Post by davebasing on Aug 1, 2021 10:31:33 GMT
In Adrian’s recent post on Saudi relics his attachment also shows a C47 preserved on Sentosa Island, Singapore. That document refers to it is as a fuselage only in 1986 (while my photos below taken in November 1986 show it was actually complete). It also states that while the serial is unknown the aircraft was donated by the New Zealand AF (also incorrect, it was EC47P 43-48886 which was used by the USAF at Nha Trang in Viet Nam, passed to the S Vietnamese AF in 1972 before being evacuated to Singapore in April 1975 as the south fell. Under the paint at Sentosa S Vietnemese AF code WB could be made out on the tail together with a last three of 886). It was painted as Singapore AF serial 707 at one stage. It seemingly never flew as such, being acquired by the Singapore AF for ground training after its evacuation flight to Paya Labar, although its just possible that the serial was nevertheless genuinely allocated to the aircraft. The Meteor and Hunter below were however given SAFTECH maintenance numbers rather than serials when acquired for the same purpose.
At the time of my 1986 visit to Sentosa Sea Vixen XJ490, Meteor WA880 & Hunter XF311 were displayed alongside the Dak. The Sea Vixen had been stored by the Navy at Tengah due to corrosion before being donated to the Singapore Polytechnic in 1973. These aircraft were subsequently acquired by the excellent museum at Caloundra, Queensland in 1989. The museum also took the props from the Dak (which by then was a pile of rubble) and have now fitted them to their Lockheed Ventura which I photographed in its unrestored state at Caloundra in 2006. The fuselage of the Ventura (delivered to Oz in 1944) spent years sitting on a property in Brunswick Heads and used a plaything by local kids before being used for pig food storage in Tyagarath. The museum has now carefully restored it using the outer wings from Lodestar N1NF and the wing tips of another Lodestar N339 together with various minor bits from other aircraft and the props from the Sentosa Dak.
I photographed the Sea Vixen again at Caloundra. Meteor WA880 is displayed as ‘A77-721’ (which was the first Australian Meteor combat loss in the Korean War), with Hunter XF311 behind it in my photo.
86-eg by dave tompkins, on Flickr
86-eh by dave tompkins, on Flickr
oz 294 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
86-ee by dave tompkins, on Flickr
oz 260(1) by dave tompkins, on Flickr
86-ef by dave tompkins, on Flickr
oz 258 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
At the time of my 1986 visit to Sentosa Sea Vixen XJ490, Meteor WA880 & Hunter XF311 were displayed alongside the Dak. The Sea Vixen had been stored by the Navy at Tengah due to corrosion before being donated to the Singapore Polytechnic in 1973. These aircraft were subsequently acquired by the excellent museum at Caloundra, Queensland in 1989. The museum also took the props from the Dak (which by then was a pile of rubble) and have now fitted them to their Lockheed Ventura which I photographed in its unrestored state at Caloundra in 2006. The fuselage of the Ventura (delivered to Oz in 1944) spent years sitting on a property in Brunswick Heads and used a plaything by local kids before being used for pig food storage in Tyagarath. The museum has now carefully restored it using the outer wings from Lodestar N1NF and the wing tips of another Lodestar N339 together with various minor bits from other aircraft and the props from the Sentosa Dak.
I photographed the Sea Vixen again at Caloundra. Meteor WA880 is displayed as ‘A77-721’ (which was the first Australian Meteor combat loss in the Korean War), with Hunter XF311 behind it in my photo.
86-eg by dave tompkins, on Flickr86-eh by dave tompkins, on Flickroz 294 by dave tompkins, on Flickr86-ee by dave tompkins, on Flickroz 260(1) by dave tompkins, on Flickr86-ef by dave tompkins, on Flickroz 258 by dave tompkins, on Flickr