Mike C Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Gents, Tried to reply to 'Clives' articles on the Malkara and Hornet on that thread, but am unable to for some reason, so here's the next best place. I've attached a copy of the article I wrote for the Australian Army's 'Army Magazine' during the 1990s (can't remember which issue!) which may be of interest, as I think it compliments 'Clive's' article on the Hornet nicely. (The article I did for the Defence Materiel Organisation's monthkly newsletter in 2002 is an abbreviated version of this.) The trials Hornet survived in Australia for many years: the last I saw if it was in a private collection in Queensland, but the owner has since moved, and I don't know if he retained it or not. It was for sale. As far as I'm aware, only one dummy missile survives in Australia: it forms part of the AMRL (formerly ARL) collection. (AMRL = Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory). Army Mag Malkara.doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Mike thank you that was a good read. Nice see it from the other side. I think the Hornet left over there was Prototype 3. The last I heard of it was about 12-15 years ago when it was for sale I think or at least "discovered" somewhere. Do you have any info on Toolondoo? It only ever gets briefly mentioned if at all. The only book I have found that covered Australian GWs was "Fire across the Desert" I was put onto it by someone who worked for Hampshire Fire Brigade. Their library has a copy presented to them by a visiting Fire Chief from Australia. Someone hadn't done their research properly as the book was about a different sort of fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Hi Clive, Yes, Fire Across the Desert was a great piece of research! Fine book. Toolondoo: I can check my files, but I seem to recall it was a 'desk top' research continuation of Project E, and got the name when the various projects were given their names, like Project J became Malkara. An interesting line on the Malkara was its mounting on a Ferret Scout Car (in Australia): looked ridiculous! Also, the initial test missile (non-destructive, recoverable) used the flap? control servo motors taken from a German V1 rocket held by the Australian War Memorial. They were never returned, and are still missing from ther AWM's example. Hornet Prototype 3 does sound right: the owner and I had a long chat about it when I visited him in outback Qld in 2001 (he still had it then, but has since moved to Malaney, Qld). I have some images somewhere: are they interesting enough to post here? They are prints, so I'll have to scan them first. Regards Mike C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Clive, I've gone back through my files: Toolondoo/Toolondo was more than a desk-top study: it actually progressed to test firings at Woomera Rocket Range in late 1958/59. Prime test missile construction contractor was again GAF, with ARL doing the R&D. Half dozen or so firings using the same Malkara trailer launcher used for the Malkara firings, with a modified firing circuit, etc. Project apparently went no further. Mike C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Mike thank you looking that up. The significance of the name is rather lost on me. Isn't the translation a "damp marsh" or similar? Seems a bit odd but therein may lie the success of having a good project codeword! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 ...or maybe they had a hunch it was going to eventually be mired in politics and sink with little trace?? As Fire Across the Desert states: the Project E/Malkara/Toolondoo saga was hardly a great flag-waver for the UK-Australia joint weapons development projects: the British Army ended up with two UK developed and built equivalents in the 1960s, and the Australian Army purchased from the French!! Mike C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 ...or maybe they had a hunch it was going to eventually be mired in politics and sink with little trace?? A bit like the home grown contender that is my Avatar :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Dear Mike C, Thanks for posting that, while not an afficionado of Clive's calibre, it is of interest and fills gaps in my realms of knowledge. Thanks for posting R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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