Kingsford Smith Southern Cross Fokker Trimotor First Display Flight after 12-Year Reconstruction

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Күн бұрын

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@rescue270 11 ай бұрын

Southern Cross nearly ended up in the water about 10 years after the expedition, while humbly transporting mail to the islands. By this time she was well-worn and poorly maintained. While over the ocean, the right propeller threw a blade and the engine had to be shut down. Then the left engine developed a massive oil leak. The airplane cannot hold altitude on one engine. One of the crew climbed out into the right struts and drained some oil into briefcase, then climbed out into the left struts and somehow got some of the oil into the leaking engine and restored some oil pressure. They then powered up the left engine and climbed as high as they could on two engines until left oil pressure began dropping again, shut down the left engine, and repeated the process as the airplane slowly descended on the nose engine alone, then power up left and climb again. They kept this up for thirty minutes until they reached some land and an airstrip, at which they made a safe landing.

@DrBearAviation 11 ай бұрын

Thanks mate for this piece of interesting history of this lovely bird.

@BrianMorrison 10 ай бұрын

Patrick Gordon 'Bill' Taylor was the engineer who did the oil transfer using a leather tool case. I think this was on a flight from New Zealand back to Australia. It's one of the stories in the "True Adventure Stories of the Air" book. It happened in 1935.

@rescue270 10 ай бұрын

@BrianMorrison The version I read called it a leather briefcase, but pretty much the same thing.

@BrianMorrison 10 ай бұрын

@@rescue270 Yeah, possibly a satchel, all words meaning about the same thing. I know that Taylor ended up covered in oil from head to knees, and subsequently was awarded the George Cross for his actions. He did 6 trips to each wing engine during the flight.

@rescue270 10 ай бұрын

@@BrianMorrison I read that story many years ago. I still don't know how he kept from slipping and falling from the oil blowing everywhere.

@glennmagann8648 11 ай бұрын

Fantastic achievements in 1928 and now with the restoration. I am currently halfway thru reading Peter Fitzsimon's book on "smithy". A great read.Visited HARS in October and saw the dedicated team working on "the Southern Cross". Congratulations to all involved.

@blindpugh12 10 ай бұрын

Beautiful aircraft, sounded and looked right; and brilliant handling coming in to land. Very enjoyable video.

@downwindchecklist6567 10 ай бұрын

Really great to see those fantastic machines being kept in working order. No small feat to maintain and fly it, I am sure. Thank you for documenting and sharing!

@brianwhetton9621 10 ай бұрын

Congratulations to all involved in the restoration of this aircraft. She's a credit to you all :)

@martinoude-vrielink7956 11 ай бұрын

In one word....BEAUTIFUL. Great job. I like all (the) trimotors, like Great to see another Fokker flying again. Greetings from the Netherlands.

@stephenberriman1 11 ай бұрын

Took photos of this plane when it was at an airshow in Pt Augusta, South Australia many years ago. Was fantastic to watch it flying around.

@ThomasTarowsky 7 ай бұрын

My father-in-law worked at the Fokker plant in Glen Dale West Virginia from 1928-31, building wings for tri-motors.

@biplaneflights 10 ай бұрын

Stunning! Absolutely fantastic to see the Trimotor flying again. Congratulations to all who contributed with the 12-year reconstruction. 😀

@williammecham7038 10 ай бұрын

the camera work in this video is the best . what a beautiful aircraft .

@DrBearAviation 10 ай бұрын

Thanks mate for your watching and good words. I am glad that you enjoyed it. Yes, Fokker Trimotor is absolutely gorgeous.

@95thFoot 10 ай бұрын

I made a model of the Southern Cross as a kid. Gold wing and deep blue fuselage. Quite a plane, quite a story.

@95thFoot 10 ай бұрын

Great job on the restoration, by the way! Quite an undertaking!

