Dave HomewoodSince we are including more modern types that are now in museums or collections too, (not just WWII aircraft), while in the RNZAF I flew in the HS Andover that is now in the RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch, NZ.
I also flew in the Boeing 727 that is now in a collection of classic aircraft at RNZAF Woodbourne, namely the training school’s collection of Instructional Airframes. Since the RNZAF doesn’t train many people these days, it is virtually a museum, and I like to think of it as the RNZAF Museum’s reserve collection. 🙂 (Devons, Strikemasters and the B727)
And of course I flew in several Iroquois helicopters from 3 Sqn. One example of this a/c is also in the Wigram museum.
All three types above are also technically Warbirds as they have all operated with the RNZAF in hostile areas and war zones.
Dave HomewoodSomething that concerned me a little about the recovery is a photo on this board showed the aircraft after they tipped the tail back down.The photo showed the Hurricane resting on the starboard wingtip, and then an airbag is being inflated underneath.
Would it not be better to have had some sort of support like the airbage under the stbd wing beforehand that it could be tipped onto? I’m just thinking in terms of whether resting all the weight onto the tip would cause any problems for the wing itself, as it’s taking the weight load so differently from what it is used to? I’m no expert in these matters, just wondering that’s all. I guess all those Duxford and BBMF people know better, and this is in no way a criticism.
Also, is the circumstances of this incident where it had trouble and veered off the runway with little control what they call a groundloop? I’ve read the term ‘groundloop’ many times but I’ve never actually found a satisfactory explanation of what this phenomena is. Or can many different causes lead to a groundloop? I know it often seems to wreck the aircraft but I think this is at higher take-off/landing speeds.
Cheers
Dave
Dave HomewoodFor me the greatest flying thrill of my life so far has been a ride in Sir Tim Wallis’s TBM Avenger (now in Australia).
I have also flown in the RNZAF Historic Flight’s Tiger Moth, which is still serving at Ohakea. That was special too.
Dave HomewoodFantastic shots Darren, well done. I love the ones of ML407, Vicky is looking as beautiful as ever. The second shot almost looks as if she’s a one-seater again 🙂
In the third shot, what is that written under the cockpit? Is it a sponsor’s name? I can’t quite make it out.
Cheers
Dave
Dave HomewoodDon’t you just love the media?
The headline on Stieglitz’s link reads “D-DAY CRASH AT AIR SHOW”, yet the text reads “the pilot climbed out of the plane unhurt and there were no major problems,” and “one of its wheels seems to have buckled.”
Hardly a ‘crash’ I would think.
A great shame to have happened on today of all days before the display.
Lucky it doesn’t sound to be a serious matter, but I will await some real confirmation of the extent of damage from people who know what they’re talking about (ie forum members), rather than believing media reports on the net.
Dave HomewoodThanks for the info on the IWM example John, I hope the reunion went very well. And thanks to everyone else for the info and corrections. It is a pity that when the Sunderland was in service around the world right into the 1960’s that so few remain today.
So there are four Sunderlands, one each at Duxford, Hendon, Auckland, and with Kermit Weeks. There is a Sandringham at the Southampton Hall of Fame, and there two are Solents, one at Auckland and the other at Oakland, USA (which starred in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Have any others of Short’s lovely big flying boats survived intact and preserved anywhere?
The Solent at Motat in Auckland is just soooo lovely, restored so well. It has everything in it from its TEAL passenger service days, right down to glasses, cigarettes, cards etc., on the tables. The team who restored it after so many years outside have performed a real miracle. I’d love to have had the opportunity to take one of its flights up to the Pacific Islands when it used to fly the Coral Route. That must have been a smashing trip.
I know Ferrymead in Christchurch, NZ has a Sunderland cockpit section, and there is a derelict airframe in the Chatham Islands I believe. Any other possible restorations about (apart from the sunken one/s in Windemere)?
Dave HomewoodWOW !!!
