Fletch has always harboured a fascination for aircraft, particularly the giant aircraft that take us from one side of the world to the other. He recently visited the Shellharbour airport at Albion Park, south of Sydney, to explore the HARS Aircraft Museum.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Incorporated (HARS) was founded in 1979 by aviation professionals and enthusiasts interested in preserving Australia's aviation history. The volunteers at HARS undertake searches across the length and breadth of Australia to recover aircraft artifacts and provide information to enable aircraft restoration. This restoration work is made possible by the 480 volunteers at HARS, including pilots and 70 licensed aircraft engineers who bring the unique skills required to undertake these projects.
One of the big and beautiful aircraft on display at HARS is the Super Constellation. The United States Air Force once used this plane from 1954-1977, and it is now the only one of its kind still flying worldwide. It was once the primary aircraft for Howard Hughes' airline TWA in the USA, boasting a range of 20 hours of flying time, making it ideal for long-haul flights. Robert Delahunty, from HARS, tells of how they acquired 'Connie' at the museum. Located in an aircraft junkyard in Tucson, Arizona, they were looking for other aircraft parts and discovered the Constellation. Five years later, in 1996, Bob flew the Constellation to Australia via San Francisco, Hawaii, Fiji, and Sydney, totalling 42 flying hours.
Jungle Bob, the Restorations Manager at HARS, also showed Fletch around the facility, including a 1943 Lockheed Lightning fighter aircraft, an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft used during World War II, which HARS is currently in the process of restoring. Bob's job is to salvage the wreckage of WW11 aircraft from locations around Australia and the Pacific, extract what remains so they can make templates, and create 3D blueprints, technical drawings, and plans for the manufacturing process to restore this aircraft.
Finally, Fletch was shown the Boeing 747 438, which is considered by many to be the best aircraft ever built. Retired Qantas pilot of 32 years, David Barnes, showed Fletch how to perform a pilot external flight precheck and the engine start-up process. The Boeing 747 holds the record for the longest non-stop flight in August 1989. The flight from London to Sydney covered 18,012 Km in 20 hours and 9 minutes, with an average speed of 893 Km per hour with just 23 passengers and crew on board and a massive fuel load. The sheer size of the Boeing 747 is very intimidating, with a 64.7 metre wingspan, 70 metres in length, and a tail 19.04 metres in height.
The HARS Aircraft Museum is a fantastic facility that houses some of Australia's most iconic aircraft, making it well worth a visit. Conveniently located close to Sydney, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating history of aviation and appreciate the technical marvels of these amazing planes.
