Scottish Twin Pin Delight, PC-21 Arrives With Neptune Engines Fired Up For October Tarmac Days (Fri 14 to Sun 16 October) at HARS Aviation Museum

The latest addition to HARS Aviation Museum will come to life when the world’s only operational Scottish Twin Pioneer is the featured aircraft for October Tarmac Days from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 October.

Just 89 Twin Pioneers were built at Prestwick from the 1950s, of which four served in Australia. This is now the only one in the world still able to fly.

Previously owned by the late passionate aviator Sy Allsep and flown at Wedderburn airstrip, near Campbeltown, the distinctive radial engine tri-tail recently was gifted to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) in August for preservation.

Its extreme short field landing and take-off capability was achieved by rugged construction combined with two powerful nine-cylinder supercharged and fuel injected engines – the last British designed and built radial engines.

Known as “Twin Pins” and able to operate from rough ground, they were used by exploration and survey companies to make supply drops into remote mountain canyons and deserts.

This particular aircraft was delivered to the Malaysian Air Force in 1962, with others of the type used by defence forces in Britain, Indonesia, Nepal while it proved ideal for secretive air services providing support to US efforts during the Vietnam War.

HARS plans to fly the distinctive three-tailed Twin Pin on a semi-regular basis.

Adding to the action a former French Navy Neptune will conduct engine runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Now HARS has two tri-tails

The Twin Pioneer joins the other tri-tail on show at HARS Aviation Museum, alongside the much larger Lockheed Super Constellation which visitors can walk through to experience the 1950s style of air travel when Qantas used these aircraft to fly the Kangaroo route to London.

Also, the only one of its type in the world still flying, Connie is a display of the dedication and experience of its volunteers who have made HARS Aviation Museum the best hands-on, largely undercover facility of its type in Australia.

The “tri-tail” duo of Twin Pin and Connie will give visitors to the October Tarmac Days a contrast to a guest aircraft – a sleek Pilatus PC-21 operated by the Aircraft Research Development Unit as one of 49 delivered to the Australian Defence Forces.

The PC-21 heralds Australian defence displays at next month’s Wings Over Illawarra air show at Shellharbour Airport on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November (www.wingsoverIllawarra.com.au).

To support organisers of Wings Over Illawarra, HARS Aviation will waive its entry fees but ask for a donation to step aboard some of its aircraft for a hands-on inspection during the air show in November.

Open every day, HARS Aviation Museum offers an under-cover, hands-on and interactive opportunity with the aircraft in tours conducted by informative guides.

HARS Aviation Museum is open from 9.30 to 3.30 daily (last tour starts at 2pm), located at Shellharbour Airport just off the old Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail and a short walk from the railway station.

Visitors can make a meal of it when they drop into Café Connie (open 10am to 2pm) where the menu offers a value selection of delicious home-made hot and cold foods plus barista coffee.

HARS Aviation Museum entry details at www.hars.org.au