@WarblesOnALot 10 ай бұрын

G'day, Yay Team! This is indeed a magnificent Video of a great achievement. I used to know a bloke who Flew In the Original. In 1928 or '29, when Smithy put down On the Beardy Plains, Southeast of Glen Innes, Neville Fakes, son of the Farmer who owned the Paddock Smithy landed in..., Ran errands, to oblige, on his bicycle. After Repairs had been effected, Smithy took young Neville up on the Test Circuit, before getting on with being Smithy... It had a BIG impression on him. He wrote his High School Science Project about the Belt & Pulley Setup in my Grandfather's Coachbuilding Workshop/Garage (Horseless Carriages were winning, my father became an Engine Reconditioner, my son is the town's Auto Electrician !). And in 1936 (?) Neville Fakes was one of the Students, under Lawrence Wackett, Studying at Sydney Uni's First Course on Aeronautical Engineering. My mother's father apparently knew Smithy, in London in 1919, when they were both in the AFC, after WW-1 finished...; he was closer to Bert Hinkler though - who apparently visited my Grandfather and had a meal, leaving a Puppy for my Aunt to raise (called, inevitably, "Hinkie"...) when he was in Sydney for the last time... My father's Uncle briefly flew Camels with 4-Sqadron AFC, in late 1918. (Lt Leslie Wharton, MM). I must admit That it All effected me, to the tune of Growing up Thinking that I WAS Biggles... Search YT for, "National Transportation Museum ; Visiting My First Aeroplane...!" In 1903 Wilbour & Orville had a Better Aeroplane... 3 or 4 different ways ; But I KNEW that it could be done, They were merely hoping such to be the case... And I'd had 35 minutes Dual in a J-3 Piper Cub & a DH-87b Hornet Moth, plus a Joyride in a DH-82b Tiger Moth...; And I fondly considered myself as having Been bred and born to fly...(!). The amazing part is that What took me for my First Solo Survived Undamaged To have been dangling in a Museum since a dozen years after my father sold it on me While I was out of town ! (He hated it, expecting it to hurt me....) Anyway, I was the last person to ever fly it. I doubt if anybody's flown behind Any Pixie-Minor (8-hp) since my last flight in the 3rd Prototype 1975 "Red Baron" Skycraft Scout. I REALLY Enjoyed this Coverage of the Replica Southern Cross. Thankyou for posting. Happy Summer Solstice Festival ! Stay safe. ;-p Ciao!

@christopherpardell4418 10 ай бұрын

I used to live on a ridge where we often had a very strong wind blowing over the top from the prevailing wind accelerating to get over from one valley to the next. One day, a Ford Trimotor Out of Gillespie field came flying directly over our house, just about 200 feet higher than the roof. Or, TRYING to. The headwind he was bucking was so close to the Ford’s top speed that it was passing overhead at around 3 miles per hour ground speed. It looked like it was just floating there, you had to watch it for a while to discern that it was moving. Once it was well past the ridge the wind speed dropped a lot and it started looking like it was flying.

@deskennedy6375 10 ай бұрын

I have a souvineer ticket that my dad had when he took a joy flight in the original Southern Cross that landed at Ikamatua West Coast SI NZ. DAD also took several photos on that day which I also have in my possession.

@DavidScott-g8g 10 ай бұрын

Was flying behind you in the circuit as I was learning to fly, got to say It was very impressive.

@robertwalker7924 8 ай бұрын

thrilling to see, thanks for sharing 👌

@DrBearAviation 8 ай бұрын

Thanks mate for your watching and support. I am glad that you enjoyed it.

@homesteadpickers 8 ай бұрын

I always loved the sound of those engines

@davidbamford4721 10 ай бұрын

Those radial motors started quite quickly, for the normally reluctant engines. That is a real triumph!

