AIRCRAFT COLLECTION

Hunter Warbirds houses an evolving collection of aircraft from Col Pay’s private collection, Hunter Fighter Collection Inc, Paul Bennet Airshows and private owners.

Supermarine Spitfire

  • The Spitfire is a British fighter aircraft that was one of the most famous and successful fighters of World War II.

    The Spitfire displayed at Hunter Warbirds is a Mk IX model, built in 1943 at Castle Bromwich UK and in 1944 served in RAF Norwegian Squadron 331, the first Norwegian fighter squadron in the RAF and in RAF 274 Squadron.

    The aircraft was saved from being scrapped and has been fully restored to airworthy condition and is displayed in the original colours scheme of RAF Norwegian Squadron 331.

    Spitfire MH-603 was restored by Vintage Fighter Restorations at Scone and is a flying exhibit in our collection.

  • Spitfire MH-603 
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Vickers Supermarine Aviation Ltd
    Date Built: 1942-45
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 11.22 m
    Length: 9.93 m
    Weight (empty): 2556 kg
    Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 Series
    Max Speed: 657 kph
    Armament: 2 x 20 mm Hispano cannon plus 4 x .303 Browning machine guns

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk

  • The P-40 was a rugged and reliable fighter and formed the mainstay of the RAAF fighter force in the early part of World War II.

    The Hunter Warbirds P-40E was sent to Australia in 1942 and allocated to the USAAC (United States Army Air Corps) 68th Pursuit Squadron, Tonga and served in RNZAF 15S Squadron at Fuamotu, Tonga from 27 October 1942.

    The P-40E is finished in the desert colour scheme of a 3 Squadron RAAF Model P40E, serial ET953, the aircraft of Robert Henry Maxwell (Bobby) Gibbes, DSO, DFC and Bar, OAM, Commanding Officer of No. 3 Squadron, North Africa.

    Restored by Col Pay at Scone, it is a flying exhibit in our collection.

  • Kittyhawk VH-KTY
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
    Date Built: 1941-42
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 11.37 m
    Length: 9.68 m
    Weight (empty): 2856 kg
    Engine: Allison V-1710-39
    Max Speed: 588 kph
    Armament: 6 x .50 calibre Browning machine guns

Vought F4U-1D Corsair

  • Built in 1944 (Build No. 82640), VH‑NQW is the only Vought‑built F4U‑1D Corsair still flying in the world.

    Commissioned to the US Navy, it flew from the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid during the final months of the Second World War as part of the VF‑10 "Grim Reapers", participating in the Battle of Okinawa - the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific theatre. She flew fighter‑escort, ground‑attack and combat air patrol missions.

    The Corsair was valued for its speed, firepower, and distinctive inverted gull-wing design that allowed for large propellers and improved carrier handling. Its characteristic high-pitched whine - caused by airflow over the wing-root air intakes - earned it the nickname “Whistling Death” among Japanese troops.

    Post‑war, she toured various museums, later retiring onto the flight-line at Mareeba, Northern Queensland. After an extensive 12‑year restoration, VH-NQW returned to the skies in February 2022.

    This historic Corsair continues its legacy as a living, breathing testament to WWII aviation. Its distinctive profile, potent Pratt & Whitney R‑2800 Double Wasp engine, and naval blue livery echo her storied past. VH‑NQW is not just a museum piece - it’s an active ambassador for military aviation history, still soaring over the skies and thrilling audiences at airshows across the country.

  • Corsair VH-NQW 

    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Vought Aircraft
    Date Built: 1944
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 12.5 m
    Length: 10.2 m
    Weight (empty): 4200 kg
    Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder
    Max Speed: 718 kph
    Armament: 6x .50 calibre machine guns, up to 1,800kg of bombs or rockets

de Havilland Vampire T.55

  • The de Havilland Vampire marked the dawn of jet-powered flight in Australia. Entering RAAF service in 1949, it became the nation’s first frontline jet fighter, with many locally assembled under licence at Bankstown. Vampires flew with No. 21 and No. 23 Squadrons in the fighter role and were later widely used as trainers. Twin-seat variants like the T.33 and T.35 were a mainstay at Point Cook and Pearce, preparing a generation of pilots for the jet age. The RAAF’s “Telstars” aerobatic team flew Vampires in the 1960s, and the Royal Australian Navy also operated a handful from HMAS Albatross.

