Iconic Australian PBY Catalina Frigate Bird II has been brought down from the ceiling of Powerhouse Museum for the first time in 34 years.
The aircraft, made famous by aviation pioneer Sir Patrick Gordon "Bill" Taylor, has been lowered to the floor as part of the Catalina exhibition at Powerhouse Ultimo that opened on 6 October.
"Frigate Bird II is one of the most iconic objects in the Powerhouse collection and one much loved by the public for over 30 years," said Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havilah. "This exhibition presents a rare opportunity for our audiences to connect with the stories of this piece of Australian aviation history."
Taylor used Frigate Bird II to pioneer a flying route between Australia and South America in 1951. The trip took two weeks. In 1961, Taylor donated the aircraft to Powerhouse where it was restored then hoisted to the roof of the Boiler Room hall in 1988. This is the first time it has been brought down for public inspection.
The exhibition will also feature objects, oral histories and artifacts from the flight, including material from the Pacific islander communities PG Taylor and crew visited and the Taylor family.
"I was fortunate enough to be able to fly with my father aboard the Frigate Bird III, a Sunderland flying boat, a few years after his South Pacific crossing with Frigate Bird II," said Sue Arnott, daughter of PG Taylor.
"Travelling in a flying boat of that kind, with their comfort and space, was such an incredible experience compared toair travel today. Although I was only young at the time, I still remember the magnificent aqua colour of the water as we flew in to land at Pacific Islands along the way.
"It was an unforgettable adventure and I will always treasure those memories with my father."
Also, the Taylor family will put on display the iconic themos flask that Bill Taylor used to transfer oil from one engine of the Southern Cross to the other mid-Tasman during Kingsford-Smith's 1935 attempt to fly from Australia to New Zealand, among other artifacts.
PG Taylor and crew's two-week journey in 1951 was the first crossing of the South Pacific and the final link in the global aviation network. Departing from Sydney’s Rose Bay, the aircraft made many stops including Noumea, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Mangareva, French Polynesia and Easter Island before reaching Chile.
Taylor recounted the adventure in his 1953 book Frigate Bird.
The exhibition is expected to be open for several months.