Warplane of old looking good again

Its latest restoration project is an American F4U-1 Corsair that crashed into a lagoon at Efate Island, Vanuatu, in May 1944 after running out of fuel. The pilot survived.

With only enough room for one pilot, a wingspan of 41 feet and a weight of 9000 pounds, the distinctive gull-winged Corsair could attain a speed of 417 mph, fly at almost 37,000 feet and climb 2900 feet a minute.

Nicknamed “Whispering Death” for the peculiar sound it made at higher airspeed, it had six M2 Browning machine guns mounted on its wings and the capacity to carry 20 rockets or 2000 pounds of bombs.

The wreckage was recovered eight years ago and taken to the museum at Parafield Airport, where the skilled all-volunteer staff led by Bob Jarrett expect to have it ready for exhibition in about two years.

Also on display is a Sea Venom WZ-939, which was formally delivered to the RAN in Glasgow in February 1956 and shipped to Australia aboard the newly commissioned HMAS Melbourne later that year.

In service for 18 years, the aircraft was powered by a De Havilland Ghost 104 engine and had a maximum speed of 563 mph at sea level and 544 mph at 30,000 feet. If you wish, you can sit behind the controls.

Visitors can also see a RAAF Jindivik Target Tow. More than 300 of these were built at Woomera and Jervis Bay. They were launched by a ground crew using a take-off trolley, with flight control being transferred to another ground crew or from an aircraft.

The museum is an easy 30-minute drive from Adelaide. It is open 10am-4pm daily (noon-4pm Anzac Day). Escorted tours are available daily. Entry $10/$8/$5