Tag: Canberra

Australian War Memorial: RAAF Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk “Polly” – She Was No Lady!

RAAF Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk "Polly" (Serial Number A29-133) Australian War Memorial

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Curtiss P-40E-1-CU Kittyhawk “Polly“ (Serial Number A29-133) was produced in New York in the United States in December 1941 and issued to 2 Aircraft Depot in Richmond, NSW on June 8th, 1942 . It was one of almost 850 Kittyhawk’s of various models procured by the RAAF during World War Two… Read More Australian War Memorial: RAAF Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk “Polly” – She Was No Lady!

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Australian War Memorial: CAC Wirraway – The Unlikely “Zero Killer”

CAC Wirraway (serial number A20-103) at the Australian War Memorial Zero Killer

The Aircraft Hall was one of the original display halls in the Australian War Memorial when it opened in 1941. Dark and somewhat crowded, it contains some absolute aviation treasures from Australia’s involvement in World War Two and the Korean War, including one very historic RAAF CAC CA-5 Wirraway Mk.II advanced trainer/utility aircraft. The main theme of the… Read More Australian War Memorial: CAC Wirraway – The Unlikely “Zero Killer”

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Australian War Memorial: Knights of the Sky – Pfalz D.XII Scout Aircraft

Imperial German Air Service Pfalz D.XII scout aircraft at the Australian War Memorial 1918

The Pfalz D.XII was a scout aircraft operated by the Imperial German Air Service late in World War One and it does not seem to have had a good reputation with the German pilots who flew it! The first Pfalz D.XII prototype scout aircraft flew in March 1918. Around 750 – 800 were manufactured for the… Read More Australian War Memorial: Knights of the Sky – Pfalz D.XII Scout Aircraft

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Australian War Memorial: Knights of the Sky – Albatros D.Va Scout Aircraft

Imperial German Air Service Albatros D.Va (1917) at the Australian War Memorial

One of my favourite historic aircraft in Australia is the Imperial German Air Service Albatros D.Va (serial number D.5390/17, manufactured around August/September 1917), a World War One scout aircraft displayed at the Australian War Memorial ANZAC Hall, Over the Front: The Great War in the Air exhibition in Canberra. The predecessor of this aircraft was the Albatros D.III… Read More Australian War Memorial: Knights of the Sky – Albatros D.Va Scout Aircraft

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Australian War Memorial: Knights of the Sky – Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a Scout

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a (A2-4) - ANZAC Hall: Over the Front - Australian War Memorial - January 2016

During World War One the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) flew air combat over most fronts of the war and especially the Western Front in Europe. In December 1917 AFC No. 2 Squadron was first equipped with the new Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a scout fighter. This S.E.5a was not only relatively easy to fly but also fast (top speed 222 km/h),… Read More Australian War Memorial: Knights of the Sky – Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a Scout

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Australian War Memorial: The Supermarine Spitfire of Air Ace ‘Bluey’ Truscott

The Australian War Memorial Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA Registration No. P7973

In the World War Two gallery of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra sits elevated above relics of Australia’s North African campaigns a classic warrior of the skies, a Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa fighter. The Spitfire is one of the most famous fighters of that era and had an excellent combat record flying with Allied nations in all theatres of World War… Read More Australian War Memorial: The Supermarine Spitfire of Air Ace ‘Bluey’ Truscott

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Australian War Memorial: Messerschmitt Me 262 “Black X”

Luftwaffe Me-262 "Black X" at the Australian War Memorial

Within the Striking by Night exhibition of the Australian War Memorial sits some of the most famous World War Two aircraft produced by German aviation company Messerschmitt AG. The jewel in the crown is a Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a jet fighter-bomber “Jabo” variant. The Me 262 was the world’s first fully operational jet aircraft. The Australian… Read More Australian War Memorial: Messerschmitt Me 262 “Black X”

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Australian War Memorial: Avro Lancaster “G for George”

Avro Lancaster "G for George" Striking by Night at the Australian War Memorial - ANZAC Hall

The centrepiece of the Striking by Night exhibition at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra is the multimedia sound and light show which re-creates a night bombing operation over Berlin in December 1943 featuring the beautifully restored World War Two era Avro Lancaster Mk.I bomber with the call sign “G for George“. This bomber (serial number W4783) was constructed by… Read More Australian War Memorial: Avro Lancaster “G for George”

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