    This particular aircraft, now VH‑T55, was built in Switzerland in 1958 and flew with the Swiss Air Force as U‑1213. It later flew in Canada as C‑FJRH with Waterloo Warbirds, where it was fully restored, modernised, and maintained in flying condition. Imported to Australia in 2024, it continues its life in the skies as part of the Paul Bennet Airshows collection, performing at airshows across the country as one of the world's only remaining airworthy Vampires.

    With its distinctive twin-boom design and centrally mounted Goblin turbojet engine, the Vampire marked a technological leap from wartime piston aircraft to the new frontier of high-speed military flight.

  • Vampire VH-T55

    Type: Jet trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: de Havilland
    Date Built: 1958
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 11.58 m
    Length: 9.37 m
    Weight (empty): 3304 kg
    Engine: de Havilland Goblin 35B centrifugal turbojet
    Max Speed: 882 km/h
    Armament: Originally 4 × 20mm Hispano cannons

North American T-28B Trojan

  • The North American T‑28 Trojan first flew on 24 September 1949 as a replacement for the renowned T‑6 Texan trainer. It entered USAF service in 1950 as the T‑28A and was later adopted by the US Navy (T‑28B/C), remaining in service into the early 1980s. The Navy’s T‑28B variant featured a more powerful 1,425 hp Wright R‑1820 Cyclone engine, a ventral air brake, and three‑blade propeller - optimised for carrier‑based and primary training roles.

    Beyond its training role, the T‑28 played a significant combat role during the Vietnam War. Modified in 1962 as the T‑28D “Nomad” for counter‑insurgency missions, it conducted close air support missions in Southeast Asia and flew covert operations in Laos under Air America.

    Following U.S. military retirement, many Trojans found new life in civil aviation as aerobatic performers and warbirds. VH‑T28 carries the classic sight and sound of the Trojan, offering museum visitors a visceral connection to the piston-to-jet transition era. Still flown in aerobatic displays across Australia, it continues to educate and enthral, preserving the Trojan’s enduring role in military pilot development and warbird heritage.

  • Trojan VH-T28 

    Type: Advanced trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: North American
    Date Built: 1949
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 12.22 m
    Length: 10.06 m
    Weight (empty): 2914 kg
    Engine: 1426hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9-cylinder radial
    Max Speed: 552 km/h
    Armament: Machine-gun pods, bombs or rockets on under-wing racks (T-28D)

Hawker Sea Fury FB.11

  • The Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 was one of the fastest piston-engined aircraft ever built, capable of speeds exceeding 740 km/h. Designed during World War II but entering service too late to see combat, it became a cornerstone of post-war naval aviation. With its powerful 3,000 hp Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder radial engine and four 20 mm Hispano cannons, the Sea Fury was both agile and heavily armed - ideal for carrier-based fighter-bomber roles.

    The Royal Australian Navy operated 105 Sea Furies from 1948 to 1962, flying them from HMAS Sydney and HMAS Vengeance. Australian Sea Furies saw active service during the Korean War, providing ground support and engaging in aerial combat, including successful dogfights with Soviet-built MiG-15 jet fighters.

    This particular aircraft, VH‑HPB, was originally delivered to the Iraqi Air Force, becoming a Baghdad Fury before being imported to the United States and modified as a high-performance air racer. Known as "Sawbones", it was outfitted with a 3,050 hp Wright R‑3350. It has since been restored and now flies in Royal Australian Navy markings, proudly demonstrating its heritage as one of the finest piston-engine fighters ever flown - and a vital part of Australia's naval aviation legacy, still performing at airshows across Australia.

  • Sea Fury VH-HPB

    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Hawker Aircraft
    Date Built: 1945
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 11.7 m
    Length: 10.6 m
    Weight (empty): 4190 kg
    Engine: Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder (Original) Wright R-3350 18-cylinder (Post-war conversion)
    Max Speed: 740 km/h
    Armament: 4 × 20mm Hispano Mk V cannons, up to 900kg of bombs or rockets

Pilatus PC-9/A

  • The backbone of RAAF pilot training for more than three decades, the Pilatus PC-9/A is a turboprop advanced trainer designed by Pilatus in Switzerland and assembled in Australia by Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown, NSW. The RAAF ordered 67 of them and flew the type from 1987 until the final course graduated in December 2019.

