ALTHOUGH the iconic CA-27 Sabre jet no longer stands in Raymond Terrace’s Bettles Park, the aircraft continues to preserve a remarkable piece of Australian aviation history at Fighter World.
Known as A94-959, the aircraft was built at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation factory in Melbourne and became part of aviation history before it even entered service.
During its first test flight on 3 August 1953, the Avon Sabre became the first aircraft in Australia to break the sound barrier.
The aircraft entered Royal Australian Air Force service in 1957 and later travelled throughout Australia and Southeast Asia during the Cold War era.
In 1959, A94-959 flew through Townsville, Darwin, Biak, Guiuan and Labuan on its way to RAAF Butterworth in Malaya, following a route specifically chosen to avoid Indonesian airspace.
The Sabre also became part of the famous 76 Squadron “Black Panthers” aerobatic team in 1965 before being retired from service in 1974.
In 1981, the Raymond Terrace Lions Club secured the retired fighter jet as a memorial, recognising the strong connection between Raymond Terrace and RAAF Base Williamtown.
For more than three decades, the Sabre became one of the region’s most recognisable landmarks before corrosion forced its removal in 2013.
Following an extensive restoration project at Fighter World, the aircraft was returned to display condition in 2016.
However, its preservation remains temporary.
Fighter World said the aircraft “has some significant corrosion issues”, and the aircraft has undergone a second round of restoration.
They now fear they “won’t be able to preserve it forever.”
By Ruby VAN DE WIJGAART
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