SIAI-Marchetti FN333 amphibian in Cairns?

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

I'm trying to verify if there is still a SIAI-Marchetti FN333 amphibian based in Cairns and contact details for the owners. It's listed in the Register as VH-SAV and owned by Copper Creek Pty Ltd of Redlynch but there is no White Pages listing for that entity so probably operates under a trading name.

 

Is anyone familiar with this aircraft or could offer any leads? I am hoping to attract a range of Italian aircraft (and cars, bikes etc.) to my airshow to acknowledge the Italian heritage of the Hinchinbrook region.

 

 

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

G'day Ignition, thanks for that. I did a bit of back-tracking and the ultralight business is now Sport Aviation - contact Eddy Madden. I rang today and he advised that the aircraft had somewhat of a checkered history but as far as he knows it is now owned by a retired airline pilot, George Cornelius Schuit (spelling?) who lives in Cairns (that fits with the Redlynch PO Box for Copper Creek Pty Ltd). I can't find any listings for that name (yet!) but it's a start - perhaps someone will know of him up that way, otherwise I'll resort to snail-mail and post a letter! :-)

 

 

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

OK, "Google is my friend" once again, just needed a name to kick-start the process! Contact established (via a very circuitous path but we got there!) and I've spoken to the owner - unfortunately the aircraft is not airworthy and stored pending restoration but at least I know now so it can be crossed off the list of possibles for this year! :-)

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Could it have been the strange sounding pusher that passed through Townsville a couple of weeks ago ?.............................Maj...

 

 

[farri]

Ross,look anything likr this???

 

 

 

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

I hadn't chased up a photo of the aircraft previously (busy! - that's my excuse) - it looks a little bit Sea Bee-ish maybe but still strikingly different and as far as the Register goes it (VH-SAV) is the only one in Australia - what a pity it's not airworthy!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Not sure Frank, it went over quite high...that could have been it though. It was setting up for a landing at Townsville . What got my attention was the strange pusher type noise it made...............................................Maj...

 

 

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

There was a Piaggio Avanti floating around the north a while ago - saw it come into Townsville and had a report of it at Mackay but that was a couple of months ago at least. Perhaps it's back? The aircraft you saw would not have been the FN333 - it's stored and out of action (as noted in the earlier post)! :-)

 

 

[farri]

[Guest DonningtonSmythe]

I got more info tonight on the Piaggio Avanti which was in NQ a while ago. According to the source, "Piaggio were running trials with the RFDS to see if the Avanti II is suitable ( it isn't) the aircraft you probably saw was borrowed from Susy Air in Indonesia for the occasion".

 

 

[Garfly]

This newish video of the SIAI Marchetti FN333 Riviera has turned up. 

It makes me wonder about the fate of the one that was based in Cairns and mentioned in this thread a decade back.

 

 

[facthunter]

We had one here in Australia and DCA crashed it.  Nev

[onetrack]

There's no mention of any crash in Australia, of one of these aircraft, in the aviation safety-net database. Was the DCA crash not reported?

 

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/type/FN33

[pmccarthy]

VH-SAV was the only one in Australia. See https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/narratives/siairiviera.pdf

[Garfly]

 

 

 

 

[facthunter]

They very heavy landed it from memory. Not on water either.  Nev

[onetrack]

So, according to Geoff Goodalls "write-up", in 2013, VH-SAV was still registered, and resided in Broome, W.A., under the ownership of Brett M Nixon. The registration records state that that information is still accurate.

[facthunter]

It wasn't written off.   This was in the 60's   Nev

[pmccarthy]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

It wasn't written off.   This was in the 60's   Nev

Quite right! The Goodall write up says: The Riviera promptly made its public debut at an air show at Pelican airfield near Newcastle NSW on 6 September. A blow came on 22 September during certification performance testflying at Bankstown when a heavy landing damaged the undercarriage and required checks for structural damage. The DCA accident report stated "During performance tests at maximum weight, the aircraft sank quickly when power was reduced for round-out and struck the ground heavily, collapsing the undercarriage." The report noted that the pilot, Bob Shute, had 137 hours experience on the aircraft type. VH-SAV went into the Piper hangar for repairs over the next three months, being test flown on 23 December 1964.