Maralinga tests

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
4 Mustangs were flown into the site and parked at ranges from 4 to 12 miles from the ground zero. After the blast, they were deemed contaminated and left at the site. Two of the Aircraft were recovered by warbird enthusiasts in the '70s. Where are they now?

From TankNet AFV Forum > Centurion Vis-Mod (Unofficial)

After the Maralinga tests were finished (supposedly but that is another story), a lot of equipment was left sitting out in the desert. In the late 1960's, this included half a dozen Mustang fighters. Some bright spark realised this and purchased the rights to them for scrap. He then refurbished them to (bare) flying standard and flew them out to Adelaide and then sold them on the international market. I believe one of them is still flying in the USA. At the time, there was some concern about their levels of radioactivity and I remember as a young man the reports of this little escapade appearing in the press.