    Best known to the public as the mount of the RAAF display team the Roulettes, who flew it from late 1989 until 2019, the PC-9/A gave rookie RAAF pilots their first taste of high-performance flying — 320 knots, +7g and Martin-Baker ejection seats — training them in advanced handling and procedures before they progressed to frontline operational types.

    A23-018 spent its RAAF career with No. 2 Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce, north of Perth, where generations of Air Force pilots earned their wings. It retired in 2019 with 9,109.7 hours on the airframe and now flies on the Australian civil register as VH-ZYK.

  • Pilatus PC-9/A VH-ZYK

    • Type: Advanced trainer

    • Crew: 2

    • Manufacturer: Pilatus Aircraft (assembled in Australia by Hawker de Havilland)

    • Date Built: 1989

    • Country: Switzerland/Australia

    • Wingspan: 10.13 m

    • Length: 10.14 m

    • Weight (empty): 1,725 kg

    • Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop, 1,150 shp flat-rated to 950 shp

    • Max Speed: 593 kph (320kn)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. IX

  • Most Spitfires you can see are survivors. This one is a resurrection.

    BS548 was built by Vickers Supermarine in 1942 as a Mk V and converted almost immediately by Rolls-Royce at Hucknall to Mk IX standard — the mark rushed into service to meet the Focke-Wulf 190. Fitted with a Merlin 61, she first flew on 31 October 1942 and joined No. 340 (Free French) Squadron at Biggin Hill that November, wearing the Cross of Lorraine beneath the cockpit.

    On 1 December 1942, Sous Lieutenant André Moynet flew BS548 over the Pas de Calais and shot down an Fw 190, damaging a second — his last victory in Western Europe before he went east to fly Yaks against the Luftwaffe over Russia. BS548 went on to serve with No. 402 Squadron RCAF and then No. 341 'Alsace' Squadron, and on 17 April 1943 she was shot down near Tancarville in Normandy. Her pilot that day, Lieutenant Claude Raoul-Duval, survived, escaped, and flew on to a distinguished career.

    BS548 lay in French soil for sixty-nine years. When she was finally excavated in 2012, Claude Raoul-Duval was there to watch.

    Recovered and acquired by Ross Pay, the aircraft was rebuilt in England — the fuselage, tail and wings by Airframe Assemblies on the Isle of Wight, the final fit-out by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford — and converted to two-seat Tr.9 configuration with a "Grace" style rear cockpit, the low-profile design that preserves the Spitfire's unmistakable line. On 28 January 2026, eighty-three years after she was shot down, BS548 flew again from Duxford. She is now home at Scone, wearing the colours she carried at Biggin Hill in 1942.

    Owned and operated by Pays Aviation, BS548 is Australia's newest Spitfire and the only two-seat Spitfire flying in the Southern Hemisphere — which makes her the only genuine wartime Spitfire in this half of the world that you can actually fly in.

  • Spitfire Tr.9 BS548 / VH-TR9

    • Type: Fighter

    • Crew: 2

    • Manufacturer: Vickers Supermarine (converted to Mk IX by Rolls-Royce, Hucknall)

    • Date Built: 1942

    • Country: United Kingdom

    • Wingspan: 11.22 m

    • Length: 9.93 m

    • Weight (empty): 2556 kg

    • Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 Series V12

    • Max Speed: 657 km/h
      Armament: 2 x 20 mm Hispano cannon plus 4 x .303 Browning machine guns

Fokker Dr.I Triplane

  • One of the most iconic fighters of the First World War, the Fokker Dr.I — Dreidecker, or "triplane" — is famous almost entirely because of one man. Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, scored the last 19 of his 80 victories in triplanes, and was killed in an all-red Dr.I over the Somme on 21 April 1918.

    Designed by Reinhold Platz as Fokker's answer to the British Sopwith Triplane, the Dr.I reached the Western Front in late 1917. It was extraordinarily manoeuvrable and climbed superbly, but it was slower than the Allied fighters it faced in both level flight and the dive, and early wing failures killed two pilots and grounded the entire fleet in November 1917. Only 320 were built, and the type was withdrawn from front-line service by mid-1918 as the Fokker D.VII arrived.

    The Red Baron's story has an Australian ending. Although Canadian pilot Roy Brown was credited at the time, it is now widely accepted that Richthofen was brought down by Australian ground fire — most likely Sergeant Cedric Popkin of the 24th Machine Gun Company. Australian troops reached the wreck first and stripped it for souvenirs, many of which are held today by the Australian War Memorial, and No. 3 Squadron AFC buried him with full military honours.

