http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_News-August-16-1968.

pdf

16 Aug 1968

1968-69 NAS Nowra Skyhawk flightline with 2 Dakotas & the needle-nose Dak in front of the VS-816 & VC-851 S-2 Tracker H Hangar

Photo by John Bartels

Needle-Nose DC-3
Dakota (Sea Venom
Radar Nose)

J Hangar

Nowra Air Day 1969 Mixed + Form Macchi 1974

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mueKRfbkXw

Air Day Mixed Fly By NAS

Nowra, 12 Oct 1969
Gooney Bird Leader going
flat out downhill with 886
Pilot Lcdr John Park USN

A Tracker and a Sea Venom

were on the Starboard side
of Dakota All in V form

Photo taken
from
Vampire 807: Pilot Aslt Phil Thompson & Photographer Aslt Murray Smythe (P) in right hand seat

This page is from my RAN logbook during my 1st

year at NAS Nowra in 1969 on VC-724 Squadron

Sblt Murray Smythe is in the right-hand seat - with a camera - of our 724
Vampire 807. It is on the outside left of the formation, on the left of the
Skyhawk (pilot Leut John Park USN), the Dakota is in the lead with a
Tracker on its right and a Sea Venom (Leut Barrie Daly?) outside on
righthand side.
The Dakota C47 was going downhill slightly - as fast as it could go - so
that the Skyhawk and Sea Venom had some airspeed above their stalling
speeds (heavy). The Sea Vampire was OK at that speed, probably 110
knots? The Tracker OK also.
The Skyhawk was very fuel heavy so that it could remain airborne until
the end of the air show. Video clip from Graham Winterflood.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7313268236_08f05c508d_o.jpg

Mixed Flyby, Air Day NAS Nowra

Photo by Ken Hodge 12 Oct 1969

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=10150115789644008&set=o.13995405509#!/photo.php?
fbid=282706479007&set=o.13995405509&pid=4604349&id=623934007

THE

Goo
nie
BIRD

ies

http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_News-November-23-1973.pdf

Nov 1973

Northern End of H Hangar

Goonies Paying Off Fly Past

http://
www.douglas
dc3.com/
dc3tec/6.jpg

CLICK

http://www.douglasdc3.com/
tech/tech.htm

http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.
php?id=6646286&nseq=78

PHOTO BY WAL NELOWKIN: 1965 Airborne colour Flightdeck photo taken in 'In-Service' RAAF C-47B Dakota
A65-114, on a flight from RAAF Laverton (YMLV). The Dakota was operated by 'Aircraft Research & Development
Unit' (ARDU). Photo taken near Geelong, during a 45 minute Famil Flight for a group of DCS 11 Course Air
Cadets, when ARDU was still based at Laverton. (My first flight in a Military Aircraft.) The Dak is flying at 130Kts
at 4750 Feet, Heading 360. This aircraft is now in the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide.
A65-114 was Delivered to the RAAF in June 1945 ex USAAC 44-77128 and used Callsign VH-RGB. Apologies for
the quality of this 44 year old photo. (Use of Falshbulbs was prohibited in AVGAS fuelled aircraft.)

'Flight Deck
View' taken in
'Ansett
Airways' DC-3
VH-ABR, while
on static
display at the
Inaugural
Avalon
Airshow in
October 1992.
This aircraft
started
service with
Australian
National
Airways (ANA)
in 1938, and
was pressed
into RAAF
service as
A30-3 in Sep
1939, at the
start of WWII.
This aircraft is
still flying, and
she was
displayed at
the Avalon
International
Airshow in
March 2009.
PHOTO &
COMMENTS
BY WAL
NELOWKIN

http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.
php?id=6628911&nseq=94

Photo by Clive Dyball

http://www.cnapg.org/dakota.htm

http://www.cnapg.org/1404.jpg

Royal Australian Navy Historic Flight Dakota N2-90 / VH-NVZ. Photograph by Alan Scoot

http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/air-recent/long-nose.jpg

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P00444.025/ NOWRA NSW. DOUGLAS C47 DAKOTA

MODIFIED TO A FLYING CLASSROOM IN WHICH RAN FLEET AIR ARM PERSONNEL

RECEIVED NAVIGATION TRAINING. MODIFICATIONS VISIBLE ARE THE EXTENDED
NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RADOME INSTALLED. (NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_SCREEN/P00444.025.JPG

The above photograph shows the Dakota modified as an ASV Mark 19 B radar trainer. In addition to
the Gannet radome under the fuselage, the aircraft also carried the Sea Venom radar in the nose to
train these operators as well. Photograph Courtesy of Bob Geale [FAAM]. http://www.ekco-radar.co.uk/ASV19/asv.php

Photo by Steve McDonald at NAS Nowra Air Day 1978

Ekco Radar - ASV Mark 19 models A & B

The Australian Experience

Records indicate that 33 Gannet AS-1 and 4 T-2 variant aircraft were sold to Australia equipping
724 Squadron RAN, 725 Squadron RAN, 816 Squadron RAN and 817 Squadron RAN.
These aircraft appear to have been based at RANAS Nowra when not embarked on HMAS
Melbourne.
While there was a close relationship with the UK Fleet Air Arm, the RAN elected to train their
own crews and rather than use the Percival Sea Prince, accordingly, for the radar operators a
DC3 Dakota was modified as a crew trainer.

The Needle-Nose Dak

http://www.ekco-radar.co.uk/ASV19/asv.php

The above photograph shows the Dakota modified as an ASV Mark 19 B radar trainer. In
addition to the Gannet radome under the fuselage, the aircraft also carried the Sea Venom
radar in the nose to train these operators as well. Photograph Courtesy of Bob Geale [FAAM].

From http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n2.htm: N2-43 n/a C-47A 12542 42-92711 Delivered to the RAN 01/02/49. Served with 851 Sqdn, 723,
724 and 725 Sqdn's as NW-900, NW-860, NW-800. Fitted out as a Flying Classroom at one time to train Sea Venom &
Gannet Observers. If one looks at its long nose & a Sea Venom they will see the resemblance as A117 & ASV radar was
fitted to the aircraft. Sea Venom radar in the nose & Gannet radar in the rear of the aircraft protruding underneath. When
acquired C/W, morse code was the main communications used. Taken out of RAN service on 12/01/70 it had been flown
3,181.30 hours. In 1976 it was allocated to the Fleet Air Arm Museum (FAAM) at HMAS Albatross (formerly NAS Nowra).

Photo by Gerard Helmer

NAS Nowra 1989

http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Navy_News-May-14-2001.pdf

Navy News
14 May 2001

Photo by R. Leeuw
2005 at FAAM

http://www.ruudleeuw.com/oz05/14002.jpg