Status: Static display
Specifications
Serial Ex-RAAF A3-44
Type Fighter
Crew 1
Manufacturer Dassault Aviation / Government Aircraft Factory (GAF)
Date Built 1966
Country France (Australian licence-build)
Service History
The Dassault Mirage IIIO(F) is a fighter aircraft developed by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation and manufactured under licence by the Government Aircraft Factory. Ex-RAAF A3-44 was constructed in 1966 and served with RAAF 77 Squadron based at RAAF Williamtown, NSW, where she spent most of her operational life.
Restoration
A3-44 arrived in Scone in February 2021 after a large transportation exercise. Since then, the aircraft has been under the care of HFC volunteers undergoing an extensive refurbishment. The tired cockpit underwent a thorough clean and repaint, the ejection seat and instrument panels were restored, and a new canopy was fitted. Externally, the aircraft has been restored to service condition and refitted with armament and external tanks. The surface preparation alone took six weeks of rubbing down oxidised and crazed paint before the aircraft was repainted by Bennii Walters of Pay’s Aviation. The HFC volunteer team completed many hundreds of hours of work on this aircraft, their first full project.