BAC 111
Arriving in the summer of 2006, was the nose section of BAC 111 5N-BBP. This was one of three such types lying at the Med-Avia compound at Safi, and hadn’t flown since its arrival on 09 September 2002. It carried Al Barka Air Services titles.
Beech 18S N495F
This aircraft is in a worse state than the Dakota (see DC-3 C-FITH below). It was originally built for the USAF as a C-45H in 1953, construction number AF-888, serial 52-10958. After disposal by the military, registration N8176H was reserved, but apparently never taken up. It was then given identity N3114G, followed by N114G in June 1963 registered to David B. Stewart. As N114G, it was operated by LAVCO (Libyan Aviation Company) from at least January 1965. Date of re-registration to N495F is unknown, but it was flown successively by Sagittair and Zapata as an aero-taxi mainly to North African destinations.
It was thanked for its useful services by being thrown into a scrap yard in 1978. It languished there until it returned to Hal-Far in late 91/early 92 (I first photographed it at Hal-Far on 15 January 1992), when it was purchased by the International Fire and Safety School – Malta. It was saved from what seemed a certain fiery end by the Foundation in 1996 and purchased by the National Tourism Organisation of Malta for display at the Aviation Museum.
Plans for the Beech 18S are not yet definite, but ideas include re-conversion to a C-45 and painted in the colourful United States Navy scheme of the mid-1960s when aircraft of its type made regular liaison visits to Luqa from the U.S. Naval Air Facilities of Naples and Sigonella.
Cessna L-19E Bird-dog 9H-ACB
One of five Bird-dogs acquired by the Armed Forces of Malta from Italy on 4 February 1992, Charlie Bravo was donated to the museum, after serving as a parts source for the other for aircraft. It was previously MM61-2983/EI-2 with the Italian Army.
De Havilland 82 Tiger Moth G-ANFW
In the Autumn of 2000, the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation acquired the fuselage of an air-worthy Tiger Moth, G-ANFW. After restoration, the aircraft will be given a typical Royal Air Force colour scheme of the war period, consisting of camouflaged top surfaces, with trainer yellow under surfaces, as well as its original service number DE730.
Subject to locating a pair of wings (and sponsorship), the museum also plans to fly the aircraft again, and place the aircraft on the Maltese civil register. This will certainly make it the only bi-plane, and the oldest aircraft, to carry the 9H- prefix.
Later that year, the aircraft was towed to the other side of Ta’ Qali, as a static participant in the annual Malta Model Aircraft Flying Association open day held between 28-29 October.
De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW22, XG691
Having served with the 750 Squadron at Hal Far, as navigational trainer, the aircraft eventually returned to Malta in a dismantled state on 19 September 2005.
De Havilland Vampire T.Mk.11 VZ550
This aircraft was purchased by the Malta Aviation Society, a founder member of the Foundation, from profits generated by the Malta International Airshow, which this Society organises annually. The Vampire has added a first jet fighter element to the Museum. The Vampire, in a dismantled state, was transported by trailer from the United Kingdom and arrived in Malta on 25 October 1996. Other on-going projects has prevented any large-scale work on the assembly and refurbish of the aircraft but it is intended to repaint the Vampire as a Royal Navy T.Mk.22 as used by the Hal Far (HMS Falcon) Station Flight in the 1950/1960s. Still carrying RAF serial VZ550, the Vampire had been last used by the Central Flying School whose badge it still carries on the nose.
In the Summer of 2000, the aircraft was overhauled and re-sprayed by Museum members. It now wears the colour scheme of a Hal Far-based No.750 Fleet Air Arm Squadron, T.22 trainer.
Douglas DC-3 C-FITH
DC-3 C-FITH had been languishing at Hal-Safi, the previous base of the MIACO company, since 14 January 1980. After the voluntary liquidation of MIACO in February 1985, the aircraft remained there, until it was purchased, along with two other DC-3 N565 and N535M, by the International Fire & Safety School – Malta, and towed by road to Hal-Far on 19 March 1987. They were later joined by Beech 18 N495F.
