Donated to the museum. This aircraft had flown with Qantas from 1948 to 1960, initially as VH-EAP and later as VH-EBY. Sold to TAA as VH-SBG and later P2-SBG and P2-ANP with Air Niugini. Became N5590A in 1980 before returning to Australian ownership in 1982 as VH-BPL. Made its last flight in January 1993 to Hoxton Park near Sydney. Plans to operate the aircraft ended when the owner passed away. Condition of the aircraft deteriorated. By the time it was donated it was could not be made airworthy and had to be trucked to Longreach. Photo by: David Caughey

The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target which was given the military designation PQ-12A. It was powered by a Lycoming O-435 of 225 hp and could be manually flown for testing & evaluation when designated as the YPQ-12A. Two examples of the YPQ-12A (41-39051 plus another) are in the background. A protrusion hanging down from the right hand wing, as seen here, housed a TV camera that fed images to a mother-ship for remote guidance to intercept an enemy aircraft. Another photo taken at the same time as this one shows the cover off and a 500 lb bomb in the pilot's position. In October 1943 the aircraft successfully downed a test drone over the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range. Photo from: William Engle via Tim Martin

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned XBQ-2A was powered by 2 x Lycoming R-680-13 engines of 300 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in a compartment just aft of the wing. It shares the Fleetwings model 37 number with the XBQ-1 and has the same airframe, however the fixed landing gear was jettisonable for better performance. A TV camera mounted in the LH wing leading edge allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. First flight was on 21 August 1943. The design was deemed to be too expensive for operational use, so the program was cancelled in December 1943. Photo from: William Engle via Tim Martin

Stored in the Qantas Founders Museum yard is the fin of former RAAF 707 A20-627. It had been VH-EAG with Qantas. The forward fuselage and and cockpit are with HARS at Wollongong airport. The rest of the aircraft was sent to be melted down after being scrapped at RAAF Richmond in November 2009. Photo by: David Caughey

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-1 was powered by 2 x Franklin O-405-7 engines of 250 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in a compartment just aft of the wing. In this photo, the 48 ft span wings with leading edge slots are well illustrated. A TV camera mounted in the aircraft allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. On 17 July 1944 the aircraft was wrecked in an engine failure induced forced landing near Wright Field/OH, resulting in cancellation of the program. Photo from: William Engle via Tim Martin

The Fleetwings A-1 was a private venture radio controlled aerial gunnery target built in 1940. It had fabric covered 20ft span wings with split flaps and fabric covered empennage and flight controls. A Continental A65 engine gave a top speed of 180 mph. The radio set was located in a compartment positioned on the center of gravity, so with the equipment removed it could carry a pilot. On 1 April 1940 test pilot William H. Engle took it for a flight from the Aircraft Radio Corporation airfield at Boonton/NJ. Military designation believed to be OQ-1. No further examples were built. Photo from: William Engle (son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle) via Tim Martin

Registered in November 2006 to Elite Aviation Services which operates scenic flights from the Age of Dinosaurs Museum over an area famed for its dinosaur fossils. Photo by: David Caughey

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-1 was powered by 2 x Franklin O-405-7 engines of 250 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in the compartment seen here just aft of the wing. A TV camera mounted in the aircraft allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. In this photo, test pilot William H. Engle is attempting to ferry the aircraft to Wright Field, Dayton/OH, but an oil leak from the LH engine forced a return to Lancaster/PA. The leaking oil can be seen on the landing gear and wheel fairings. On 17 July 1944 the aircraft was wrecked in an engine failure induced forced landing near Wright Field, resulting in cancellation of the program. Photo from: William Engle (son of the test pilot) via Tim Martin

Ex USAF aircraft that was disposed of in 1981. Used for transporting fresh fish initially in Alaska and later the Philippines as N4247K. Impounded at Manila in 1988. A 1988 attempt to buy the aircraft was unsuccessful due to legal problems. Finally in 2014 it came up for auction and the museum was able to acquire it. Its condition meant it had to be dismantled and was shipped to Australia in 2017. Painted as L.1049H VH-EAM msn 4810 which was cancelled in 1962. Photo by: David Caughey

Registered in March 2006. Photo by: David Caughey

Non-flying replica of the DH50A VH-UFA built for the museum. The original's significance is it was the first of seven built by Qantas. It crashed in 1937. Photo by: David Caughey

Registered in July 2017. Photo by: David Caughey

This is a non-flying replica built by Qantas. It is of the airline's first aircraft . That was an Australian made 504K fitted with a Sunbeam Dyak engine. Became G-AUBG. and later VH-UBG. Withdrawn from use in 1932. In 1965 Qantas fitted a Dyak engine to a borrowed 504K, A3-4, owned by the Australian War Memorial. It was painted like the replica. Returned in 1987 with its rotary engine refitted and in RAAF markings. Qantas by then had built two replicas of G-AUBG, one of which is pictured. Photo by David Caughey

Registered in July 1976. Photo by: David Caughey

Registered in August 1962. Photo by: Ken Morris

Registered in October 1978. Photo by: David Caughey

Ex Spanish air tanker acquired by the museum in 2008 and flown to Australia as VH-EAX in 2009. Displayed in a World War II livery as used on the "Double Sunrise" service from Australia to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). The original G-AGIE (msn 808) was scuttled off Perth, Western Australia, in 1946. Qantas also operated PB-2B Catalina VH-EAX (msn 61148) from February 1948 to when it was wrecked in a storm in June 1949. Photo by: David Caughey

Robinson Helicopters' newsletter identifies this helicopter as c/n 1234, which was still registered in New Zealand at the time of upload as ZK-HEY. The registered owner was shown as Heliflite, the Robinson agent for Australia and New Zealand. Heliflite donated it in 2022 to the Hall of Fame to acknowledge the widespread use of Robinsons for cattle mustering in Australia. Photo from: David Caughey

Registered in October 2016. Photo by: David Caughey

Minuscule serial applied to fin. "F3A-1" was the designation for the Brewster-built F4U-1. Just over 700 were built before Brewster was forced out of business. Poor production techniques and shabby quality control meant that these aircraft were red-lined for speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings. This was later traced to defective wing fittings. Photo from: William Engle via Tim Martin