That is an incredible model. If you’d simply posted the first photo without text I’d have thought it was a real one under reconstruction.
This chap has some incredible talent. I’m sure we’d all love to see photos of the Wellington and Sea Fury sometime if you are ever in touch with him again.
Dave
Dave HomewoodThere are at least three Argosy airframes in the UK, and IIRC one in the USA.
Bruce
Well, once again I have been proven wrong, I should stop quoting info told to me because I’m making a right fool of myself this week. It was a guide at a local Blenheim museum who told me that the one preserved at Woodbourne is the last in the world. I had heard that before from other sources too but I assumed a local museum guide would be right.
On investigating I have just found this link with photos of the three UK examples, so i take back what I said (assuming they are still all intact and not since broken up).
http://www.oldprops.f9.co.uk/Argosy.htm
Where is the US-based example? Did it actually operate in the USA?
The one at Woodbourne, near Blenheim now sits behind a cafe and looks quite lovely. One of the SAFE Air examples became rather famous in the 1970’s when flying to or from the Chatham Islands a TVNZ crew on board filmed a UFO flying alongside. They even scrambled a couple of RNZAF Skyhawks but no-one was able to work out what the object was. Probably some US experimental plane I guess.
Dave HomewoodRemember that it was the reporter who said the word Helldiver, not Sir Peter. He simply mentioned Curtiss in the piece of the report I saw. Maybe the reporter got it wrong. Or maybe the planes in the original book were Helldivers? Do the dates tiw in between the plane and the book/film?
Either way it’ll be a nice replica for Omaka to have. Pity they won’t have it actually flying for the film but Peter said that it’ll be used on a rig in front of a blue screen so it’ll look like it is flying. Should be good.
DaveM2, have you any photos of the Fleet 16? Sounds interesting. Omaka is a real go ahead place these days. When i lived at Woodbourne in 1989 it was basically just gliders and Cessnas, so i never bothered to visit the place. I was pleasantly surprised by the activity there when I finally got along there this year.
Are there any plans to restore or even possibly fly that Bristol Freighter at Omaka? The one at Nelson looks lovely but the Omaka example is a little more tired (nowhere near as sad as the Ardmore one though 🙁 It is decidedly had it!
Is the Omaka example owned by the same group that owns the Argosy? I cannot believe that is now the world’s only one left. I used to love watching SAFE Air’s pair of whistling wheelbarrows come in and out of Woody. I’m surprised that one of the other two airframes SAFE had didn’t go to a UK museum rather than being scrapped. Thank goodness one of the three survived.
Dave HomewoodHmmm, I have looked a little further and it seems I may have been fed some duff info on the RAFM and IWM Sundys, I can’t find anything about them being ex-RNZAF. I am sure I have read at least a couple of times that they had been in the RNZAF at some time, but I don’t know where and it could of course be wrong.
But the one with Kermit now definately was ex-RNZAF. Here is a piece from Phil Treweek’s Kiwi Aircraft Images website.
NZ4108 (c/n974, ex ML814) was held in storage when it was was sold to Ansett Flying Boat Services in 1963. It was delivered to Australia in December, registered as VH-BRF and named ‘Islander’. After conversion to passenger configuration, it was used on the Lord Howe run. When land based services began in 1974 it was sold to Antilles Air Boats. Reregistered as N158J and renamed ‘Excalibur VIII’ by owner Capt.Blair it departed for its new home in the Caribbean on September 25, 1984. As US authorities did not recognise Ansett’s workshop as an authorised conversion facility they would not issue a CoA for passenger work, so the aircraft was laid up – where it provided spares for VH-BRC (see below). After Capt.Blair’s death in a flying accident in 1978 the aircraft was put up for sale. In 1979 the aircraft was sold to Edward Hulton and repaired for a flight to Britain, where it arrived in May 1981. Flown on to Marignane, Marseille, France on 24 May 1981, it underwent further restoration work. It was registered as G-BJHS and used for passenger flights. Damaged in a gale in October 1987 it was again restored and based at Chatham. Plans in 1989 to acquire the aircraft as part of a Museum for Foyne, Eire fell through and the aircraft was laid up at Calshot. In 1991 the aircraft auctioned by Sothebys but failed to reach reserve. In 1993 the aircraft was purchased by Kermit Weekes. It departed from Calshot on July 23, 1993 to become N814ML. Today it is the last Sunderland in airworthy condition (although the last reported flight was in 1996), and is with Kermit Week’s collection in Florida.
