Caudron G.IV of the type used by Poulet and Benoist.

Parer and McIntosh’s Airco DH.9 at Bathurst, NSW, during March 1965.

Ray Parer and John McIntosh in front of their aircraft.

Recreating the flight of the Smith brothers, Lang Kidby and Peter McMillan’s replica NX71MY is powered by a pair of 420hp (313kW) Chevrolet converted motor car engines. Flown into Mildenhall (inside a C-5 Galaxy) the Vimy was flown to Brooklands on August 27, 1994 in readiness for its appearance at the SBAC show at Farnborough. It left Farnborough on September 11 on the start of its epic flight. As AE56 closed for press, news was to hand that the Vimy had suffered a force-landing in Sumatra, thankfully with no injury to the two pilots. It was hoped to ship out a replacement engine and finish the journey.

Lang Kidby and Peter McMillan’s spectacular Vickers Vimy replica, used to recreate the flight of the Smith Brothers

The Vimy and its crew, Wally Shiers in front, the Smith brothers and James Bennett at the rear.