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Plastic Parrot is revived
By Barry Rollings
Volume 49, No. 14, August 09, 2007 |
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PROUD: Museum volunteers Peter Tyres and Bob Tomlin with the CT4-A trainer they helped restore to airworthiness
Photo courtesy of RAAF Museum |
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Inset: A19-077 flies in formation with the RAAF Museum Winjeel for the Fleet Air Arm Museum flying display at Nowra.
Photo courtesy of RAAF Museum |
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At the risk of sounding Pythonesque, the ‘Plastic Parrot’ is flying again.
The ‘Plastic Parrot’ is no Norwegian Blue like the unfortunate bird in the famous Monty Python sketch, but none other than an old Air Force CT-4A trainer.
The Operations Officer at the RAAF Museum at RAAF Base Williams, WGCDR Warren Madsen, likens the ‘Parrot’s’ rise from the hangars at Point Cook to the resurrection of the legendary Phoenix arising from the ashes of its own destruction.
Why the intriguing nickname of ‘the Plastic Parrot” for the aircraft?
“When we acquired the New Zealand-built CT-4A Airtrainer in the early to mid-1970s, it was to replace the venerable Winjeel, an Australian 1950s vintage, robust, tailwheel aircraft with a radial engine,” WGCDR Madsen said.
“By comparison, the CT-4A was a modern light aircraft, about half the weight of the Winjeel. Also, the original paint scheme was green and
yellow. It was almost inevitable, therefore, that the flying instructors of the day – accustomed to the reliable, tried and true Winjeel (Aboriginal for ‘Young Eagle’) – would come up with a disparaging nickname; hence ‘The Plastic Parrot’.
“A newer variant of ‘the Parrot’ – the CT-4B, is still used to conduct ADF basic flying training at Tamworth. The misgivings of the Winjeel flying instructors seem to be unfounded.”
WGCDR Madsen said it was interesting to note that the civil registration of the RAAF Museum CT-4A was VH-NZP – New Zealand Parrot perhaps?
“The CT-4F, a more powerful version of the aircraft designed for the next generation ADF pilot training system, has been named ‘Akala’ – Aboriginal for parrot,” he said.
The Air Force’s fleet of CT4-As was retired in 1993.
A19-077, one of two aircraft allocated to the RAAF Museum, last flew on May 5, 1994, when it was flown to Point Cook from the Naval Aviation Museum at Nowra where it had been on loan for almost a year.
In 2005, the museum decided to return A19-077 to airworthy condition, and use it to support RAAF Museum flying displays.
“The process of transforming an aircraft which had been in storage for more than 11 years to airworthy condition proved challenging in several areas,” WGCDR Madsen said. “A reconditioned engine was fitted to the aircraft and components were replaced.
“Apart from ensuring the serviceability of all aircraft components, many technical and documentary hurdles needed to be cleared in order to obtain a Civil Aviation Safety Authority Certificate of Airworthiness.”
The aircraft finally took to the air again on November 27, 2006.
WGCDR Madsen reported that the aircraft flew very sweetly. Apart from a couple of minor glitches, the aircraft was serviceable and ready to participate in RAAF Museum displays.
The aircraft performed in front of the public for the first time on December 3, 2006, and has since flown regularly, including at the Avalon Airshow. It also accompanied the museum’s Winjeel to the Fleet Air Arm Museum’s flying display at Nowra on May 6. |
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