CAC Sabre restorations?

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Found a part for one of the Oz-built Avon-engined Sabre jets. Had it for years. Circa 1973, it was "salvaged" at Amberly air base, from a sad-looking airframe that was headed for "fire training" with the crash-tender crews.

It is a fancy-looking bell-crank that bears the part number: 161-58116 3.

My brother and I were at the airbase as Air Training Corps Cadets and this hulk, sans main wings and a few other bits was just near where our transport was parked.

Several parts surrendered quickly to various tools that a few of us normally carried.

The bus driver would not let us on with the tail-plane however. My brother kept the 'park-brake' handle and the special "escape knife" with its very short blade used for bashing holes in a stuck canopy. I got this bell-crank.

Anyone know if there are any active restorations of these aircraft going on in Oz?

Information

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[muffett.2008]

Bruce, there are several in OZ, the last flying one, now grounded is at Temora.
There is one at Bankstown, Williamtown, Avalon and one in S.A, all static...........might just need a rear bellcrank to get one up again

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Thanks, Muffett.

Somewhere here in among many boxes of 35mm transparencies, are quite a few photos from one of the Amberly air shows in the 1980s, where the "restored", ex RAAF / Malaysian? Sabre did its stuff. I really need to buy a decent slide scanner and digitize and share some of this material. Anyone have any experience / recommendations on slide scanners that will do "pixel justice" to Kodachrome slides?

There are also several packets of Box Brownie 126 roll film negatives of Amberly back in the 1970s. I have the prints in a recently rediscovered photo album. Those were the days when there were still a couple of airworthy DC-3s flying in and out, the RAAF had the "loaner" F4 Phantoms whilst the tired old Canberras were being "paid off", (and the protective caps for the starter cartridges were to be seen everywhere, primarily used as ash-trays!). UH-1H Iroquois were flown by 9 Squadron RAAF, not Army Aviation, the F-111 training centre and flight simulator was just opening, waiting, waiting for the "proper" aircraft and the CH-47 Chinooks were stored in huge cocoons in a hangar not far from the base Officers' Mess, because there was no money (or political will) to put them into operation.

[browningautorifle]

the special "escape knife" with its very short blade

Short is right, downright stumpy. I saw one for sale and couldn't imagine how it would be useful.

[CINDERS]

Bruce & Muffett any of you two stationed at Amberly say mid 70's till early 80's as my brother was there as a Sgt or Flt Sgt engine fitter think he tweaked the system and was there for a considerable time 6 or 7 years I think.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Cinders; In the 1970s, I was only a teenager in a "Town Flight" of the Air Training Corps. Thus, most of my visits to Amberly were in uniform, mostly the "issue" dark blue overalls, matched with leather-soled AB boots and rather pointless dark blue "forage cap". (I still have one of the late-issue beautifully tailored gabardine great-coats, but it seems to have shrunk in the wardrobe in the last few decades).

That "official" status also meant we got to see LOTS of goodies the general public never saw, even on the occasional "open days".

Sadly, "open days" like those of yore do not happen in these times of "heightened security".

I somehow doubt that various squadron commanders can still keep their private light aircraft on the base. Does anyone know if the base "car club", which was a band of "rev-heads" with fabulous workshops on tap, still exists? They used to conduct "time trials" on the runways on weekends, when actual work involving aircraft was pretty much non-existent.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Found some of the photos from Amberley, starting with the sad Sabre and a rarity, an F-4 Phantom in RAAF livery.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

And for the aviating ladies who have everything.....

Long sleep shirt

[RCS]

I found this part which came from a F9F Panther, it is a panel that has the step as
you climb up to get into the cockpit. I was in high school and there were these wrecked aircraft that the USN used for targets or firetraining and so forth. There were some C-47's too, everything belonged to the US Navy.

I got the part and put it into the attic of my father's garage, later when he died, I move it to the attic of my garage - and it is still there !Attachment 93024Attachment 93022Attachment 93023

[Bruce_in_Oz]

A couple more from Amberley in the 1970s.

A load of eager teenage Air Training Corps Lads ready to go in a CH-47

One of the last DC-3 / C-47s in RAAF service

Canberras on the flight line.