    No original Dr.I survives anywhere in the world — the last, 152/17, hung in a Berlin museum until it was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid during the Second World War. The Fokker on display at Hunter Warbirds is an airworthy full-scale replica, built in the United States to the original pattern with a welded steel-tube fuselage and wooden wings, and flown today with a modern Lycoming engine in place of the original 110hp Oberursel rotary.

  • Fokker Dr.I Triplane

    • Type: Fighter

    • Crew: 1

    • Manufacturer: Fokker-Flugzeugwerke (this aircraft: US-built flying replica)

    • First Flight: 1917

    • Country: Germany

    • Wingspan: 7.19 m

    • Length: 5.77 m

    • Weight (empty): 406 kg

    • Engine: Oberursel Ur.II 9-cylinder rotary, 110hp (this replica: Lycoming O-320 flat-four)

    • Max Speed: 180 kph (97 kn)

    • Armament: 2 x 7.92mm lMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine guns

Nieuport 24

  • Designed by Gustave Delage as a successor to his hugely successful Nieuport 17, the Nieuport 24 reached the Western Front in the spring of 1917 — and arrived just as the war it was built for was changing. Small, light and modestly powered, it could out-turn almost anything in a dogfight. But the fighting had moved on to massed formations and to bigger, heavier machines like the SPAD VII and Albatros D.III that traded agility for raw speed, and against those the Nieuport's manoeuvrability counted for less and less.

    It is a sesquiplane — "one and a half wings" — with a lower wing far narrower than the upper. The layout gave the pilot an excellent view downwards and very little drag, but the slender single-spar lower wing was the design's weakness, prone to twisting and failing in a hard dive. Even so, the Nieuports weren't swept aside overnight: in November 1917, 310 of France's 754 front-line fighters were still Nieuports. The type served with French, British and Russian units, was built under licence by Nakajima in Japan and Dux in Russia, and went on to a long second career as an advanced trainer.

    The aircraft on display at Hunter Warbirds is an airworthy full-scale replica, built in the United States in 1996 to Redfern plans and registered VH-IJI. In place of the original Le Rhône rotary it flies behind a modern Lycoming O-320. It wears the markings of Escadrille N.3 — Les Cigognes, the Storks — France's most successful fighter squadron and the unit of Georges Guynemer, who scored 53 victories before disappearing over Belgium in September 1917, and remains second only to René Fonck among French aces.

  • Nieuport 24 VH-IJI

    • Type: Fighter/Advanced Trainer

    • Crew: 1

    • Manufacturer: Nieuport (licence-built by Nakajima and Dux; this aircraft: US-built flying replica)

    • First Flight: 1917

    • Country: France

    • Wingspan: 8.21 m

    • Length: 5.87 m

    • Weight (empty): 355 kg

    • Engine: Le Rhône 9Ja/b 9-cylinder rotary, 120/130hp (this replica: Lycoming O-320 flat-four)

    • Max Speed: 176 kph (95 kn)

    • Armament: 1 x .303 Vickers machine gun, plus optional over-wing Lewis gun on a Foster mounting

North American P51-D Mustang

  • The P51-D Mustang was gifted to Hunter Fighter Collection by the RAF Museum Cosford UK and arrived from the UK to Scone in 2023.

    The current markings and colour scheme on the Mustang are those of the late Flight Lieutenant Jack Cleland, RNZAF - one of the few Commonwealth pilots who did an exchange posting with the Americans (between 5 July and September 1944, often escorting USAAF B-17s). Jack was the only RNZAF pilot to fly with the 8th Air Force. The RAAF operated many North American P51D and K aircraft in Europe and Southeast Asia during WWII.

    To honour Jacks’ wife, the original aircraft was named Isabel III with two crosses below the cockpit – a reminder of his earlier successes.

    This Warbird has family connections to the Hunter Valley and is symbolic in commemorating the ANZAC contribution in World War II.

  • North American P51-D Mustang
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: North American Aviation
    Date Built: 1940-42
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 11.28 m
    Length: 9.83 m
    Weight (empty): 3463 kg
    Engine: Packard Rolls-Royce V-1650-7 Merlin
    Max Speed: 710 kph
    Armament: 6 x .20 calibre Browning machine gun, 6 T64 HVAR Rockets, 1 45kg or 110kg or 230kg bomb

CAC Mk21 Mustang

  • The CAC Mustang is an Australian variant of the North American P-51 Mustang, built under license by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) toward the end of World War II.

