1934 First place in the Speed Section of the MacRobertson International Air Races was won by Charles W.A. Scott and Tom Campbell Black flying the de Havilland DH.88 Comet G-ACSS "Grosvenor House", race number 34, when they crossed the finish line over Flemington Racecourse at 5:35am (local) on 23 October 1934. The elapsed time of the Comet was 70 hours 54 minutes 18 seconds. Newspapers heralded the feat of the two aviators with headlines such as “ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA IN 52 1/2 HOURS” (this was their time from London to Darwin). Although this had been predicted before the race, now that it had happened it appeared miraculous. All of a sudden the world had shrunk. Four and a half days had been clipped off the existing record. Source: Aviation Heritage Vol 24 Nos 1 & 2, 1984

1934 While competing in the Handicap section of the MacRobertson International Air Races from London to Melbourne, Flight-Lieutenant Donald Campbell Shaw, representing Britain, was forced to withdraw from the race when the undercarriage of his British Klemm BK-1 Eagle G-ACVU was damaged while landing at Bushire, India on 23 October 1934. Shaw was one of two solo pilots in the race (Jimmy Melrose was the other). Source: Aviation Heritage Vol 24 Nos 1 & 2, 1984

1947 Bristol's company demonstrator Freighter IA G-AIMC, named "Merchant Venturer", was damaged beyond repair at Wau, New Guinea on 23 October 1947 during a worldwide sales and demonstration tour. The aircraft, which was on charter to Qantas, was parked at the top of Wau's 1:12 gradient airstrip after landing when the park brake cable failed. "Merchant Venturer" rolled backwards down the runway and off the lower end into a deep ditch. Sources: The Canberra Times, 23 October 1947, "Plane Crashed at Wau 'Drome"; The Herald (Melbourne, Vic), Sat 25 Oct 1947, Page 2, "PLANE SMASH AT WAU"