RAAF Documentary Posts
Australia’s First Action in the Pacific in World War II – A Valiant Catastrophe
This video essay is based on the article of the same name by Patrick Walters and can be read at the History Guild here The narrative text is reproduced from History Guild under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The...
Auster AOP [A11]
The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited company during the Second World War. For the RAAF this aircraft filled the role of Air Observation Post (AOP) and 56 de Havilland...
General Dynamics F-111 [A8]
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first...
DAP Beaufort [A9]
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. Australian Beauforts were...
DAP Beaufighter [A8]
Variants of the Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter were manufactured in Australia by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP); such aircraft are sometimes referred to by the name DAP Beaufighter. The Australian-made DAP Beaufighter Mk.21 had Hercules XVII engines, four...
Avro Cadet [A6]
A logical development of the Avro 626 Prefect aircraft that served with the RAF and an improvement on the Avro 631 Cadet used by several other airforces, the Avro 643 Cadet II was powered by a more powerful 150 hp (110 kW) Genet Major 1A engine; had a structurally...
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide [A3 & A33]
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its outdated plywood construction....
Bell UH-1 Iroquois [A2]
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (unofficially Huey) is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical...
RAAF Kittyhawk Shot Down Over Port Moresby, April 1942
Robert (Bob) Curtis talks about the day when a Japanese Zero shoots him down over Port Moresby on the 24th of April, 1942. This interview of Robert Crawford (Bob) was taken on the 14th May 2003 for the Australians At War Film Archive....
Bristol Bulldog Mk.II [A12]
The Bristol Bulldog was a British Royal Air Force single-seat biplane fighter designed during the 1920s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Over 400 Bulldogs were produced for the RAF and overseas customers, and it was one of the most famous aircraft used by the RAF...
Supermarine Southampton I [A11]
The Supermarine Southampton was a 1920s British flying boat, one of the most successful flying boats of the between-war period. It was a development of the Supermarine Swan, which was used for a 10 passenger service between England and France. Design and Development...
Fairey IIID [A10]
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) had operated aircraft from its larger ships during World War I and many naval personnel had seen the advantages of naval air power during the war. In 1919-20 the RAN took steps to form its own naval air service but met with opposition...
Supermarine Seagull III [A9]
The Supermarine Seagull was a British amphibian biplane flying boat developed from the Supermarine Seal by the Supermarine company. The Seagull was constructed of wood. The lower wing was set in the shoulder position and had two bays. The engine was mounted in a...
de Havilland D.H.50A [A8] (A-10 second series)
The de Havilland DH.50 was a 1920s British large single-engined biplane transport built by de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware, and licence-built in Australia, Belgium and Czechoslovakia. History In the early 1920s, Geoffrey de Havilland realised that war...
de Havilland D.H.60X Cirrus Moth [A7]
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth is a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Development The DH.60 was developed from the larger DH.51 biplane. The first flight of the ADC...
Westland Wapiti [A5] (A5 Series 2)
The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service. First flying in 1927, the Wapiti entered service with...
Sopwith Pup[A4]
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good...
Avro 504 [A3]
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in...
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 [A2]
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine,...
Technical challenges of the Chinook and it’s impact on operations
By Bob Medwell [Main image: The Crew of A15-010 at Wyndham for engine trials and Exercise support] The Boeing CH-47 Chinook, a tandem rotor helicopter, has served as a versatile transport platform for various military forces around the world. While it is a workhorse...
McDonnell Douglas F4-E Phantom II (RAAF )[A69]
Article by Dave Rogers and Lance Halvorson The McDonnell Douglas PHANTOM II was the fighter aircraft of the 1960s and 1970s. Designed as a fighter aircraft for the US Navy, it was used in many roles: fighter, interceptor, fighter-bomber, reconnaissance, tanker, drone,...
John Lunn on 12 Squadron
Interview with Colin Miller
FULL INTERVIEW
Recovery of Army Sioux Helicopter | Cape York | July 1973
On 13 July 1973 an Australian Army Sioux helicopter, A1-726, was recovered from a swamp ‘well west' of Cooktown near the west coast of the Cape York peninsula - probably somewhere between Edward River, Pormpuraaw, and Kowanyama. The recovery aircraft was RAAF UH-1H...
12SQN Chinook Discussion
Special Thanks to Army Flying Museum at Oakey Note: In part 2, regards the Caribou life out of Telefomin in PNG - the Chinook was captained by SQNLD Ted Bach and co-pilot was Darryl Willcocks. They lifted to Wewak with 2 fuel stops en-route to MAUW with a max speed of...
Interviews with John ‘JT’ Thynne
Last air to air combat involving the RAAF in the Korean conflict
On 27 March 1953 two Gloster Meteor Mk 8 jets of No 77 Squadron, flown by Sergeants George Hale and David Irlam, were conducting a road reconnaissance over North Korea near Sinmak when Hale saw what he thought was a lone MiG-15. It was only as he dived into the attack...
12 Squadron Chinook Makes A Splash – September 1981
By Dean Watson On the 7th September 1981, Chinook A15-008 crewed by FltLt Tib Kovaks and PltOff Dean Watson lifted a Brisbane tram off a flatbed trailer and released it just offshore from Tangalooma in Moreton Bay. It was to join some 25 other vessels there and become...
458SQN Association
The 458 Squadron Association website's goal is to preserve and perpetuate 458 Squadron's impressive history and to pay tribute to those who served with the Squadron. The association will provide invaluable information to those who are interested in their family's...
RAAF and the Far East Air Force
By Lance Halvorson (with acknowledgment of Alan Stephens, Going Solo; and John & Adrienne Whitehead). The RAF Far East Air Force (FEAF) evolved at the end of WW2 to reach its peak in the 1950s - a large force with strategic assets possibly greater than those of...