Dave HomewoodThanks guys. I missed the beginning of the news item so wasn’t too sure of the Beech thing. Thanks Dave. Is it flying? I didn’t know there was any in NZ outside of Motat.
And is that older Helldiver definately what was flown in the original film?
Dave HomewoodJust to follow up on the discussion of 1994 documentaries… I took a quick look at the New Zealand Listener for the week of June 4th to 11th 1994 and found that the following programmes were aired here in New Zealand.
The Longest Day (international film, TV1, Saturday 4th of June 1994, 10.20pm)
D-Day: The Shortest Day (British documentary, TV1, Sunday 5th of June 1994, midday)
The World at War (British documentary, CTV, Sunday 5th of June 1994, 7.30pm)
Sunday Evening with Jim Sullivan (NZ Radio special, National Radio, Sunday 5th of June 1994, 8.05pm)
World Around Us – Normandy – The Great Crusade (Part 2), (As this was in the World Around Us spot it may well have been Canadian – TV3 was owned by Canada then and played a lot of their shows. It may have been British or US alternatively, but the formers is more likely.TV3, Monday 6th of June 1994, 7.30pm)
CNN: The Great Crusade (US documentary. Sky News, Monday 6th of June 1994, 9.20pm)
Also, I rmemebr and taped the following – not sure if it was Sunday 5th of June before the event or the following week after it…as 60 Minutes features are never billed in the listings.
60 Minutes – NZ made feature on Johnnie Houlton and his flight in OU-V over Normandy beach (TV2, Sunday 5th of June 1994, 7.30pm)
There were undoubtedly more news items too. I recall a few news features on ex-paras who were making the jump again, etc. I think the Charles Wheeler ‘Return to Normandy’ special actually aired here several weeks or months after the commemorations. It was good, he talked to the first Commandoes who had to take out installations so the landings could begin, etc.
Speaking of World Around Us – I wish I’d taped one of its docos in about 1992 that followed the Catalina that flew down the Nile as a tourist operation. That same plane is now ZK-CAT here in NZ.
Dave HomewoodFound it – I think…
After more than half an hour of intensive searching i think i found the thread you refer to. The Search Engine was no help at all.
Dave HomewoodIn June 1994 there were several very good documentaries screened in NZ about D Day. I recall the two part one you mention. Not sure of the title but if I come across it in my collection I’ll let you know. I think I recorded it.
One they played then was called ‘The Shortest Day’ – this title stuck in my mind because they also played The Longest Day (the film) the same week. I recall also a BBC one where Charles Wheeler, the BBC correspondent and D Day veteran himself, returned with several British and German veterans to places it all happened. I think this was called “Return To Normandy”
If I get a chance I’ll check the June 1994 copies of The Listener in the university library and get further details.
Right now I’m watching The Colour of War V: D Day. Excellent…
Cheers
Dave
Dave HomewoodWhen I was at school I never took history as a class – though it was available. I took practical courses that I thought would get me a job, like woodwork, technical drawing, and metalwork. But the history of World War Two, as well as much other history and lifeskills and health and sport and other ranging topics were taught in a compulsory class we had to take from Third Form to Fifth Form called Social Studies. So even when I didn’t take history I seemingly learned more than the kids of today who are taking the subject. :confused:
Funnily enough, we learned about world history and politcis, but actually very little about New Zealand’s own history. Nowadays this is probably reversed because the PC have got to our schools too. Everything seems to have a very different slant these days.
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