    The CAC Mk21 Mustang displayed at Hunter Warbirds, is one of Australia’s most famous and oldest Warbirds, being the first Warbird registered in Australia.

    The Mustang was produced in 1947 for the RAAF and moved into civil use in 1958. It was acquired and restored by Col Pay at Scone and registered in 1980.

    CAC Mustang A68-107 is a flying exhibit in our collection and is displayed in a “typical” post war colour scheme.

  • CAC Mustang VH-AUB
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
    Date Built: 1947-51
    Country: Australia
    Wingspan: 11.28 m
    Length: 9.83 m
    Weight (empty): 3567 kg
    Engine: Packard Merlin V-1650-7
    Max Speed: 636 kph
    Armament: 6 x .50 calibre machine guns, 2 x 454 kg bombs or up to 10 rockets

CAC Wirraway A20-176

  • Taking its name from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘Challenge’, the two-seat Wirraway was the first military aircraft to be mass-produced in Australia.

    The Wirraway on display was built in 1942, as RAAF A20-81 and served a training aircraft in Victoria during World War II and stayed with RAAF until 1957.

    Passing into civil hands it was restored in Qld and first flew in 1995 with the colour scheme of A20-176.

    CAC Wirraway A20-176 is privately owned and is a flying exhibit in the Hunter Warbirds aircraft collection.

  • Wirraway VH-WWY
    Type: Advanced Trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Ltd
    Date Built: 1939-46
    Country: Australia
    Wingspan: 13.11 m
    Length: 8.48 m
    Weight (empty): 1811 kg
    Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
    Max Speed: 354 kph
    Armament: 3 x .303 machine guns

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North American T-6G Harvard

  • The North American Aviation T-6 Harvard is a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft that was used to train pilots in the US Air Force and Navy, since the 1930’s.

    The Harvard displayed at Hunter Warbirds was manufactured by North American at Dallas, Texas, USA in 1941 and spent WWII as a training aircraft with the US Air Force.

    While in the US the Harvard received several awards for the quality of its restoration. A former Oshkosh award winner, she was acquired by Col Pay at Scone in 1984.

    The Harvard is a flying exhibit, displayed in a stunning bare metal USAAC Moffat Field Naval colour scheme.

  • Harvard VH-HAJ
    Type: Trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: North American Aviation & Noorduyn Aircraft (Canada)
    Date Built: 1942-44
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 13.06 m
    Length: 8.84 m
    Weight (empty): 1886 kg
    Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
    Max Speed: 330 kph
    Armament: 1 x .303 Browning machine gun plus 8 x practice bombs

De Havilland DH82 Tiger Moth

  • The Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane that became the most widely used military and civilian primary training aircraft of all time.

    The de Havilland Tiger Moth on display at Hunter Warbirds was constructed in Australia in 1942 from a UK built fuselage and Australian constructed wings.

    In 1959 the Tiger Moth was Col Pay’s first aerial spraying aircraft and is still in excellent condition.

    The Tiger Moth registered as VH-PCL, is a flying aircraft at air shows and remains popular as a vintage classic aircraft.

  • Tiger Moth VH-PCL
    Type: Trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: De Havilland Aircraft Company with licensed production in Australia & New Zealand
    Date Built: 1931-45
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 8.94 m
    Length: 7.29 m
    Weight (empty): 506 kg
    Engine: Gipsy Major
    Max Speed: 175 kph
    Armament: None

Bristol F.2B Fighter AFC

  • The Bristol F.2B was first flown in 1916 and was designed to operate as a two-seat fighter in World War 1 in the Middle East. The original aircraft was at one stage flown by Captain Ross Smith, who flew as Lawrence of Arabia’s pilot on several occasions.

    The Bristol on display is a replica of B1229 of No1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps which was a “presentation” aircraft purchased from a donation of £2700 by the Macintyre Kayuga Estate, in the Hunter Valley NSW.

    The Bristol F.2B fighter was donated to Hunter Fighter Collection Inc. and is a flying exhibit at Hunter Warbirds, with a colour scheme to commemorate its Hunter Valley connection.

