Two things about Japanese floatplanes.
One – does anybody know if there is a comprehensive register of Japanese floatplanes that were captured by the Allies in the Pacific area? I am trying to find out if any were tansported (secretly) to or found in New Zealand at all. I have an eyewitness who was an RNZAF driver, and he says he transported a secret cargo from Waipapakauri in Northland down to Auckland. He managed to find out that the cargo was in fact a Jap floatplane, which he was told was washed up on the beach at Waipapakari itself. I checked with an eminent RNZAF historian who has searched the records in the RNZAF museum and found no details of Jap planes being captured and secretly transported/stored here. But that doed not mean it didn’t happen. Jap subs were often in our waters, and their planes flew over NZ on reconnaissance. I’d love to know more. It may have been taken later to the USA I suppose.
Two – here are a couple of photos of two Pete floatplanes on a beach, thought to be at Rekata. They come from a local lady here in Cambridge, taken by her late husband. They were apparently often sed as target practice by Allied pilots.
By: turbo_NZ - 21st March 2004 at 09:52
Yes, that Hudson at Wigram is absolutely beautiful.
When I’m in Christchurch at Easter on my way down to Wanaka, I’ll try and stop in there and get some pics to share here (as well as the million pics I’m taking at Wanaka:D )
By: Dave Homewood - 21st March 2004 at 09:45
I agree. But I think the problem is that the costs involved would be so excessive, and as far as I’m aware (I hope someone can give me more details on this) there are several Venturas in existence in the USA in not bad condition, so the only group that would want to get this one would probably be the RNZAF Museum purely on its historical value. And of course they simply haven’t the money nor the manpower for such a job. So I dare say the poor Ventura will simply rot away.
Is the RAAF’s Ventura still flying? And the Hudson over there too for that matter? I’d love to see them. The Hudson in the RNZAF Museum is simply superb, it looks like new. I had the benefit of seeing it coming together over the two and a half years that I lived at Wigram and I was so pleased to see it on display in February when I visited there for the first time in ten years. Hard to belive it was once a chicken coop!
By: turbo_NZ - 21st March 2004 at 09:35
Hi Dave,
I had a look at those links you posted.
If the Ventura still looks like that today as it did in those pics (1997) then I reckon it’s restorable. Like you said in the other post of Tim Wallis’s amazing restoration of the Russian Hurri, they can do wonders with very little.
But, it’s easy for me to say this, I guess.
By: Dave Homewood - 21st March 2004 at 05:35
Hmm, I thought I had a photo somewhere but cannot lay my hands on it. It looked reasonably complete in the photo. Maybe it was in Charles Darby’s “Pacific Wrecks” book?
There are some photos on this site which must be a lot later than the photo I’m thinking of and the ravages of time are taking a toll it seems. Pity. Someone should rescue it.
Apparently some parts were salvaged by the MOTAT team when they restored the RB34 Ventura (Lexington) in the early 1970’s.
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/pv-1/NZ4522.html
Here is another page with more info on its crash by the way. http://www.pacificwrecks.com/walkabout/2001/
Cheers
Dave
By: turbo_NZ - 21st March 2004 at 04:54
Just thinking about that Ventura,…the type was widely used by the RNZAF, so I’m quite surprised if there is a restorable (flyable !!) one available why someone hasn’t snapped it up.
They were a very successful aircraft in there time and very much a part of NZ’s history.
Dave, do you have an pics of that one ? I for one would love to see any.
Cheers
Chris
🙂
By: Dave Homewood - 20th March 2004 at 22:29
Whoops, a little finger trouble there, I should have typed Rekata Bay, which is on Santa Isabel island
Cheers
Dave
By: Whitley_Project - 20th March 2004 at 22:06
Dave – where is rekata..? Never come across that before
By: Dave Homewood - 20th March 2004 at 21:05
It sure would. I wonder if it is still sitting there. There are loads of aircraft still lying were they came down up in the islands, including a fairly good looking RNZAF Ventura. I wish someone would retreive that and bring it home.
Dave
By: turbo_NZ - 20th March 2004 at 05:34
wow,…in that second pic, that Floatplane would be a restorers dream !!
By: Dave Homewood - 20th March 2004 at 01:26
Photo 2
By: Dave Homewood - 20th March 2004 at 01:25
Photo 1
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March 20, 2004 at 1:24 am