I don’t have a photo I’m afraid. Does anyone out there have it on DVD that can get a screen grab? The copy I saw was hired on tape so no use.

In 1993 I met Kiwi Battle of Britain pilot Bob Spurdle. He was telling me about one incident during the war where he was forced into a dive, and he exceeded the recommended speed for a Spitfire dive, but wasn’t too worried because he believed the Spit could take it. It didn’t! He got it so fast, and he actually said he believed he was close to the sound barrier, both wings snapped off!

He bailed out, and then the ruddy Hun tried to shoot him in his parachute, damn rotter! I think from memory this was during the actual battle. I’ll have to check it up in his book, Blue Arena, if I get a chance. Sadly he’s no longer with us.

More great photos Chris, well done.

The Westland Scout shouldn’t be too rare in NZ. A load of ex-British Army ones were brought in to the country in the mid 1990’s. I don’t know how many fly or what they do, but i think they were going into the logging industry because at the time they were importing loads of ex-military helos for that role. I recall several Mil helicopters (one such crashed pancake style in a high profile fatal accident sadly). And a number of Iroquios too.

There were five Triplanes at Omaka last year, were all five at Wanaka? I’m not sure if Peter built any of them, I think he may have imported a couple though. Not sure on this exactly. Dave M2, do you know? There is more about all the Omaka fighters here, http://www.classicfighters.co.nz/aircraft/aircraft.htm
but it doesn’t say who built the four non-Tantrum examples.

I believe that the Camel is Peter Jackson’s, and the Avro 504K. Is this correct? And he does allegedly own at least some of the Triplanes. Not sure what esle. The Camel and 504 were at Wanaka in February when I was there, tucked up with the Hurricane, P51D and a Chaika in the museum. Lovely to see them all together.

Do post the RNZAF stuff here – they are all historic.

And speaking of Peter Jackson, here is a photo of his tank in Cambridge last November, as promised ages back…

Smashing photos Steve, just superb! That Seafire really looks the dog’s bollox! Thanks for posting the air to airs, phenominal.

Can we see both Sea Furys and the Seafire fly together in a few days then????? Please??????:) 🙂 🙂

Re: PS890 and Torque

Originally posted by Mark12
With reference to the torque, lack of it, and the accident of Tim Wallis – the opposite rotation of Merlin, either RR or Packard, to the Griffon means opposite torque reaction and the rudder trim has to be set accordingly. I believe that one of the principal causes of Sir Tim’s accident was that the trim was set for Merlin application but he was flying a Griffon. On take off the aircraft rolled into the ground.

Mark

Yes, thtis is correct. And, though he’d owned the plane for over two years then, it was reported that this was his first flight in it. He was so used to the Merlion engined Spit, he simply must have overlooked it. I can understand the mistake on his part – he wasn’t like a regular Spitfire owner who might take it out of the hangar once a month for an airshow, sort of thing. Tim used his Mk XVI like regular people used a car. He often flew into Wigram with it when he was coming up to Christchurch for a business trip or to see the boys at school, etc. It was for him like a Squadron Commander flying the squadron hack really. So the set up would have been second nature, he did it almost every day.

It wrankles that one of the current XIV pilots wasn’t there to see he’d trimmed it right or the first flight.

It’s amazing to think between 1989 and 1996 Tim survived three Spitfire crashes, and that’s on top of the dozen or more he’d had in helicopters. He beats the record of many combat pilots on that score.

It’s just a shame that after the last crash they could not restore him to flying condition and he remains static in the museum. 🙁