QinetiQ helps Australian War Memorial restore aviation assets
Above: (left to right) Dr Brendan Nelson AO, Director of the Australian War Memorial and Greg Barsby, Managing Director of QinetiQ in Australia, in front of the Hudson Bomber at Canberra Airport.
The Hudson was one of the most versatile aircraft used by Allied air forces in the early part of the Second World War, and first saw action in the Pacific when the Japanese attacked Malaya before the raids on Pearl Harbour.
As part of their two-year sponsorship of the Australian War Memorial, QinetiQ will assist in restoring the Hudson’s nose cone, which became damaged and needed replacement. This restoration, including the engineering design and manufacture of the Hudson’s new nose cone, will see the bomber returned to a pristine display condition.
Dr Brendan Nelson AO, Director of the Australian War Memorial, said the partnership with QinetiQ enables new opportunities to tell more stories of Australia’s military history.
“Currently, the Australian War Memorial has the gallery space to display only four percent of the objects it has in the National Collection. The support of QinetiQ allows us to showcase the Hudson bomber to the public and tell the story of the courageous young men who flew it during the dark days of the Second World War defending our nation’s freedoms and vital interests.”
QinetiQ’s partnership with the Australian War Memorial continues to assist in bringing Australia’s rich aviation history to life, with work currently underway on a number of the Memorial’s large technology objects.
Greg Barsby, Managing Director of QinetiQ in Australia, said: “We’re proud to support the Australian War Memorial to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war. Under our renewed sponsorship agreement, our aerospace engineers and consultants are excited to continue to provide their expertise to preserve military artefacts for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.”
QinetiQ is the Australian Defence Force’s chosen partner in aircraft structural integrity engineering, holding a unique status as the only company accredited to provide certified structures and related software designs and advice for all military aircraft.
QinetiQ’s independent aircraft structural integrity services provide customers with confidence and certainty in their aircraft’s suitability for safe flight; while reducing cost of ownership through programmes that increase availability and maintenance cost saving.