N565 and N535M were eventually destroyed through repeatedly being set on fire, and C-FITH (which at one time was to be painted in the School’s colours) and N495F were destined to follow suit.
Museum members started urgent talks with the foreign owners of the School in 1994 in order to obtain, purchase, or otherwise procure both aircraft for the Museum. The negotiations were still inconclusive when the School went into receivership, and more than a year had to pass before the new owners agreed to exchange both aircraft with four old 40-foot containers on which they seemed equally happy to try their fire-dousing equipment.
The DC-3's condition is not so bad externally and is structurally sound enough for static display purposes. DC-3s were very popular on the post-war Malta civil scene when BEA operated the type on the Malta-UK route, and it is planned to convert, refurbish and repaint the aircraft in those attractive colours. C-FITH was purchased in April 1996 by the National Tourism Organisation of Malta for display within our Aviation Museum. Efforts are being made to persuade British Airways, through their Malta representative, to assist by sponsoring all or part of the restoration costs.
Douglas DC-3 T9-ABC
T9-ABC, c/n 16187/32935, had originally landed in Malta on 17 Feb 95 as N48ME, entering NCA that very same day. Following some general maintenance work, and re-registration to 3C-JJN, test flights were performed on 01 & 02 Apr, the aircraft departing on 09 Mar. Mid-way to Tunis, the aircraft developed engine problems, and the pilot elected to return to Malta, where repair facilities for such an aircraft were better. By 23 June, the registration was changed to T9-ABC, however, there were payment problems, and the aircraft remained in Malta. It was bought by the NCA company during an auction two or three years later, but plans to restore the aircraft to airworthy status were abandoned, and eventually it was offered to the Malta Aviation Museum. Transported to Malta Aviation Museum during the night of 27/28 March 2006.
EE Lightning F.2A XN769
The nose section of this No. 92 Squadron Lightning was donated to the museum by Mr. Russell Carpenter of Eltham, England.
92 Squadron's red and yellow markings will be retained, in order to represent an aircraft flown by Flight Lieutenant Mark Micallef Eynaud, the only fast jet pilot to serve with the RAF. Ft Lt Micallef Eynaud also visited Malta during October 1975, in Lightning F.2A XN787.
Fairey Swordfish HS491
This aircraft, which arrived at the museum on Thursday 16 September 2004, is the next long term restoration project for the museum. It was acquired from Canadian Bob Spence, after he toured the museum during a visit to Malta. He also operates Swordfish HS554.
Fiat G-91R/1B MM6377/2-11
This aircraft was presented to the Malta Aviation Museum by the Italian Government in 1998 following the intervention of Colonel Alberto Zucchi, Commander of the M.I.A.T.M. (Missione Italiana Assistenza Tecnico Militare - Italian Military Mission in Malta).
The codes painted on the aircraft, 2-11, indicates the Italian Air Force's post-war coding system. 2 represents the 2° Stormo (wing) to which the aircraft was attached, 11 being the individual aircraft code number. MM6377 formed part of the last batch of single seaters delivered by Fiat to the Italian Air Force from 1964. The aircraft last flew from Treviso Saint Angelo in 1989 (North East Italy).