@rescue270 10 ай бұрын

The Fokker Trimotors originally had Wright R-760 Whirlwind engines, but the replica has Jacobs R-755 radials, probably the R-755-B2, 275 hp variants. They are still widely supported by Air Repair, which makes them a very logical replacement powerplant for flying examples of historic aircraft in the 21st Century. Air Repair owns the Type Certificate for these engines, and has made a number of improvements that greatly enhance reliability, such as automatically retarding magnetos with booster coils that really help with starting, and redesigned pistons that reduce oil consumption. The previous Type Certificate holder, Jacobs-Page, even fitted some with Bendix fuel injection systems retrofitted from Lycoming IO-720s, and still others with turbocharging (the R-755SM TurboJake). Air Repair does not recommend these conversions but they still support them to a degree.

@benjigray8690 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for putting this video out there for all to see. While I was at school, many years ago, our school teachers encouraged us to read about brave folks like Kingsford Smith and his equally brave mate, Charles Ulm. I would love to see school teachers inspiring our present generation of kids with the true story of how those two kept that aeroplane aloft, as they overcame engine problems whilst crossing the oceans.

@billwendell6886 6 ай бұрын

Amazing to see that take off with the props spinning backwards. They sure knew how to make 'en then. ( insert Gomer Pyle meme ) . Beautiful, thanks for posting

@antestankovic4846 6 ай бұрын

The propellers do not spin backwards. This is an optical illusion depending on camera speed and number of propeller revolutions.

@NewRailBasher 10 ай бұрын

Absolutely stunning

@mongolike513 10 ай бұрын

Most Australian act i have seen in years. Thumbs up and thanks. That bird moved around beautifully in the air, crisp as - though i realise it wasn’t fully loaded. Sweet as.

@stevewhalen6973 10 ай бұрын

Just a Beautiful old plane ❤

@IntrospectorGeneral 7 ай бұрын

I saw this replica back in 1988 when it toured Australia for the Bicentenary. It was wonderful to see it fly but an odd sensation as I was very familiar with the original Southern Cross which has been on display at Eagle Farm/Brisbane Airport since 1958.

@tigeryoung8611 10 ай бұрын

Outstanding. Marvellous work.

@andredeboni7025 10 ай бұрын

PENA, FALTOU O BARULHO DA DECOLAGEM COMPLETA! Lindo Fokker Trimotor. Parabéns pela recuperação. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🇧🇷

@mikekennedy4572 6 ай бұрын

A replica Ford Trimotor similar to this, but metal skin, used to regularly fly over our house for a few years out of Fullerton Airport. It gave sightseeing tours and charter flights. Sadly, the day of an airshow at the airport several years ago, it took off for a check flight but only got 50 feet high before it veered to one side and crashed. The pilot was thrown clear alive and the mechanic was badly burned but rescued. That beautiful plane is no more. Some kind of rudder tie down was accidentally left in place as the pilot did not do a complete preflight check and remove it as he should have.

@indigenoussober407 10 ай бұрын

Just look at how thick the wing gets right over the cockpit! I love the design of this thing!

@ngauruhoezodiac3143 7 ай бұрын

The cantilever has to support the weight of the engines so it has to be thick in the middle to get rid of drag inducing bracing.

@indigenoussober407 7 ай бұрын

@@ngauruhoezodiac3143 Form and Function, BEAUTIFUL!

@FitzArias 10 ай бұрын

So lucky to live in an era were we are able to build replicas of historic machines. To catch it only weeks after it was done is a real honour.

@JR-vs4fy 7 ай бұрын

Miss seeing the Fokker overall ( missed opportunity) stil got several in the shed

@rudolfkrebs2311 10 ай бұрын

Hat Fokker auch eine "Trimotor" gebaut? Ich dachte, es wäre Ford gewesen!🤔 Super Video, super Flugzeug! Bitte weiter so! 👍😎🇦🇹

@MultiCconway 10 ай бұрын

Outstanding! Don't see that every day.

@marcinpasnicki248 10 ай бұрын

What a beautiful airplane.

@WilliaminOz 8 ай бұрын

My late father flew in that very plane when he was a lad in Bundaberg. They were selling tickets to fundraise and he and my grandmother went up in the Fokker. (I read a bit below and this is a replica. He flew in the original, nearly 100 years ago..)

