Caribou's are being retired. Where are they going?

[gofastclint]

The last remaining 13 Caribou are about to be retired. So where are they going? Too often are great aircraft scraped for parts. As the last (to my knowledge) radial aircraft in RAAF operation, I would like to see them preserved for the future.

 

Does anyone know if they will be put up for private sale?

 

If not, where are they going?

 

 

[shags_j]

I don't know but I want one. They are my favourite aircraft ever.

 

At 13 I joined Air Cadets here in Qld. On the very first night I was treated to a flight in a Caribou out of Archerfield. It got me in to this hobby.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

We enjoy seeing them fly around Townsville often, circuts over the house, and nothing beats the sound. (except a Merlin) I often chat with them when flying, and my young Daughter now knows all about radial engines. I would imagine with their 38 Sqn history, that one or two will be retained / preserved. They are still unmatched in their capability, and it's just age, and cost that has caught up with them.

 

A rumour around town is that they will be scrapped, because of liability concerns, not sold, but don't quote me on that.

 

 

[Matt]

Given the reason for the accelerated retirement is due to concerns about wing spar health following the recent "hard landing" in PNG, I'd suggest that Maj is right - scrap or static displays will be the likely outcome.

 

 

[shags_j]

That would be a serious shame. Sucks that they can't be sold to civilians. Surely they haven't had any harder a life than say one of the old Marauders you see flying around the place as fire aircraft etc.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes it all comes down to costs really. The 'Bou is a BIG aeroplane about the same size as say a DC3, and how many of those are being preserved and flying now ?. Unfortunatly less and less all the time. Those Marauders from the States were working all their life as fire spotters/firebombers, so the money was there to do continuing maintenance.

 

There were two privately owned Caribous flying night freight out of Oakland airport in California, when I was there in the 90s. They were painted grey with blue stripes, but I don't know what became of them.

 

They should at least put one next to the Neppie at the Townsville RAAF base front gate. If they had the foresight back then to save a Lincoln, that would have made three.

 

It is always a shame when aircraft end up back as alum ingots.

 

 

[shags_j]

At least the caloundra air museum is restoring one. I guess donations to that will become more important.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

If anyone is real interested in large aircraft preservation, I would recommend a look at the 'Castle Air Museum' at Atwater in central California,west of San francisco. It started out as a 'bomber' museum at a decommisioned B52 base, but continoues to grow, and appears to include other non-bomber types now. Most aircraft are displayed outside, and includes a B18 Bolo bomber which is a converted DC2. An eight engined B36 pusher, B52,B17,B24,B29, B50 and even an Avro Vulcan, which they swapped for a B52, plus an SR71.

 

Goggle 'Castle Air Museum' for a look at some interesting aircraft.

 

 

[Student Pilot]

There are only so many Aircraft that can be kept flying, be it by public money or private.You only have to look at the poms with historic Aircraft flying, the government and public have put millions into a Vulcan. The trust or whatever was set up to run and maintain it cost something like half a million a year before the Aircraft turns a wheel. They have recieved millions and only flown something like 25 hours? Now is grounded with rumours that it will never fly again. The public did see a couple of flights but the main gains were from the few people who were paid big money to shuffle papers.

 

Australia now has 2 Catalinas from different camps competing for public money to run them. What do people get when they contribute to these good causes beside a warm fuzzy feeling? Even the likes of Hars have limited funds just to fly a few Aircraft, plenty in the shed but to fly costs big money.

 

Back to Caribous, R2000's would have to be the rarest of Pratts to get parts for and maintain. A Caribou is a big heavy, complex, costly machine to operate and would be beyond even a very wealthy private operation. The Government is winding up the running of these machines for a reason. I think the best we can hope for is a couple in museums.

 

 

[gofastclint]

I was thinking of a static display's for 12 and maybe one kept flying by the government for air shows.