Kiowa Helicopters for Moorabbin Air Museum...

[BradG]

The Australian National Aviation Museum is proud to announce the acquisition of three Bell/CAC produced 206B Kiowa Helicopters from Defence Disposals and Sales.
The ANAM tendered for the helicopters earlier this year and has successfully been awarded the following:
· Bell built A17-006 (C/N44506) which was delivered in 1971. It was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy as N17-006, in 1988 returning to Army service in 2000.
· CAC built A17-045 (C/N44545) which was delivered in 1976.
· CAC built A17-055 (C/N44555) which was delivered in 1976. This was the second last CAC built Kiowa. The last CAC built Kiowa was written off in an incident in Tasmania.
Based on the civilian Bell 206 Jet Ranger a total of fifty-six Kiowas were to see service with the RAN, Army and ARDU. Allocated the CAC production number of CA-32, the first twelve were built in the United States with the remainder produced at Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Melbourne.
These acquisitions now complete the CAC built aircraft collection. With the Museum holding examples of the Wirraway, Wackett, Boomerang, Mustang, Winjeel, Sabre, Ceres, Macchi, Pazmany and Ikara.
The current plan is to assemble A17-055 to a complete display condition to sit along side Wirraway A20-10 to have the oldest (Wirraway) and youngest production CAC products displayed together. A second display airframe will also be built from the remaining Airframes.
With funds raised by the museum members, the Kiowas are due to arrive at the museum in Friday August 25th. The airframes will depart Damascus Barracks Access in Pinkenba Queensland on Wednesday the 23rd thanks to the assistance of the transport firm Mick Liston from Green Hill Valley Pty Ltd who is transporting them.
The ANAM board wishes to extend our thanks to the members who worked in the acquisition process and to the members who generously donated to allow the purchase of these aircraft to join the seventy plus airframes we currently hold within the collection.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you see the B-Double as it travels through Queensland, New South Wales and home to Moorabbin in Victoria, please send your photos to us and we'll share them here. And as thank you the first photo sent in from each state will receive a membership to the museum for one year.
So get snapping everyone!

[RayS]

Good to see Brad, are you aware if the display schemes have been decided on? Keeping the current camo or reverting to the delivery dark green colour?

[Adam the Akrodude]

Congratulations and very worthy additions to the museum.

[BradG]

Good to see Brad, are you aware if the display schemes have been decided on? Keeping the current camo or reverting to the delivery dark green colour?

We like to preserve original finishes as much as possible, like the Mirage, so I'd say the two CAC built aircraft will stay in their camo finish, 006, I don't know what they plan to do with because this will be pretty much stripped for parts to finish the other two.

[BradG]

I think the plan is for them to go into the main hanger right away (so no sitting outside) thus I hope to have some pictures up on Sunday.

[Graeme H]

Was at QAM on Friday when theirs arrived and was offloaded, its in the tan and green camo will put up pictures when I get home

[BradG]

Here's some pictures from Saturday.