@kwerk2011 10 ай бұрын

I have a wonderful photograph of my late father at age 5, dressed like KIngsford Smith (really he was just wearing a winter coat and motorcycle goggles) getting ready to go to Wigram Aerodrome in Christchurch for the arrival of the second trans-Tasman flight, also in USU, and the first ever trans-Tasman commercial flight (Kingsford-Smith brought a single paying passenger) in 1933. It's my favourite photo.

@jaapbruijn1300 10 ай бұрын

Yess, Fokker. Fantastic piece of Dutch engineering!!

@DrBearAviation 10 ай бұрын

Yes, it is a true piece of beauty and power. It is hard to believe that human could cross the Pacific diagonally, through just three legs, back in 1928 in this plane.

@thosoz3431 10 ай бұрын

The original was donated to Kingsford Smith by George Hubert Wilkins. The greatest explorer of his day. As famous as Charlie Chaplin Knighted twice, tried to take the first submarine to the Arctic. Was called, 'The bravest man in my army', by General Sir John Monash. Perhaps Australia's greatest son, but almost completely unknown.

@spdyrzr01 10 ай бұрын

Paid $40 to fly on one of the later flights of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo's Ford Trimotor before it was retired because of substantial crack in the main wing spar. The small hard metal formed seat would be reasonably fit a small teenager. What's really crazy, while in flight was seeing traffic passing us on I94. Totally historic and fun at the same time.

@johngunther6333 10 ай бұрын

What a beauty!

@arthurthomasware5004 7 ай бұрын

To think these old aircraft were flying into mountain strip aerodromes like Bullolo and Wau in Papua/New Guinea way back in the 1930's - how brave our pioneer aviators!

@DrBearAviation 7 ай бұрын

Absolutely. They are real aviators.

@bobbates7343 10 ай бұрын

Fantastic old plane . Well worth fixing up so people can see such a plane fly

@ronlokk 10 ай бұрын

Just as cool as it gets!

@michaelhoffmann2891 8 ай бұрын

"Carby Heat" - that makes so proud to be Australian! 😆 For those interested, from Vintage Aviation News (as I was curious HOW they went about it): The modern replica of the Fokker airliner was conceived by John Pope and built in Adelaide, South Australia between 1980 and 1987 as a tribute to ‘Smithy’ - as he was widely known. The ‘Southern Cross’ replica design was mastered by C. W. ‘Bill’ Whitney. Following available drawings and inspections of the original aircraft, the replica concept was redesigned and drawn by Bill to comply with modern airworthiness requirements and different (albeit correct period) radial engines. The team were able to obtain the Australian civil registration worn on the original aircraft; VH-USU, to use again. The ‘Southern Cross’ is a faithful replica built to modern standards using the traditional aircraft construction of steel tubing and timber with doped Irish linen for the fuselage, and an all-wooden (spruce and plywood) one piece wing. It is the largest one-piece wing ever made in Australia.

@DrBearAviation 8 ай бұрын

Thanks mate for watching and the detailed history of this beautiful bird.

@QueenFlora-b5w 6 ай бұрын

Nice. Job i.m watching from the Netherlands. AMSTERDAM

@KO-pk7df 10 ай бұрын

His book, the Southern Cross was one of the best aviation books I have ever read!

@gappleton8255 10 ай бұрын

Quite the airfoil!

@Lordcirdan 7 ай бұрын

Que hermoso avión! gracias por subir esta joya!

@montbrehain 10 ай бұрын

Lovely! Great to see..

@brianohehir9515 10 ай бұрын

If i am not mistaken this aircraft was flown by george wilkins prior its disposal. Now there is an amazing ozzy pilot and explorer worthy of your interest. Look for “The Last Explorer” by Simon Nasht, great read about a little known yet extraordinary australian!

@georgegeyer3431 9 ай бұрын

Beautiful airplane 😊.

