Aircraft Collection

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.