Vintage aircraft island ‘nut’, Ian Larkman, recently made another trip out to Caboolture Airport to view the latest acquisition of the Australian Vintage Aircraft Service.
Ian is now a keen member of TAVAS following recent excursions that we featured in The Friendly Bay Islander.
The man behind TAVAS, Andrew Carter, has acquired parts to the plane that supposedly flew in 1901, two years before the Wright Brothers made the flight that is mostly recognised as being the first flight by a powered aircraft.
Ian told The Friendly Bay islander: “Andrew is keen to not only rebuild the Gustav Whitehead Plane 21 (a really inspiring name) but to make it fly.
“It looks like a small canvas boat, with bird like wings, and a tiny petrol motor.
“I am fascinated but I won’t be flying in this one”, said Ian, as opposed to his recent flight in a World War 1 fighter that we featured in the FBI.
Below is a photo and a sketch of the original, and photos of what Andrew Carter has purchased. Simply mind boggling audacity.
TAVAS and other organisations that are restoring old aircraft had an open day at Caboolture Airport on the weekend before ANZAC Day, the 22nd and 23 of April.
Many of the restored planes were up flying in the day.
Ian Larkman reckons any fellow aircraft lovers should go out and see the TAVAs aircraft, “before Andrew kills himself”.
An image of the Gustav Whitehead Plane 21 and start of work on the build of the vintage airframe.