@DrBearAviation 9 ай бұрын

Indeed. Such a graceful and elegant aircraft, not to mention that the design was one century ago.

@martyb6903 11 ай бұрын

Wow 3 jacobs radials on one bird! Sweet

@rescue270 11 ай бұрын

I have a Callair agplane with a Jacobs on it.

@dja1353 9 ай бұрын

She’s a beauty. I didn’t realise that it’s open cockpit.

@goodo5691 8 ай бұрын

i remember going to parafield when this was being built. the wing frame was huge , and i also remember it was a huge job to rotate it. also i recall a guy from work calling me (i think it was a sat morning) saying.. "hey i just saw the southern cross crash land at parafield"

@bobmillerick300 10 ай бұрын

Beautiful aircraft.

@viewfromafar475 10 ай бұрын

Let’s not forget that the original Southern Cross had previously been used by the Australian Arctic and Antarctic explorer, Sir Hubert Wilkins.

@terra2jaquesmuller333 7 ай бұрын

Esse avião é muito bonito

@thegreat_I_am 7 ай бұрын

Elbow out the window - like driving an old Landrover!

@mattipollari8905 9 ай бұрын

The Sky Beyond by Sir Gordon Taylor is one of the best aviation books I have read- gives a real account of the flight and engine failure.

@Philippe-q5m 8 ай бұрын

Part of aviation's history

@earhart1000 8 ай бұрын

Precioso avión . From Spain 👏👏👏👏

@bertoverweel6588 10 ай бұрын

Fantastic aircraft build by Anthony Fokker, one of the first aircraft used by KLM the oldest Airlines in the world.

@orgcoast5990 9 ай бұрын

The verticle stabilizer seems small for the size of the aircraft.

@kurtv4946 9 ай бұрын

Great camera work! I noticed the #2 engine has some down thrust and 1 and 3 seem to follow the centerline of the aircraft.

@DrBearAviation 9 ай бұрын

Thanks mate for watching. Yes, the #2 engine tilts down a bit. I don't know the exact reason. However, my conjecture is: 1) it could give better forward vision for pilots; or 2)This plane needs a bit down thrust for balance purpose.

@albertorafaelcisnerosperfe4899 9 ай бұрын

Awesome 👍❤

@wobblybobengland 10 ай бұрын

First aircraft to cross the Pacific from the United States to Australia

@peterhoebarth4234 10 ай бұрын

From Canada.

@adrianodagenova247 10 ай бұрын

Unbeleivable!!! Do you have to do a major inspection / teardown after such a first flight?

@rescue270 10 ай бұрын

I'm sure it is given a thorough shakedown for any defects, but there is no need to tear it all apart unless something alarming is discovered.

@nigel900 10 ай бұрын

Beautiful airplane 👍🏻

@gunterscholl9952 6 ай бұрын

Very Cool Sound

@kkteutsch6416 8 ай бұрын

Just Great !

@joelhenderson4450 9 ай бұрын

That is some wing.

@25chief39 7 ай бұрын

Is this the same aircraft that visited Wellington NZ in the late '80s? I went to see that one on the tarmac. I recall the pilot commenting how he had to land very much in a nose down tail up attitude, orherwise the rudder wouldn't bite and he'd have trouble with directional control.

@Patshes 10 ай бұрын

Magnificent!!!🆒😎👍!

@chuckcawthon3370 10 ай бұрын

Incredible Airplane.

@AeroTravels 11 ай бұрын

Amazing! Like it!

@tominmtnvw 10 ай бұрын

My grandfather flew these over the Grand Canyon on sightseeing charters.

@albertsilva747 4 ай бұрын

Beautiful plane ❤

@giterdunpete 10 ай бұрын

Who built it in South Australia and who crashed it ? All the history is important.

@davidmilledge221 9 ай бұрын

That replica was built in SA and the state government should never had sold it , unfortunately we public have no power over our state government selling off our beautiful assets and its sickening that they let our heritage boats go to rot too , and us people have no control on them short term idiots in power making money saving decisions to cover their nest and letting our heritage fade away 😢

@gunterscholl9952 6 ай бұрын

Very Cool Plain

@janb.6194 10 ай бұрын

Wauw waanzinnig mooi.

