Lost & Found in the Aussie Outback, 1960s, Part 1 (MSFS)

[FrankPilot]

In 1962, Jim Knight decided to fly his newly acquired WW2 Australian-made Wackett aircraft from Melbourne, Victoria, across outback Australia to Perth, Western Australia. He made it as far as Ceduna, South Australia, then disappeared. After one of the largest aerial searches in Australia's history, nothing was seen of him. Three years later, his aircraft was accidently spotted way, way off track from where he was heading. This Part 1 video covers his trip from Melbourne to Ceduna. Part 2 will cover the loss & the finding after Ceduna. Hope you find this interesting. Cheers.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

In the later 60's the Wacket was removed from certification due some wing failures. It's  casein   glued wood but the fuselage was steel tube and al Panelling. They were also a bit underpowered. Warner super Scarab if I recall correctly. RNAC had a couple of them. Made in Australia.  Nev

[onetrack]

Some erroneous information in the video. Jim Knight wasn't married, he was only engaged to be married. His would-be bride moved on, a considerable time after he disappeared - and as fate would have it, she married another gent on the day that Jim Knights Wackett was found.

[FrankPilot]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

Some erroneous information in the video. Jim Knight wasn't married, he was only engaged to be married. His would-be bride moved on, a considerable time after he disappeared - and as fate would have it, she married another gent on the day that Jim Knights Wackett was found.

My sources, which refer to WIFE were the DCA Aviation Safety Digest No. 44 Dec 1965 and the book The Old & The Bold by Macarthur job, but if your source/knowledge is more reliable/accurate, so-be-it. Anything else erroneous in the video? Did you enjoy it? So many safety lessons! Cheers.

[onetrack]

That's interesting information. Macarthur Job is noted for his accuracy. However, I have found conflicting accounts of whether James Knight was actually married at the time of his death.

My primary information was from the Ad Astra Aerial Surveys written record, and their information is 99% first hand, as members of their aircrew actually found the missing Wackett.

 

Despite a lengthy search of "Family Notices" in newspapers and other publications, I have never found any record of James Knights marriage.

This not to say the marriage didn't happen, just that it's unusual that it did not appear in the newspapers, or some other publication. Some people do marry with little public notice.

 

The newspaper reports of the aircraft going missing, and then being found 3 years later, repeatedly refer to James Knights "wife". 

Accordingly, the weight of Macarthur Jobs record, plus the weight of newspaper reports, seem to outweigh the Ad Astra record - which we will now have to take as incorrect, and that James Knight was actually married at the time of his death.

 

https://www.adastra.adastron.com/people/wackett-1.htm

 

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131767520

 

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131765736

 

Your video and analysis is quite good - although I find the inclusion of an LED screen in the Wackett cockpit a little inaccurate!

 

I understand the difficulties of trying to recreate an historical flight, and only having current images to work with. Areas that are now heavily populated, would have been lightly populated in 1962.

There is mention in the investigation record, of a thick haze that obviously hid landmarks and the countryside below from James Knight, not long after after he left Ceduna, and had reached his desired flight level.

I didn't see that haze mentioned, or included in the landscape scenery, after he departed Ceduna. Despite that, yes, I did find the video quite good, and informative.

 

Edited July 14 by onetrack

[FrankPilot]

Thanks. You sound like a Master historian! My sources do not mention haze, only the 3/8th clouds I tried to replicate. You mention the LED screen - as I state at the beginning of the video, there is no Wackett in MSFS yet, unfortunatley, so I had to use a Winjeel model which comes with that screen. Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed. For me, as a recreational pilot, the safety lessons are useful. Cheers.