After some 13 years in New Zealand as ZK-AMS 'Spirit of Queenstown', former 34 and 36 Squadron RAAF Skytrain A65-9 (ex USAAF 42-23424) returned to Australia in 2006. VH-CWS was dismantled here at Bankstown in December 2015 for a new owner in Taiwan.
Skytrain A65-105 was allocated to 37 Squadron in April 1945 and served various RAAF units, including the ARDU. Registered VH-UPQ in July 1969 for the Department of Supply, Short Brothers used her as a support aircraft at the Woomera Rocket Range.
This Series 3 Twin Pioneer went into service with 2 Squadron, Royal Malaysian Air Force in May 1962 as FM1066. In 1973 the aircraft was sold in Australia and remained airworthy until at least November 2010 when noted flying from Wedderburn airfield.
This Invader saw brief service with 572 BS, 391 BG. USAAF 43-22653 was noted with code 'P2-C' at Nordholz, East-Friesland, in March 1945. From 1963 the Tulsa-built aircraft spent many years as fire fighter in the US (N9402Z) and Canada (C-GPTW).
Almost hidden from view in the crammed Australian Aviation Museum hangar is former 77 Squadron A3-44, which was damaged during live missile firing practice on 8 September 1981. Relegated to ground instruction A3-44 finally found her way to Bankstown.
Fitted with specialised electronic equipment between 1978 and 1980 for electronic countermeasures training, N15-709 was initially operated by 851 Squadron at NAS Nowra, but transferred 723 Squadron in 1984. The aircraft was decommissioned in June 2000.
This SBLim-2 had served with the Polish Air Force, coded '777', before being exported to Australia in 1989. Although registered VH-LJP it failed to join the Australian jet warbird scene and was finally donated to the Australian Aviation Museum.