Queen of the Sky

It needs more than going undercover, it needs a refurb.;

Or better still returning to airworthy condition. I know – but there’s no harm in dreaming.

First time I saw a RNZAF Hastings C.3 airborne was from Wellington airport. I was about 12 at the time, standing on the Miramar Peninsula hill and was amazed at the apparent lack of climb. Home to check the 56-56 Janes AWA and yep, there it was; initial climb rate of (from memory) 950 ft/min. Oh how I grew to love hearing them full throttle as they departed Wellington.

On their retirement, they were flown to Ohakea, amazing as Whenuapai was the home base. One was donated to MoTaT – BUT – they had a small time from to remove it, resulting in the flight deck and an inner engine c/w undercart only being saved.

Like the scrapping of Sunderland NZ4113 at Hobsonville in the ’70’s, that will always leave a sour taste when the RNZAF and preservation is mentioned in the same sentence..

Good to see the Hastings recognised. Let me guess some of those locations:
TG604 – Colerne
TG513 – Abingdon
TG503 – Finningley
WJ333 & ‘325 – Changi
The last one has got me stumped!

Have been trying to decypher the Sqn No. in the diamond on the fin. Not very clear, unfortunately. It appears to be a three digit number with the last digit, possibly, a 7.

The only Hastings equipped Sqn that would seem to fit the bill is 297. They operated the Hastings for 2 years from November 48 to November 50 and their aircraft were used extensively during the Berlin Airlift. Were some of the aircraft used in that operation modified to carry underslung cargo? That might account for the beam along the bottom of the fuselage.

Have to admit, my knowledge of that period is pretty scant.

Good to see the Hastings recognised. Let me guess some of those locations:
TG604 – Colerne
TG513 – Abingdon
TG503 – Finningley
WJ333 & ‘325 – Changi
The last one has got me stumped!

I remember a Hastings coming into Luton Airport in the late Seventies, I think it was the last one in RAF Service?

Ah the Hastings. One of those unsung forgotten about aircraft from the Cold War. Thanks for sharing the piccies Glyn. 🙂

Yeah she looks very sad outside the AAM. Hopefully she’ll be restored in hangar 5 before too long, perhaps after the Viscounts done.

Lovely aircraft, glad to hear Duxfords Hastings will be undercover before too long as well (i believe)

It needs more than going undercover, it needs a refurb.;

Lovely aircraft, glad to hear Duxfords Hastings will be undercover before too long as well (i believe)

Ahh the Hastings… first time i ever got to know about it was during a trip to UK in 1993 on a weekly day in september in Cosford. I was with a customer who had just finshed chemo for bowelcancer. We went to cosford as a side trip for our busieness and the hangar was closed cause they had planking dropping from the roof. But since we came all the way from Holland, and there were hardly any people they let us in only after taking hardhats 🙂
Since no one was in the whole space you can imagine what happened. There was a ladder at the cargodoor of the hastings.. so we sneaked in, and climbed to the top, and sat there for half an hour taking in the smell and images… it was like boys in a candystore 🙂
Sadly the man died three years later, and i met his wife at the funeral.. i later sent her the pictures and she said he had always talked about our little naughtiness at cosford It is a fond memory for me as well, whenever i see someting about the hastings it reminds me of him and i always smile…

………….yep Glyn like flying in an overlarge 45 gallon oil drum with no sound proofing to boot………

Loads of pics here http://community.webshots.com/album/65233255DpgacR