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This is the remains of a two seater Mirage 111D (A3-105) that crashed near Darwin in April, 1984. The aircraft was originally delivered to ARDU for acceptance trials in July 1967. On its second test flight, the canopy disintegrated in flight, but the aircraft landed safely and was recovered. After that, all two seater aircraft were speed restricted until new canopies were ordered and fitted. After trials at ARDU, it was delivered to 2OCU in Feb 1969 after which it went backwards and forwards from OCU to ARDU several times.

 

In 1984, while on a night flight around Darwin during operation "Pitch Black", the aircraft suffered an undercarriage malfunction and was not able to make a normal approach and landing. The crew, FLGOFF J.F.Barden and PLTOFF J.P.Conlon, who was a student pilot, ejected at 3,000 ft at a speed of 200 kts (very scary) and luckily neither man suffered any serious injury. In all, more than 40 of the RAAF's 116 Mirages crashed during the operational life of the aircraft, which was from to 1963 to 1989. 

 

Does anyone know any of the blokes in the photo, and what is that bloke doing on the PSP??

 

You'll have to take our word for it, as the clarity of the photo isn't too good, but the fit young bloke on the Hyster at Vung Tau airport is Ken Radford.

Ken was a Cpl Framie with 35Sqn from June 1969 to March 1970.

This is what the pilot saw when he sat in the driver's seat of one of the RAAF's Mirage fighters. (Click on the photo for a better view)

 

On the outside they still look a sleek and modern aircraft, but on the inside they are definitely starting to show their age. The old analogue instruments and toggle switches are now from another time, and it makes you wonder what they were able to accomplish back then with, by today's standards,  such anti-quated and unreliable equipment.

Ahá ! Eu só não afirmei que era australiano porque as cores parecem as da camo sul africana, e não tinha visto Mirages da RAAF neste padrão de verde / marrom. Ou não seriam estas as cores deste jato, e sim impressão causada pela foto ?

Originally Posted by guacyr:

Mulher na Austrália é artigo raro, então baseado nas leis da natureza..

Acho que macho tb, porque TODAS que conheci aqui e lá fora reclamam que os australianos, apesar da mística dos Crocodilo Dundee da vida, não tem muito talento para o esporte não...

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