Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Two-seat training and touring monoplane

Power Plant:

One 48 kw (65 hp) Continental A-65-8F four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

In 1952 the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain organised a competition to build a two-seat light trainer for club use and Henry Millicer, Chief Aerodynamicist at the Australian Government Aircraft Factory, designed an aircraft and submitted it, being one of 103 entrants, the Australian entry being No 97. Mr Millicer was assisted in the design of the aircraft by Mr G D Bennett, Chief Stress Engineer at GAF, and Mr J Tutty, Design Draughtsman at GAF. Consideration was initially given to fitting the aircraft with a 56 kw (75 hp) Cirrus Minor engine. The Royal Aero Club announced the winner of the competition in March 1953 (Entry 97) and the prize of £100 ($200) was received in Melbourne, VIC. However, the promise of the Royal Aero Club’s Lord Kemsley Trust that it would fund two prototypes was not followed through.

The design then lay dormant for two years until a group formed by the Australian Ultra Light Aircraft Association indicated it would assist in the construction of a prototype. Perfectus Airscrews Pty Ltd in Melbourne offered help and the use of its Newport, Melbourne factory, to build the aircraft. The Aero Club Federation of Australia (later the Royal Federation of Australian Aero Clubs) then supported the project to the extent of £1,000 ($2,000). A Continental engine was donated by E L Heymanson Pty Ltd, and wheels, tyres and brakes were donated by Dunlop Aviation of Australia. Paints were donated by Balm Australia, Ford Australia donated the nose wheel shock absorber, and Wilmot Aviation of Moorabbin, VIC provided cockpit instruments. Draughting and stressing of the design involved some 37 people and 400 drawings were produced.

In 1958 the incomplete aircraft was moved to a garage at Williamstown, VIC. At about this time Archibald Smith of East West Airlines of Tamworth became interested in the project. As the work progressed the aircraft was moved to Moorabbin for completion. A couple of short flights were made on 29 March with Laurence McPherson at the controls, and on 12 April 1959 Randall Green made a 40 minute test flight. Certification was received in July and the aircraft flown to Tamworth, NSW for evaluation. However, it suffered an engine failure and was extensively damaged in a forced landing. After repair it was returned to Melbourne and used as a trainer.

As noted, the prototype (VH-FMM – c/n 1) was of all wood construction and was built by a group known as the Air Tourer Group, a part of the Ultra Light Aircraft Association of Australia, this aircraft making its first official flight on 31 March 1959 with a 48 kw (65 hp) Continental A-65 engine driving a metal Sensenich propeller. It was built to BCAR standards, was fully aerobatic, and was fitted with a tricycle undercarriage.

Discussions took place with the East West Airlines group in relation to putting the aircraft into production but this did not take place. The prototype was re-engined with a 67 kw (90 hp) Continental engine and a new Certificate of Airworthiness was obtained. A demonstration tour of New Zealand was made to test interest.  It was then redesigned as an all-metal model and became known as the Airtourer 100.

Mr Garry Richardson, Governing Director of Victa Consolidated Industries Ltd, became interested in the aircraft and rights to it were sold to Victa. In November 1960 Henry Millicer joined Victa Aviation, setting up a design and production team, and the aircraft was re-designed as an all metal aircraft and given the name Airtourer, the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs agreeing to buy 50 aircraft as replacement trainers for club members.

The prototype VH-FMM saw some service with the Latrobe Valley Aero Club but was eventually withdrawn from service in 1964. Known as ”Foxtrot Mickey Mouse”, it seems at some stage the wooden prototype was being prepared to be burnt when Henry Millicer heard of its fate and the Latrobe flying club sent a truck to recover it, it then being restored, donated to, and placed on display in, the Museum of Technology in Melbourne. In later years it was conveyed to Nowra, NSW, where it was placed on display in the Australian Naval Aviation Museum.