MAAA Wingspan

10 WING SPAN AUGUST HERITAGE STORY: AVID AEROMODELLER AND AVIATION ENTHUSIAST, STEVE WENBAN FROM LAKE MACQUARIE HAS ALWAYS HAD A LOVE OF AIRCRAFT, WATCHING THE MODELS HE BUILDS TAKE FLIGHT AND SOAR SKY HIGH. As a member of the Wybung Soaring Club, Steve has been using his time in isolation to build a replica scale model of PBY-5A Catalina - the same aircraft he has been restoring for several months at Kilaben Bay, just across the water from the former RAAF Rathmines flying boat base . It is intended the model Catalina aircraft will take pride of place at a proposed Catalina Hangar at Rathmines. “I’ve been an aeromodeller for 53 years and have been around aircraft for most of my life,” said Steve. “Model planes led me to a career in aerospace with Hawker de Havilland and Boeing. “I have really enjoyed the challenge of building the model Catalina, which will be an exact replica of the real-life aircraft that I am helping to restore. It will take another two months to complete, but it’s been a great way to pass the time while in isolation.” Steve is one of four aircraft sheet metal workers currently restoring the PBY-5A Catalina at Kilaben Bay, along with a team of other dedicated members with various skill sets. It is hoped the aircraft will form the centrepiece of a proposed Hangar at Rathmines. Steve hopes that the general public can view and honour the heritage of the Catalina but also enjoy the replica model aircraft he has built. “I am honoured to be working on the Catalina, but it has also been a lot of fun building a replica scale model of the full-size aircraft,” he said. “The model I’m working on has a wingspan of 2.65 metres with a fuselage length of 1.63 metres. It’s a standard fully sheeted balsa build that I am covering in .006 Lithographic plate with simulated rivets all made one at a time. “The wing will not take long as it’s all flat panels; once completed it will be used at displays run by the Rathmines Catalina Association, such as the Catalina Festival. “I hope it will be on permanent display with the PBY-5A in a purpose-built Hangar proposed for the original RAAF WW2 Rathmines Base on Lake Macquarie as a tribute to all the service men and women who served on the base during that time.”