Harvard NZ1050

[beagle]

I went through to get some images of the hangars getting demolished and I also saw the Mustang sitting outside , but as I swung through the gate I saw these these 2 chappies.
I stopped and watched for 5 minutes, the one up the ladder was having a bit of trouble pushing the canopy back. He was hitting it pretty hard and I was ready to give him a bollocking if he he had smashed anything.
Baz or someone would know if there was a button or knob or something just on the inside to press to assist with sliding it back.

So is she coming down for apaint or something, or were they just checking it's canopy seal was working, no water inside etc.

I would have posted this under the rstoration threads but is she not still on charge.

[baz62]

Hell Beagle I was driving past towards the bridge right when you took those photos!! If I recall correctly there is a small pin or lever sticking out from the forward/ bottom edge of the canopy. You lift up and then slide back. I'd say the canopy rails are all gummed up so a little force may have been necessary. They are fairly robust.
Yes wondering if she's coming down for a repaint? (Dave prepare your spraygun!! ;D)
No sign of a crane but I think they lower the wheels first and presume they need to place the undercarriage selector down to release the up locks??

[Dave Homewood]

When we repainted this Harvard in 1993 the canopy was virtually welded shut by grime and took a lot of work to get open then, so no surprise there that a bit of forced was needed.

It really needs a repaint, it's grubby as. Hopefully it will return to wartime yellow as the veterans group who donated it to the base decreed they wanted in perpituity at the time.

[barf]

I will set the record straight for you all,
The F/S up the cherry picker is carrying out an inspection of the airframe, yes there is a lot of corrosion. The canopy was basically welded shut with a mixture of 5 years of grime and a healthy dose of sealant to prevent water ingress. He was well aware of the level of force being used as he would be the one fixing it if anything had broken.
having seen his preliminary assessment, it is likely the old girl will be hauled down for some TLC before too long. I would hope to repaint it when this happens, then I will be able to paint it with the correct fonts for the serial numbers (currently has a mix of San -serif and Univers J for those of you in the know)

Dave, if you want a working holiday you are welcome to help me when this happens.

[beagle]

I could help out on wednesdays and thursdays if ya need a hand stripping the old girl.

[baz62]

Yes Barf I'm willing to help too!! Just call me Slave Baz! ;D (Without the loin cloth and chains of course!!)

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Barf. Having already stripped that aircraft once it's not something I'd immediately jump at the chance to do again. But let me know when it happens anyway in case I change my mind. So it will stay in the 1970's scheme then, and not revert to its 1940's markings?

You're lucky there's only five years of grime and bird muk on it, I think we had to contend with about 15 years worth.

[barf]

Mar 13, 2010 10:36:45 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Thanks Barf. Having already stripped that aircraft once it's not something I'd immediately jump at the chance to do again. But let me know when it happens anyway in case I change my mind. So it will stay in the 1970's scheme then, and not revert to its 1940's markings?

You're lucky there's only five years of grime and bird muk on it, I think we had to contend with about 15 years worth.

"50" is now down off the pole and she definately needs a bit of fixing. The paint on the upper surfaces is beyond a polish and will need a complete repaint.
Dave, can you remember what sort of paint was used last time? Caprithane? Dulux Enamel? It would help to know as it will take a bit of stripping, it still has the Yellow paint underneath, as well as the old roundels (up to six coats of paint in some places)
It will remain in this scheme (although I will correct the serials etc to the correct San Serif font) as it is a recogniseable part of the museum branding.

Barf

[Dave Homewood]

Hi Barf, I don't know what the paint was sorry, as I had not done my painters course I had the shit jobs of stripping it and masking etc but the professionals (Gibbo from memory) did the painting. However, I am certain it has been repainted since we did it in 1993, I think it was redone when they shifted it.

I'm surprised to hear it still has yellow paint on it, as I recall that myself and a couple of Aircraft Mechs got the job of stripping off the wings with stripper in Hangar Four before shifting it to Hangar 6 for the repaint. I'm sure the tailplane was also stripped, I can't recall if the fuselage was though. It took a couple of days of bloody hard graft to strip it, but maybe we just took off the top few coats? I can't remember.

[kiwirotorwrench]

If it was Gibbo that last painted it, I seen him at CHC security checkpoint on ANZAC Day when I was passing thru. Works for Aviation Security Service now, someone might want to go ask him if he knows anything.
Cheers
KC

[barf]

Now that we have 50 in the work shop and stripped down in to its component pieces, it is evident how much damage 37 years out in the elements has done.
There is a lot of repair and rectification to be done before she can go back up.
We are surprised that nothing fell off in strong winds, the aileron mounts were nearly rotted right through on the port wing, there is major corrosion in all the horizontal stabilizer ribs. The list goes on, and on.

