HARS at Illawarra

nuuumannn · 2024-11-19T21:49:16-0500

Hi guys, one of my favourite places to go when visiting Australia is the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society facility at Illawarra Airport, New South Wales. I've been before but with every visit there are different aircraft to see. So much so that visits to the hangars can only be done in a guided tour because of the amount of stuff there is in the hangars. Here are some images from my last visit a few montsh ago.

Aermacchi or "Macchi" MB-326 hangar guard?

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Turana drone.

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I took my uncle along with me, who is a Vietnam vet and he told me stories about how he was based at a US Army helicopter base where there were Huey Cobras, so he was delighted to see this one. The first one he had seen since he left Vietnam.

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Mirage IIIO, built in Australia.

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This Dakota was used by the RAAF for cloud sampling flights during Operation Hurricane, the detonation of Britain's first nuclear bomb in 1952.

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Atmospheric P-3.

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Canberra, this is not an Australian built one, one of only a few UK built Canberras operated in Australia.

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Grumman Tracker, one of three in the collection.

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Another one...

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CAC Winjeel.

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A Sea Fury lurking in the restoration corner.

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Westland Wessex.

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The star of HARS is this Super Connie, kept in airworthy condition.

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SP-2H Neptune.

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Sea Venom and Neptune.

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One of a few Vampires in the collection.

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Convair 340.

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More to come.

fubar57 · 2024-11-19T21:52:23-0500

Great shots Grant

nuuumannn · 2024-11-19T21:58:44-0500

More from HARS

The flight deck of the 747-400 (!) parked outside.

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Cessna Skymaster.

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Beaufighter in the works.

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F-111C.

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Polish built MiG-17.

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Ex-New Zealand Post F-27. I worked on this aircraft when it was based in New Zealand.

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CAC Ceres top dressing aircraft.

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CAC Avon Sabre.

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Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer, not many of these about...

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Polish built MiG-15UTI.

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Drover.

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DC-2 fuselage.

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Caribou.

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The third Tracker.

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More to come.

nuuumannn · 2024-11-19T22:11:31-0500

Last lot from HARS.

Victa Air Tourer.

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DC-3.

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Recently restored replica of Charles Kingsford Smith's Southern Cross, the famous Fokker F VIIb that broke many distance records in the late 1920s. The original Southern Cross survives in a special enclosure outside the terminal at Brisbane International Airport.