Hawker Hurricane MK.IIA Z3055
The restoration of this aircraft has now reached a very advanced stage. It has had a Merlin engine, in full working order fitted, and been re-sprayed, and once the wings are fitted, the fuel tanks and wheel brakes will be installed. Salvaged from the seabed by David Schembri and Cassar Enterprises, on 19 September 1995, it was transferred to the workshop at Ta' Qali where its main fuselage members and wooden fuselage top decking may be seen in place. It was built by Hawker Aircraft at Kingston in 1941 as part of a batch of 1,000 Hurricanes Mk.IIA/IIB/IIC and was fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin XX engine. Delivered from Kingston to No.48 Maintenance Unit at Hawardeen on 27 February 1941, it was transferred to Abbotsinch on 17 March 1941 but only stayed until it was transferred to No.5 MU at Kemble after nine days. Delivered back to Abbotsinch on 18 May, it was shipped to Malta the following June. At Malta, Z3055 was with No. 46 Squadron Interchanging to No.126 Squadron. It is known that on 26 June 1941 it was flown by H P Lardner-Burke, a South African pilot with the RAF, on a 50-minute flight. During a flight by Sgt. Tom Hackston just before daybreak on 4 July 1941 Z3055 accidentally crashed into the sea after taking off from RAF Safi; the pilot was never found.
The Hurricane restoration is being sponsored by Frank Salt Real Estate Ltd, in memory of Flt. Lt. J. H. Salt and the ground crews that served with him during the Second World War in Malta.
Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV826
In 1999 the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation acquired Sea Hawk FGA.2, WV826 from Phoenix Aviation Museum. It is the first ship-borne jet aircraft on display and reflects part of Malta's long and historical links with the Fleet Air Arm in the post war years. WV826 has been painted to represent a No.804 Squadron FGA.6 aircraft coded 161 of the Suez Crisis period, hence the black and yellow identification stripes. Operating from H.M.S. Bulwark, the squadron made attacks on Egyptian airfields and provided support for ground troops. On returning home early in 1957 (following a brief stop at Hal Far) the squadron transferred to H.M.S. Ark Royal, and its fin code changed from B to O, but evidently the Suez markings were not immediately painted out.
The aircraft was also towed to Luqa Airport as a static exhibit for the 1999 Malta International Air Show.
POU DU CIEL
A totally different breed of aircraft is the diminutive, ungainly but most interesting Pou du Ciel built from original plans by the Malta Historic Aircraft Preservation Group. Faithful in all respects in both construction materials and techniques, the Flying Flea will be powered by a Citroen CV engine and its builders hope to hop it off the ground in the not too distant future. As an exhibit, the Flying Flea represents the weird element in the hangar and adds to the attractions available to Museum visitors. The Pou du Ciel is an all wood and fabric aircraft and all examples in existence were built from a book published by its designer, Henri Mignet.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX EN199
Spitfire Mk.1X, EN199 was built by Vickers Armstrong as part of a batch of 450 Spitfire Mk.VII/IX/X1/Xl’s ordered under contract number B.19713/39. Powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin 61 engine, it first flew on 28 November 1942 at Eastleigh and was taken on charge by No.12 Maintenance Unit at Kirkbride on 1 December, successively moving to Nos. 82 and 47 MUs and thence to Glasgow where it was shipped to the Mediterranean during January 1943.
EN199 had been quite active in Maltese skies in the 1943-1945 period, particularly before, during and after, the invasion of Sicily, successively serving with Nos. 81, 154, 1435, 225 and 73 Squadrons before joining the Malta Communications Flight in October 1945 mainly for undertaking meteorological sorties. Even with the addition of other aircraft in the Museum, the Spitfire will still remain a favourite, a tribute to the type that had saved Malta in the dark days of 1942.
A booklet entitled A Brief History of Spitfire EN199, with an introduction by the famous RAF fighter pilot Laddie Lucas, CBE DSO DFC, and on sale at the Aviation Museum premises for the price of Stg£3.50, contains valuable information about the preservation group's saga in reconstructing the aircraft and the operational history of this particular aircraft.
As restored and exhibited at the Malta Aviation Museum, EN199 represents a typically Mediterranean tropical scheme and wears codes RB to denote the period when it was Wing Commander Ronald Berry's personal mount. The Spitfire was painstakingly restored to its present state in 1993-1995 from a hulk retrieved from inside a scrap yard by members of the Malta Historic Aircraft Preservation Group. Mid-Med Bank Ltd was the main sponsor for this project.