Paint wise there are three schemes still evident. All the markings can be seen under subsequent coats. They were just painted over the top of previous schemes. The original yellow scheme,with the red "050" serial on the side was applied when it was first erected in 1973. Then it had "27" on the side and a blue fuselage band. As far as I can tell there is no evidence of "50" ever having worn either of these schemes, neither is historically correct and the "27" scheme is from a different aircraft altogether and predates "50's" arrival in NZ by a couple of years.
The final Orange/Grey scheme is also bogus, "50" was retired before this scheme was adopted. It also appears that parts of this were touched up at some stage so there are up to four coats to be stripped off before we can assess the condition of the skins properly.
Our current plan (open to change as always) is to give her a genuine Silver/Flame orange scheme that she wore in the 1960's when flying from Wigram (also with the Red Checkers team, although they did not have the checks on the cowls in those days) complete with "Silver Fern" roundels. This is much better "museum practice" and does not misrepresent the aircraft, and will please the "spotters".
The airframe was allocated to guard duties by Air Staff, and theoretically is still on the RNZAF's register. The memorial trust, mentioned in other posts, did raise money for the plinth and garden, and possibly the paint, but I can find no evidence of an agreement to have it painted in wartime schemes.

It could be some time before she returns to her pole, I will try to post updates as we progress.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for the update Barf, that stripping we did, I certainly recall doing it. Three of us stripped and scraped and sanded the wings down and I think the tail. It was a bastard of a job and it was then I decided not to become a smelly painter, and put in my 717. I wnder why the fuselage wasn't done.

You most definately won't find that evidence of the agreement to keep it in wartime colours because I was witness to it being destroyed. We had just painted the aircraft into the modern scheme (chosen by those on high to reflect all recent air training at Wigram rather than that particular aircaft). It was then when the aircaft was either about to be remounted or had just been remounted that our Maintenance Flight Commander came to our section and said, while clearing out her office prior to moving to Ohakea, that she'd found this order in the back of a load of files in a cabinet. We read it and it clearly stated an agreement with the veterans group to maintain the aircraft in wartime colours for perpetuity. It was decided that because it was too late now, the evidence was destroyed. I personally thought it was a silly thing to do, but I wasnt happy that they'd decided to do a non-wartime colour scheme anyway.

I have read an article from the time when it wasfirst mounted or shortly after that said the aircraft was sold to the veterans group and they donated it back to the base, but I cannot recall where I read that. It's information must have been wrong going by what you found though. If that is the case though would it have gone back onto inventory and been reallocated its instructional airframe number, thus appearing on paper like it never left perhaps?

I think the scheme chosen will look great, especially as there are no Harvards in that scheme in NZ to my knowledge. The reason that it didn't wear checkers will be because the Red Checkers were not yet formed, the team was known as the Central Flying School Wigram Team up till 1967. From 1967 when the new name was applied, the checkers were also applied to the cowls from then onwards.

[ZacYates]

I for one would love to see photos of the stripped Harvard and any restoration/"conservation" work being carried out.

[baz62]

There are a couple of Harvards flying in 60's schemes aren't there? NZ1098 is one although not using the original dayglo orange as it fades to white fairly quickly and I'm sure there was another one as well?
Will certainly get a few looks in the new scheme from spotters and public alike.
Have you taken the wings off? I am curious about the condition of the wing angle attachments.
Cheers
Baz

[mit]

NZ1057 Is also in the dayglo scheme.

[baz62]

Ah thanks mit!

[nzjet]

Jun 22, 2010 15:08:36 GMT 12 baz62 said:

There are a couple of Harvards flying in 60's schemes aren't there? NZ1098 is one although not using the original dayglo orange as it fades to white fairly quickly and I'm sure there was another one as well?
Will certainly get a few looks in the new scheme from spotters and public alike.
Have you taken the wings off? I am curious about the condition of the wing angle attachments.
Cheers
Baz

Baz,
The wing angles are toast and will require new ones, I have never seen ali so corroded!

[shorty]

Having the fertilizer factory so close probably didn't do them any favours!

[Dave Homewood]

Oh, that colour scheme. I was thinking it was the one with the orange bands. Sorry.

[baz62]

Jun 23, 2010 20:58:30 GMT 12 nzjet said:

Jun 22, 2010 15:08:36 GMT 12 baz62 said:

There are a couple of Harvards flying in 60's schemes aren't there? NZ1098 is one although not using the original dayglo orange as it fades to white fairly quickly and I'm sure there was another one as well?
Will certainly get a few looks in the new scheme from spotters and public alike.
Have you taken the wings off? I am curious about the condition of the wing angle attachments.
Cheers
Baz

Lucky a wing didn't come off bad or were there enough bolts holding hands? ;D Must have been quite a strain on the port wing facing the Nor'Wester!!

Baz,
The wing angles are toast and will require new ones, I have never seen ali so corroded!