The Second American

Another very well-known Airtourer also made it to the United States... in the back of a Qantas Boeing 747! In 1981, 250 Australians (almost all private pilots) and 9 aircraft, including an Airtourer and a Corby Starlet, flew from Australia to Milwauukee for the EAA Airventure at Oshkosh. The aircraft were assembled and then flown in to Oshkosh, and most later returned home on the same 747. The Airtourer was a Victa 115, VH-MKL, owned by Ian Donovan, and it came home on the 747.

An even more famous Airtourer, arguably the most famous Airtourer other than Foxtrot Mickey Mouse, also visited the US. Cliff Tait flew his AESL Airtourer 115, Miss Jacy (ZK-CXU), (mostly) around the world. Most of his west-to-east crossing of North America was in Canada, but Miss Jacy did pass through Seattle.

So, the known Airtourers with a US association are:

• N4350Y - ordered, marked, but not delivered (Victa Airtourer 115 - C/N 49)

• N6300V - delivered to Piper, still exists, seen at Santa Paula Airport, California, in 2014, de-registered in 2012 (Victa Airtourer 100 - C/N 74)

• VH-MKL - visited Oshkosh via The Oshkosh Express in 1981 (Victa Airtourer 115 - C/N 131)

• ZK-CXU - visited the US briefly on a round-the-world flight in 1969 (AESL Airtourer 115 - C/N 521)

Lois responded, "Probably c/n 74, N(X)6300V, once owned by Cessna, then by Piper. Last registered 18 miles down the road in Camarillo." At first I thought this sounded as though she lives about 18 miles from Camarillo, but based on some subsequent posts, I now think she was saying the Santa Paula aircraft's registered owner lived only 18 miles from the airport, in Camarillo. (In some other posts, Lois suggests her airport is 750 ft AMSL, gets to -10 degrees C, and is in the Upper Midwest USA.)

Lois then provided this information:
The one I am working on is buried in the back of a semi-heated hangar. The posted photo is of VH-FMM c/n 0 from the web. It actually has a C-85, but being wood it is a lot lighter than the production craft. According to the Airtourer club out of the first 170 constructed in Australia, 103 (including the one here) were built with Rolls-Royce (Aus.) manufactured Continental O-200s. There were 45 built with Lycoming O-235s (interestingly this airplane had a two sided printed performance chart in the map pocket with 100 hp on one side and 115 on the other-- as set up that extra 15 hp was used to improve takeoff and climb). and 22 were built with 150/160 hp (fixed or c-s prop) O-320s. None of the 80 NZ built airplanes had 100 hp engines (or is that "motors").

She later said, "If all goes well I will weigh it tomorrow...", and the next day (26 January 2022) said, "Empty it's 1033 pounds. As weighed, cleaned up and drained of drainable oil and fuel in flight attitude, on three trustworthy but not certified scales.That is 47 pounds less than the weight in the owners manual-- but it's missing all radios, some avionics, a couple of inspection plates, the carpet, and whatever life forms were living in the carpet."

In some further discussion, she revealed:

• This one is a 100 hp, but from what I see on the performance tables the extra hp was used to offset DA on takeoff and climb, and the Upper Midwest USA has neither mountains or high DAs. (I wish I'd lived back when aeroplanes were regulars at aerodromes and airfields were fields.)

• I like the placement of the fuel tank for CG. The manual says 1550 gross, with no baggage, and no more than 425 pounds of combined people and fuel for aerobatics. (Apparently Aussies are also more svetle than Americans weighing 164 pounds to our 170. :) ) Normal is 1650 pounds, -- 1033 -- 328 -- 11 -- 201 is 1573 leaving 77 or so for radios, a couple gauges, and bags (100 lb limit).

• I like the way the spring steel gear attach to the (mono) spar, looks real sturdy. Older Bellancas and others have fixed seats and adjustable pedals. Cessna probably wishes they had done that.

This certainly seems to suggest that she is "working on" a Victa Airtourer 100 with no radios at the back of a hangar somewhere in Upper Midwest USA. It appears that Airtourers are classified as Experimental under the FAA, because an Australian Type Certificate is not recognised. It is possible that she has somehow acquired a wrecked Airtourer and intends rebuilding it.

As there are no unaccounted for Airtourers in the United States, the aircraft must have originated in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom. There don't seem to be any other unaccounted for Airtourers in other countries. The has been no mention of damage to the aircraft, so that also suggests that the aircraft was "retired" rather than damaged. It is also more likely that a complete aircraft would have been imported to the US, rather than a damaged one. Perhaps a UK-based owner moved to America and brought their aircraft with them? For example, Victa 100 C/N 78, G-ASYZ, was recorded as "withdrawn from use" (for no apparent reason) in September 1991.

I left a message on her thread offering assistance, and also wrote a private message, but Lois has not participated on the forum since 27 January 2022.

Her profile says she also has a Culver LCA Cadet, a Lake LA-4-200EP, a Stinson L-9/10A, a Stinson 108-3, and is building a Culver PQ-8. I am only assuming that Lois is a woman because of the user name.