@obelic71 10 ай бұрын

Onze Fokker VIIA in het aviodrome is helaas niet luchtvaardig. Elk stukje Fokker luchtvaart history bewaard is mooi meegenomen. Zo zie je maar weer dat we een diepe historische culturele band hebben met Australië. Onze DC2 ( Uiver replica ) is ook zo een voorbeeld.

@DrBearAviation 10 ай бұрын

Yes, it is such a beauty. Hope that it will continue to grace the sky in the many years to come.

@guenthermeyer9603 10 ай бұрын

Excellent Plain

@FitzArias 10 ай бұрын

Charles Kingsford-Smith and Anthony Fokker: names that will live on in aviation history.

@DrBearAviation 10 ай бұрын

Yes, they are true pioneers.

@Luke-ot6mk 10 ай бұрын

Awesome!

@АлександрКулагин-э1ф 7 ай бұрын

Крыло невероятной толщины.Большие бензобаки+ подъёмная сила.С такого прыгал Индиана Джонс?

@David-eh9le 6 ай бұрын

No, he jumped out of a Ford Trimotor

@davidlong6173 9 ай бұрын

Nice looking plane like the design.

@alangeddes268 10 ай бұрын

Great video of a beautiful aircraft. Was that his check ride ? 😁

@DrBearAviation 9 ай бұрын

Thanks mate for watching. This is the very first public demo of this plane after a 12-year restoration effort to achieve airworthiness.

@Abandoned_Brane 9 ай бұрын

Not scared of flying, scared of crashing. Having said that, I should have gotten my license way back when. My dad pushed me towards the civil air patrol.

@HockOoiOng 2 ай бұрын

woah amazing

@tomarmstrong1281 10 ай бұрын

Once I took a flight in a Trimotor over Kalamazoo Mi. God it was noisy.

@nihilmiror6312 10 ай бұрын

Pretty bird. 👍🇦🇺🦘

@threeofive9401 10 ай бұрын

You don't often see a plane that allows a passenger to have an open window with a hand out.

@rescue270 10 ай бұрын

I had a 1938 Aeronca. I could stick my head out the window at 10,000 ft!

@ivortoad 10 ай бұрын

I can easily imagine people betting on whether it would fly or not first time.

@rogeredwarrddeshon5000 10 ай бұрын

I thought the Tri Motors were built by Ford. I wasn't aware these Fokkers were Fokkers.

@DrBearAviation 10 ай бұрын

Both Ford and Fokkers have Trimotors. Forkkers Trimotor was introduced in 1925, and Ford Trimotor in 1926. These two planes have similar appearance to a large extent.

@rogeredwarrddeshon5000 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info@@DrBearAviation

@DrBearAviation 10 ай бұрын

You are very welcome. @@rogeredwarrddeshon5000

@GerardScroogeGoes 10 ай бұрын

It's Fokker F7/3m for a reason. It's just a 3 engine version of the original Fokker F7 one engine airliner. First flown in 1924. It was used for several record breaking flights before Birds' crossings. The F7a/3m won the Ford reliability contest and the Ford Trimoter was more or less developed as an anwer to Atlantic licence building the Fokker in the States. @@DrBearAviation

@Joewylie3 10 ай бұрын

Stinson made a tri motor also. (Belanca was an interesting company).

@bobbates7343 10 ай бұрын

Once up flying how many running engines does it take to keep that plane in the air ?

@rescue270 10 ай бұрын

It can hold altitude with one engine inoperative.

@patwbass1572 10 ай бұрын

Too bad pictures aren’t possible in these comments. I have a picture of my dad in the early 50’s standing in front of a Ford (I think) tri motor up in Fairbanks Alaska at Weeks Field. Weeks was shut down in the mid 50’s.