Victa Airtourer 100  N6300V              (c/n  74)

                                   

                                   As an expatriate Australian, I'm almost embarrassed to put this image out here, since this machine has
                                   obviously not been given much TLC (at least, not lately), and this shabby example does not exemplify
                                   this neat little machine.  N6300V was imported in 1964, although it would have been tough to maintain
                                   properly without a designated Airtourer dealer in the US.   In 2000 I shot the above image at Santa Paula
                                   Airport, in Southern California and was told that, hopefully, this machine would be restored to its former
                                   glory.  Seven years later I do not think that has been done althouygh the rego N6300V is still assinged to
                                   the Airtourer.  This neat little aircraft was designed by Dr. Henry Millicer, a Polish-Australian who became
                                   chief aerodynamicist at the Government Aircraft Factory in Melbourne.    In 1952 the Royal Aero Club
                                   in the UK issued a tender for an aircraft  to replace the Chipmunk as an Aero Club ab initio trainer.   The
                                  Airtourer won the design competition.  Production was undertaken by Victa in Sydney in 1964.  It ultimately
                                  did not receive the backing of the Australian government in terms of support and investment in light of what
                                  was perceived as "dumping" of light aircraft on the Australian market by American firms (notably Cessna
                                  and Piper*) and in 1966 without warning, production of the Airtourer suddenly ceased after 170 model
                                 100s and 115s had been produced.   Rights for its continued manufacture then passed to Aero Engine
                                 Services Ltd (AESL) in New Zealand who built another 94 Airtourers.  AESL then took the basic design
                                 and developed it into the CT-4 Airtrainer which was sold to not only the RNZAF but, ironically, back to
                                 the RAAF and also to several other nations.   As far as the Airtourer is concerned, it is hoped that Edge
                                 Aviation in Australia will start the production line up again, and we shall again see new Airtourers flying
                                 not only in Australia but as export machines all over the world.   Seen below is a contemporary image of
                                 the prototype Edge Airtourer taken by Phil Vabre at Avalon, Victoria, Australia in March 2005.  I include
                                 it to illustrate just how a clean Airtourer should be presented in contrast to the wreck seen above,
                        *         When, in 1966,  Cessna ramped up production in Wichita to over 3000 Model 150s per year, it dropped the
                                   Australian price from A$9,500 to A$8,750.   Similarly Piper reduced the prices of both the Cherokee and
                                   Musketeer by similar amounts.