Tempest II in NZ

Latest update on the Tempest II MW376 restoration project, now with KF Aerospace in Canada, can be seen here :- 

https://youtu.be/zSnt2nP9jJU

Also on ‘Facebook’ here –https://www.facebook.com/Hawker-Tempest-II-MW376-Restoration-1279644642…

Looking good to me!:)

Steve.

I didn’t think that Vintage Wings were in acquisition mode these days, they seem to be barely ticking over nowadays with the airshow cancelled and most of the fighters parked.

I wonder if Vintage Wings have bought her ! I guess few people in Canada would have predicted the arrival of a Tempest and Typhoon in the country in pretty short order !

According to WIX it is off to Canads

MW376 has been sold, and will depart NZ in a month or so.

http://www.pioneeraero.co.nz/2014/07/04/tempest-mkii/

TV report on MW376 with a good collection of wartime Tempest footage.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Saving-one-of-the-great-fighters/tabid/367/articleID/306516/Default.aspx

The latest news on Tempest MW376:
http://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/19472/tempest-sale-syndicate-sought-help

Trumper,

No, it was in the yards between Devonshire Rd and the railway. Between Mill Road and the main railway station.

The area has been slightly industrialised since the 50s.
Mo

Oh right , that’s roughly where our old Loco was ,now a building supply merchant.
There was a scrapyard between Coldham Lane and Coldhams common,i remember seeing the remains of a helicopter in there.

Trumper,

No, it was in the yards between Devonshire Rd and the railway. Between Mill Road and the main railway station.

The area has been slightly industrialised since the 50s.
Mo

😮 Was this the scrap yard that was near Coldham Lane on the Downside [heading towards Ely ]

Tempest II

Going back 60 years to when I was at school just before entering the RAF. I was on summer holidays and worked part time at a scrap dealer’s on the railway sidings at Cambridge.
I turned up one day and the owner said ‘you’ll like this one today!” and [pointed to 10 railway wagons. Each wagon had two Tempest II on board. Each brand new fuselage had the appropriate wings detached next to it. There was no paint or primer on the pristine metal. When I got up and looked in the cockpit everything was installed and the electronics were wrapped in sealed plastic with piles of silica gel packs. I was lucky to have accumulated 150 hours on an opportunity basis at 22 RFS and knew what I was looking at.
I returned to the Boss and he handed me an emergency escape axe and said “OK – get started”. I said politely – “No Thanks” – and he understood and said that I could drop in anytime to check on work.
Two months later I was ensconced in the rear of a Prentice at Swanton Moreley. How times have changed.

Mo

Both bodies recovered, confirmed as Eric and Kathy Hertz.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8517293/Both-bodies-recovered-from-Hertz-plane-wreckage

Most of the wreckage was also lifted 56m up off the sea floor today and will stay on the specialist dive vessel HMNZS Manawanui until it docks in Auckland.
…
“The Police investigation from here is on behalf of the Coroner where as the aircraft itself will be transported to Auckland by the Navy on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority where accident investigators will now take charge of the investigation,” {Waikato Police Operations Manager, Inspector John Kelly} said.
“Family and friends of the Hertz’s have been informed of the recovery and expressed their gratitude for the efforts of all the agencies involved.”
One of the navy divers was injured during the wreckage recovery yesterday.
…

You have forgotten the syndicate who owned it prior to David Martin . I know a member of the syndicate and fingers crossed he is in fine health !
As for a ‘curse’ – only one of the people on the list died in what could be described as suspicious circumstances -sadly heart attacks and car crashes
are far too common!

What a dreadful turn of events.

Previous owners were-

Doug Arnold
Nick Grace
David Martin
Phillippe Dennis
Eric Hertz

All deceased sadly.:(

Oh no 🙁

I’m not sure I believe in ‘curses’ as such, but it does seem to have an unfortunate record for ‘losing’ owners.

Bruce

Wasn’t this the cursed tempest??

Shocking news. Terrible:(

Yes, more up-to-date report on discovery of wreckage.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10875800

The bodies are assumed inside, but have not yet been located. RIP

I’d only first seen the Staggerwing airborne the week before.

It appears that the owner of the Tempest II (and Beechcraft Staggerwing among others), Eric Hertz, was killed in an aircraft crash off New Zealand last week. 🙁

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8491376/2degrees-boss-and-wifes-bodies-trapped

RIP

Good piece on the current state of the Tempest in NZ, including veteran pilot Jack Stafford in the cockpit.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Kiwi-pilot-relives-wartime-heroics-in-restored-Tempest/tabid/423/articleID/265708/Default.aspx