aviation - the past, present and future of flight

Convair TB-58A Hustler 55-0663 has been

repainted by staff and volunteers at Grissom

Air Museum near Peru, Indiana. It was

built as a YB-58A prototype in 1959 and the

aircraft is now the world’s oldest Hustler.

Having originally been used for

armaments trials, it was later taken on by

NASA to perform sonic boom testing. It then

 ew with the 305th Bomb Wing at Grissom

(then known as Bunker Hill) following

modi cations to TB-58A trainer status.

Tony Sacketos

A gleaming Hustler after restoration work at

Grissom Air Museum. Tony Sacketos

Grissom Museum Hustler

Repainted

Richard Grace took Hispano HA-1112-M4L

Buchon G-AWHC for its  rst post-restoration

 ight on November 24 at Sywell Aerodrome,

Northamptonshire. The aircraft is the sole

remaining two-seater produced by Hispano

in 1954 and has been restored to  ight over

the past 18 months by Air Leasing.

It is one of the type acquired for use in

the 1969 Battle of Britain  lm, some of which

was  lmed at Sywell, making it quite  tting

that it should return to the skies at the same

air eld almost 50 years later. Steven Coe

PRESERVATION

16 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018

Buchon Back in the Air

The restored Hispano HA-1112-M4L back in

the skies with Luftwaffe markings. Steven Coe

Neptune Service

at an End

The Lockheed P-2’s working life is over.

A public event at Missoula, Montana on

September 30 marked the retirement of

Neptune Aviation’s  eet of Lockheed P-

Neptune water-bombers. As these were the

last of the type to see operational service,

the occasion also celebrated the completion

of an impressive 70-year career.

Initially the US Navy’s principal maritime

patrol aircraft during the early years of

the Cold War, they have served as water-

bombers for the last 48 years.

Six of Neptune’s seven airworthy P-2s

were gathered at Missoula. Five of the  eet

are being offered to museums and two will

be retained by the company for airshow

appearances. Keith Gaskell

Former RAAF Orion

to Fly Again

Lockheed AP-3C Orion A9-753 is to be restored to  ying condition

by Australia’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS). Built

as 160753 and delivered to the RAAF in May 1978, the aircraft

was upgraded to AP-3C standard in 2011 and has been used

in local and overseas operations, including the search for the

missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 that was operating  ight

MH370. It arrived at its current home, Albion Park, Illawarra, New

South Wales, in December 2016.

HARS has now obtained the necessary approval to operate the

aircraft, which was officially conveyed at a handover ceremony on

November 3. HARS intends to  y the Orion as a salute to all the

personnel who undertook maritime missions with the RAAF.

Phil Buckley

Historic Chipmunk’s

Spring Date

The  rst Chipmunk built in the UK will return to the skies in the

spring. It is owned by Roger Brookhouse and has been extensively

rebuilt by Touchdown Engineering at Old Buckenham, Norfolk.

DHC-1 Chipmunk WB549 (G-BAPB) was displayed at the 1949

Farnborough Air Show in the hands of de Havilland test pilot Pat

Fillingham. Following use as a trials aircraft it spent a long period

with the Empire Test Pilots’ School at Farnborough before joining

the civil register in 1973.

The aircraft will be operated by Bicester-based Finest Hour

Experiences and will be available to the public for air experience

 ights. Thanks to Chris Thompson

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