  • Bristol F2B B1229
    Type: Fighter Reconnaissance
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: The British & Colonial Aeroplane Company (Bristol)
    First Flight: 1916
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 11.96 m
    Length: 7.87 m
    Weight (empty): 877 kg
    Engine: Rolls-Royce Falcon
    Max Speed: 198 kph
    Armament: 3 x .303 machine guns plus 110 kg of bombs

Bristol F.2B Fighter Diorama

  • The original Bristol F.2B B1223 served in World War I and was donated to No1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC) by the citizens of the Upper Hunter NSW and bore an inscription on her fuselage “Upper Hunter Battleplane.” Based in the Middle East, the aircraft was lost in action in 1918.

    The aircraft displayed at Hunter Warbirds is a full-size replica of the Bristol Fighter B1223 fuselage, depicted as a diorama of the newly delivered B1223, being assembled in Palestine, prior to her service with No1 Squadron AFC.

    The fuselage, was donated to Hunter Fighter Collection Inc. She has the original colour scheme, complete with the inscription “Upper Hunter Battleplane”, in memory of the £2700 donated by the residents of the Upper Hunter Districts in WWI.

  • Bristol F2B 1223
    Type: Fighter Reconnaissance
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: The British & Colonial Aeroplane Company (Bristol)
    Date Built: 1916
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 11.96 m
    Length: 7.87 m
    Weight (empty): 877 kg
    Engine: Rolls-Royce Falcon
    Max Speed: 198 kph
    Armament: 3 x .303 machine guns plus 110 kg of bombs

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Boeing Stearman Model 75

  • Boeing Stearman Model 75

    The Boeing Stearman is a 1930s US designed Military primary training aircraft used by US Forces and Commonwealth countries to train pilots during WWII - a number of Australians trained in this aircraft in Canada and other countries.

    The Stearman on display at Hunter Warbirds is a model B75N1 and was manufactured in the US in 1941 and was first registered on the US civil register in 1964 and was exported to Australia in 1990 and civil registered as VH-YDF.

    The Boeing Stearman on display is in a US Navy training colour scheme from late World War II.

    The Stearman flies regularly and is available to fly visitor experience flights.

  • Stearman VH-YDF
    Type: Trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: Stearman Division, Boeing Airplane Company
    First Flight: 1940
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 9.80 m
    Length: 7.63 m
    Weight (empty): 878 kg
    Engine: Continental R-670
    Max Speed: 200 kph
    Armament: None

Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog

  • The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog is a military liaison and observation aircraft developed from a range of Cessna light aircraft. The “O1” was extensively flown throughout the Vietnam war.

    Many Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)  pilots flew these aircraft on exchange with the US Air Force in Vietnam. The aircraft on display at Hunter Warbirds was built in 1950 for the United States Air Force.

    She is one of a number of Bird Dogs recovered from South East Asia in 1989 by Col Pay. It was placed on the Australian civil register in 1991 as VH-YAP and has been flying ever since.

  • Bird Dog VH-YAP
    Type: Liaison/Forward Air Control
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Company
    Date Built: 1950-59
    Country: United States
    Wingspan: 10.97 m
    Length: 7.85 m
    Weight (empty): 732 kg
    Engine: Continental O-470
    Max Speed: 185 kph
    Armament: 1 x 5.56 mm M-16 rifle plus 8 x smoke rockets

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CA-25 Winjeel

  • Boeing Stearman Model 75

    The Boeing Stearman is a 1930s US designed Military primary training aircraft used by US Forces and Commonwealth countries to train pilots during WWII - a number of Australians trained in this aircraft in Canada and other countries.

    The Stearman on display at Hunter Warbirds is a model B75N1 and was manufactured in the US in 1941 and was first registered on the US civil register in 1964 and was exported to Australia in 1990 and civil registered as VH-YDF.

    The Boeing Stearman on display is in a US Navy training colour scheme from late World War II.

    The Stearman flies regularly and is available to fly visitor experience flights.

  • Winjeel A85-426
    Type: Trainer/Forward Air Control
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
    Date Built: 1955-58
    Country: Australia
    Wingspan: 11.78 m
    Length: 8.56 m
    Weight (empty): 1542 kg
    Engine: Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior
    Max Speed: 301 kph
    Armament: None

Aermacchi MB-326 RAAF

  • The Aermacchi MB-326 or ‘Macchi’ was designed in Italy and was used by the RAAF as a jet trainer for over 30 years.

