Warry Blunty

Here is a very unusual RNZAF Strikemaster colour scheme. I took this photo in February 2004 at the training school at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. I think two of the four Strikemasters there were in this scheme from vague memory of my rushed visit.

This ‘Blunty’ (as they were universally known in the RNZAF), is now an instructional airframe and the trainee Safety and Surface workers have repainted it in a modern ‘warry’ green/grey low-viz scheme, as was worn latterly by the Skyhawks, Maachis and some Andovers (now all withdrawn from service too).

But this scheme is one that the Strikemaster never wore in RNZAF service. In fact the Bluntys served for 20 years in the same scheme, the brown/green camo with high-viz markings as seen at the 1972 Farnborough show on this thread.

The Blunty’s used to serve proudly with No 14 Squadron. Now the Squadron is disbanded as the RNZAF no longer trains pilots to the extent that they once did. Very sad, the Sqn had an awesome history, as did No’s 75 and 2 Sqns that were also culled by the Government. 😡 😡 😡

I remember when I joined the RNZAF we knew the Blunty’s were clapped out and getting troublesome (wing stress mainly), and that the brand new MB-339K’s were soon to replace them. So I never thought much of the Strikemaster and almost disregarded them. The Maachis seemed like a new hope, new jets for a new age that had the same capabilities as our frontline A4K’s.

But later on I got to see a few dislays by the Strikemaster and was simply amazed by what these little old sedate-looking-on-the-ground planes could do. Wow. For an old clapped out aircraft, they were tremendous. Of course the displays I saw were down to the skills of the RNZAF pilots who flew them – we had some superb pilots in the RNZAF in those days. In the end I was sorry to see them go and I wish the RNZAF had kept one in the historic flight with the Tiger Moth and Harvard.

I was interested to see NZ6365 with a UK civil registration. Would this have been simply for the airshow? Or did they all get a civil registration during the flight testing phase? I’d never thought about our military aircraft being on a civil register before their service before.

Thanks for these photos Spiteful, nice to see a few not-so-often-seen aircraft. I love the Walrus and the bumblebee-schemed Vampire. 🙂

It looks like we’ve found a museum darker than Hendon though – what is with the lighting???

And as for the claim of the ‘oldest continuously operating military airfield in the world’, this was disproven on this forum. There’s an airfield somewhere in Europe (can’t recall where, Holland? Germany?) that is a little older – and is currently under threat of closure. Someone here will know where I refer too. I cannot find the thread through the not-so-good search engine.

Thanks James (and Glen),

Are those aircraft – the Spitfire and Hurricane – real? Or fibreglass replicas? They look fantastic but i would be worried if they were real and permanently outdoors in the cold and wet.

I love seeing that Halifax. Looking forward to more James.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks Hairyplane for posting the history of your lovely aircraft. It has an interesting story.

I too love the yellow scheme, though it may be an interesting one for the future to repaint it in the CFS scheme mentioned as it would really be an eyecatcher. Maybe if you bought a second Magister you could have your cake and eat it too. 🙂

Cheers
Dave

Thanks Hairyplane. I did not realise that the PT-22 wasn’t so rare. I thought not many would have survived. I guess there must be a fair few in the USA then?

Sounds like a good idea to keep G-BPUD unrestored if it means keeping your flying example servicable and airworthy.

There is another Ryan here that was also at that airshow, but it is a Ryan STM, owned by Motat and operated by the NZ Warbirds. It is in its original Dutch East Indies scheme. A very nice little aircraft too. Are STM’s very rare?

Do you know all the history of the Magister’s service, ie which RAF flying school/s it served at during the war?

Wow Mark, that is awesome.

I’m glad you posted all three pictures showing the progress of the ‘creation’ of this photo. Were other images of aircraft also put together like this from the film reels? Thanks for sharing it.

Dave