Our Planes

VH-APB was first built at Mascot, Sydney, in September 1940. Manufacturers number 113, and RAAF serial A17-116. She was a primary trainer in the RAAF at No.7 Elementary Flying Training School based at the Western Junction Aerodrome (now Launceston Airport) in Tasmania. After the end of the Second World War it then went into storage at Pt. Cook. She was subsequently sold at auction to a private buyer in 1946. 

Operated by Super Spread Aviation Pty. Ltd in 1956 and registered as APB to Queensland Flying Services in 1957, and subsequently bought by Airplanters of Bundaberg and operated in the Bundaberg region doing seeding and agricultural work. Withdrawn from Service and registration cancelled 15-3-1966. 

She was then stored at Roma for several 

years and bought by a Mr. Lindenburgh of Pittsworth near Toowoomba. He owned a museum for old cars and artefacts. She was inspected and granted a certificate to be flown from Roma to Pittsworth. The pilot was a Mr. Morris of Sydney University, who tells the following story about the flight:

"On commencing the flight from Roma to Pittsworth I stowed a spare 5gal. drum of fuel in the hopper. Halfway through the journey I noticed the oil pressure dropping. I landed in a convenient field and found the oil level was low. The place was deserted except for an old disused tractor in one corner, so I drained the oil from the tractor, topped up the Tiger and continued on to Pittsworth."

Fifteen years later, APB was bought by Malvin Carr of Brisbane who found the 5gal. drum of fuel intact and used it in his service station ute for the next few days. 

Malvin Carr started restoring her in 1977, and she flew again in July 1989.

David Julian and Isabel Reed purchased VH-APB in February 1998 and flew her commercially as well as flying her around Australia in April 1999.

APB and HCI then passed on to George Gillespie Kierle before being purchased from Luskintyre and flown to Caboolture in 2019. 

 The Boeing Stearman today still retains an aura of nostalgia similar to that of the De Havilland Tiger Moth.  Officially Named the Boeing Model 75, This Plane is Almost Universally Known as the "Stearman" after its creator Loyd Stearman in 1927. With war looming the United States Navy and Army pressed this robust aircraft into service with 0ver 10,000 produced by wars end. The Army Designated it the "PT," the Navy the "N2S", and the Canadians called it the "Kaydet." By Any Name, it is Recognized as the Quintessential Primary Trainer for American Aviators in World War II.  

With the 220HP Continental and Lycoming engines in short supply in 1940, Stearman aircraft moved to another manufacturer. Powered by a 225HP Jacobs Radial Engine this Stearman gained the designation PT-18. Only 150 of these types were built before the Jacobs engine was prioritised in larger types of aircraft.

SNM wearing US Army Code 122 was built in Wichita, Kansas in 1940 with Bu No. 75-528 and military serial number 40-1971. It served at numerous USAAC Schools in Alabama, Georgia and Texas. At wars end it was surplus to requirements and sold at auction for $700. From here the trail goes cold. Assumed it would have had a similar post war career to many other Stearmans in the agricultural sector as a Crop Duster.  It was bought  in 1967 and registered  N46878, remained with Dave Ledford until 1992 when it was overhauled by Air Repair. An extensive rebuild of the entire aeroplane was carried out and repainted into the classic USAAC Blue and Yellow scheme you see it in today. 

'122' began its Australian journey when shipped to OZ on the 25th of May 1998 and registered as VH-SNM to Nigel Arnott in Queensland. 122 changed hands numerous times until it was purchased in 2022 from Jim Twiss and ferried from Aldinga in South Australia to its new home and custodians here at Caboolture, Queensland.

 The North American T-6 Texan was known as "The Pilot Maker" because of its important role in preparing pilots for combat. It is a single-engine advanced trainer 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. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6, the United States Navy the SNJ, and British Commonwealth air forces, the Harvard, the name it is best known by outside of the US. After 1962, US forces designated it the T-6. It remains a popular warbird aircraft used for airshow demonstrations and static displays. It has also been used many times to simulate the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero in movies depicting World War II in the Pacific. (Tora Tora Tora)

Our aircraft was commissioned into the US Navy on the 15th July 1942 serving as a trainer at Jacksonville, Vera Beach, Corpus Christi and Daytona Beach Naval Air Stations. At some time in her history she was transferred to and operated by the Paraguayan Air Force until she was purchased and transported to Australia in 1994. The aircraft underwent a complete restoration by Sandora Pty Ltd at Caboolture and registered VH-NAG on 6th Feburary 2002. Unusually, restored as a SNJ-4C complete with tailhook and 3 bladed prop, it returned to the air on 13th July 2009. 

Texan Pty Ltd takes pride in keeping the "NAG" in the best possible condition to preserve an important part of aviation history. The aircraft forms part of the warbird collection at the Caboolture Warplane and Flight Heritage Museum.

More can be found at the link below.

http://thetexan.com.au/