Not a terrific photo but this Il 76 gave spectacular demonstrations of water bombing for fire-fighting at the 1995 Avalon airshow. Most Il-76s can easily be equipped for fire-fighting missions.

The Southern Cross replica made an appearance at the 1995 Avalon airshow.

At the 1995 Australian International Airshow, Dick VanGrunsven himself flew displays in this RV-4. It was built in Victoria and registered on 5 September 1988. It's still going strong a quarter of a century later.

One of only 18 Falcon Majors built, this aircraft was originally G-ADHG. In 1937 it was exported to Australia, becoming VH-AAT. During the Second World War it was impressed into the RAAF as A37-3. Seen here at the 1995 Australian International Airshow, where it was being flown by renowned air safety author Macarthur Job.

This aircraft was on a sales tour when it appeared at the 1995 Australian International Airshow. Note the list of places visited on the port nose, all the way from its base at Tours to Avalon (and back)!

The year the Russians came… There was a large Russian presence at the Australian International Airshow in 1995 including this prototype of the Tu-204 with Rolls Royce RB211 engines and western avionics.

The prototype L-420 (actual type - L410UVP-E20) came to the Australian International Airshow, operated by manufacturer LET Kunovice. It was later registered in the USA as N420LW, later N420Y, and five years later returned to Australia in this guise on another demonstration tour. Sadly this came to nothing and in 2001 the aircraft was exported to South Africa as ZS-OSE. So far, it appears to be the only L-420 built.

This photo was taken at the Australian International Airshow 1995. VH-UTE was first registered in January 1936 and is one of the few Hornet Moths not to have been converted to square-wingtip DH-87B standard.

There was a large Russian contingent at the Avalon 95 airshow, including the prototype, and so far only, of the Il 96M variant. This was a stretched version with P&W 2237 engines and western avionics. Quite an attractive design visually, it never took off (so to speak!). Currently in storage at Zhukovsky, less engines.

Ray Hill at the Avalon Airshow, about to make what is thought to have been the first public truck-top takeoff and landing in Australia. As far as I can make out, this aircraft is also possibly the first, if not only, A618 model built.

This JP4 was built for the Royal Air Force and retired as an instructional airframe at RAF Cosford. Sold in 1994 and came to the unlikely spot of Devonport, Tasmania, for restoration. Registered VH-JPP on 13 Feb 95, making its first post-restoration flight in June that year. Sold to the USA and re-registered N400KT (a bit of an exaggeration!) on 10 July 2004.

At the Australian International Airshow. Built for the RAF as NJ785 but shipped to Australia and taken on charge by the RAAF as A11-40 in June 1945. Stored until 1947 then sold and civil registered as VH-BCG.