    The Macchi displayed at Hunter Warbirds is an ex-RAAF aircraft, serial A7-047 and served at RAAF Base Williamtown in the Hunter Valley NSW and retired in 1999.

    The aircraft was used for a brief time by RAAF Chief, Air Marshall Ray Funnell, senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

    Macchi MB-326 A7-047 was gifted to Hunter Fighter Collection Inc. and is on static display at Hunter Warbirds and is complete and in excellent condition. She will be repainted in RAAF colours representing her service at RAAF Williamtown NSW.

  • Macchi A7-047
    Type: Macchi MB326H Trainer
    Crew: 2
    Manufacturer: Aermacchi Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Hawker de Havilland
    First Flight: 1957
    Country: Italy
    Wingspan: 10.56 m
    Length: 10.65 m
    Weight (empty): 2337 kg
    Engine: Bristol Siddeley Viper
    Max Speed: 806 kph
    Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm machine guns in wing pods. Up to 900 kg bombs & rockets

Dassault Mirage IIIO(F) RAAF

  • The Dassault Mirage IIIO(F) is a fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation and manufactured under license by the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF).

    Dassault Mirage IIIO(F) ex-RAAF A3-44 was constructed in 1966 and served with RAAF 77 Squadron based at RAAF Williamtown NSW, with whom she spent most of her operational life.

    The Mirage was restored by Hunter Fighter Collection at Scone NSW in 2021 and has been restored externally back to its service condition.

    The aircraft is on loan to Hunter Fighter Collection Inc. displayed in her RAAF colour scheme, complete with Matra missiles and the former RAAF 77 Squadron “Grumpy Monkey “ unit markings on her tail.

  • Mirage A3-44
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Government Aircraft Factory & Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation
    Date Built: 1963-68
    Country: Australia
    Wingspan: 8.22 m
    Length: 15.03 m
    Weight (empty): 7049 kg
    Engine: Atar 9C
    Max Speed: Mach 2.2
    Armament: 1 x Matra R530 and either 2 x Sidewinder AIM-9B or 2 x Matra R550 Magic air to air missiles plus 2 x 30mm cannon. Ground attack weapons including 6 x Mk 82 227 kg bombs or 3 x GBU-12 laser guided bombs.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F

  • The MiG-17F is a Polish License built version of the MiG-17F produced in Poland by the WSK-Mielec factory and is an interceptor Lim-5P (equivalent to the Soviet produced MiG-17PF) produced in the mid-1950s.

    Imported into Australia in 1998, the MiG-17F is finished in the colour scheme as Polish Air Force “402” in a silver finish with red trim and markings.

    The MiG-17F was donated to Hunter Fighter Collection Inc. and is on static display at Hunter Warbirds. She is in excellent condition, complete with her cockpit fit out and 2 ground attack UB-16-57 multiple rocket pods.

  • Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: WSK-Mielec Factory
    Date Built: 1952
    Country: Poland
    Wingspan: 9.628 m
    Length: 11.264 m
    Weight (empty): 3,919 kg
    Engine: Klimov turbojet engine
    Max Speed:1,100 km/h
    Armament: 2 x 23 mm Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 autocannon plus 1 × 37 mm Nudelman N-37 autocannon plus 2 × UB-16-57 rocket pods for S-5 rockets

Hawker Hunter

  • The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered aircraft of the Cold War era, manufactured by Hawker Siddeley in the United Kingdom.

    The Hawker Hunter on display first entered service in Britain with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1956 and was transferred to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) in 1973 as a reconnaissance aircraft. 

    During her service with the RSAF she flew at RAAF Base Williamtown NSW on joint exercises and training detachments. The Hunter was imported into Australia in 1995 and was donated to Fighter World Williamtown NSW by Mr Greg Ackman.

    On loan from Fighter World to Hunter Fighter Collection Inc, the aircraft is on static display and has been restored in a RAF 20 Squadron colour scheme by the Hunter Fighter Collection Technical Team at Scone.

  • Hawker Hunter
    Type: Fighter
    Crew: 1
    Manufacturer: Hawker Siddeley
    Date Built: 1956
    Country: United Kingdom
    Wingspan: 10.26 m
    Length: 13.983 m
    Weight (empty): 6,406 kg
    Engine: Rolls-Royce Avon 207 turbojet
    Max Speed: Mach 0.94
    Armament: 4× 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN revolver cannons plus 4× Matra rocket pods plus 32× Hispano SURA R80 80 mm rockets