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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2017 19:18:25 GMT 12
The Harvard's wheels have gone up and down when the button is pushed, along with engine sounds, ever since they suspended it there. It's a great active display, I love it as much as the kids.
There used to be a mezzanine floor above the main entrance from where you used to be able to get up to eye level height with the Lanc years ago but it disappeared a long time back.
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Post by ErrolC on Sept 17, 2017 20:32:55 GMT 12
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Post by pjw4118 on Sept 19, 2017 17:34:51 GMT 12
Errol the lights are off as a precaution against a trace of old tip gas coming through a floor joint. MOTAT are waiting on an engineering fix for it. The missing perspex panels in the turret were out for copying to help Just Jane in UK on its rebuild to flying status. With all the work on aircraft movements the aviation team havent been able to replace them yet , likewise the repairs to the inner wing joints.
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motat
Warrant Officer
Posts: 38
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Post by motat on Sept 20, 2017 20:02:57 GMT 12
I don’t know if this YouTube link works but it is the time lapse movie of the moving of the Solent and Sunderland etc. The MOTAT Team did a magnificent job. Enjoy
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MOTAT
Sept 20, 2017 21:00:18 GMT 12
Post by planecrazy on Sept 20, 2017 21:00:18 GMT 12
Great job, would imagine this will attract a lot more aviation buffs to the museum, well done to all concerned! Such a pity the Empire boat didn't survive imagine that all three of the shorts boats, maybe build a replica.
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MOTAT
Sept 21, 2017 11:55:24 GMT 12
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Sept 21, 2017 11:55:24 GMT 12
Great job, would imagine this will attract a lot more aviation buffs to the museum, well done to all concerned! Such a pity the Empire boat didn't survive imagine that all three of the shorts boats, maybe build a replica. ....and NZ4104/ZK-AMK which would have made four of them.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2017 15:51:20 GMT 12
Whatever became of the Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon (US copy of the V1 Flying Bomb) that used to be at MOTAT? It used to hang over the entrance to the main hangar back when there was a mezzanine floor there. It must be a rare artifact these days. Does MOTAT still have it?
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MOTAT
Oct 5, 2017 18:38:33 GMT 12
Post by skyhawkdon on Oct 5, 2017 18:38:33 GMT 12
Its at Wigram now Dave. I believe it still belongs to the Smithsonian and is only on loan.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2017 19:08:11 GMT 12
OK, cool. Glad it's still around.
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MOTAT
Oct 6, 2017 14:51:06 GMT 12
Post by ZacYates on Oct 6, 2017 14:51:06 GMT 12
I think the Loon popped up on the AFMNZ Facebook page a year or two back, perhaps it was being moved.
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Post by Richard Wesley on Oct 6, 2017 20:06:02 GMT 12
From Facebook post with photos of arrival in Christchurch: www.facebook.com/pg/AirForceMuseumofNewZealand/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154149724096279"Under somewhat gloomy skies today, a special delivery arrived at the Museum, having come all the way from Auckland. A large crate was unloaded from a Mainfreight truck and opened to reveal a JB-2 surface-to-surface missile, also known as a ‘Loon’. This particular Loon is on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in the United States, and has come to us from MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology) in Auckland. During its time at MOTAT, the Loon had been repainted to look like a German V-1 flying bomb, or ‘doodlebug’. New Zealanders serving with the RAF late in World War Two were very familiar with V-1s. No. 486 (NZ) Squadron, flying Hawker Tempest fighters, was part of the fighter network protecting London in 1944 from V-1 attacks, and shot down over 220 of them. The Loon was developed by the United States in 1944 after reverse-engineering crashed German V-1s that had been shipped from England. The body and warhead were produced by Republic Aviation, and Ford manufactured the PJ31 pulsejet engine. 1,931 Loon missiles were produced, and while they were never used operationally during World War Two, they did form part of the post-war US cruise missile development programme until they were removed from service in 1950. The Loon has now been moved to our Reserve Collection area, and can be viewed on our free behind the scenes tours."
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 6, 2017 20:32:01 GMT 12
Great, thanks Richard. It would be cool to see that set up in a suspended position from the roof in the new bug hangar with the Spitfire tipping it, or chasing it.
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MOTAT
Oct 7, 2017 9:42:52 GMT 12
Post by jp on Oct 7, 2017 9:42:52 GMT 12
Why suspend the Spitfire? Suspended aircraft offer rubbish viewing (Tempest V at RAF museum is a good example of this) - did MK XVI's even get used with any frequency against V-1s? Also, I'm betting tipping happened a lot less often than legend would lead people to believe, especially Merlin Spits which would have struggled to pull up alongside them.....
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MOTAT
Oct 7, 2017 10:01:39 GMT 12
Post by nuuumannn on Oct 7, 2017 10:01:39 GMT 12
Brilliant clip, Motat; so great to see.
Re the JB-2, why? It has no relevance to the RNZAF - if it were a real V-1 then yes, that'd be fitting, but it's an American made missile that happens to look like a V-1. As I understand it, it's in storage right now.
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MOTAT
Oct 7, 2017 14:20:25 GMT 12
Post by Richard Wesley on Oct 7, 2017 14:20:25 GMT 12
Brilliant clip, Motat; so great to see. Re the JB-2, why? It has no relevance to the RNZAF - if it were a real V-1 then yes, that'd be fitting, but it's an American made missile that happens to look like a V-1. As I understand it, it's in storage right now. I think Motat asked the same question. Personally I think it was more relevant displayed with the Lancaster, than with the RNZAF museum? The P47 went from Motat to RNZAF Museum to then be swapped for a replica Sopwith Camel, but I can't see how this could happen with a loan item like this one?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 7, 2017 17:40:52 GMT 12
I am not sure what the relevance of mentioning the P-47D Thunderbolt is, but it was a heap of junk tacked together with 4x2 timber and fibreglass that neither MOTAT nor Wigram would ever have attempted to rebuild, so both museums got something they wanted in exchange for it; MOTAT got the Mosquito wing and Wigram get a WWI aircraft to display. The P-47D is still only partially restored some two decades later despite being with a commercial restoration workshop.
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MOTAT
Oct 7, 2017 20:52:15 GMT 12
Post by Richard Wesley on Oct 7, 2017 20:52:15 GMT 12
I am not sure what the relevance of mentioning the P-47D Thunderbolt is, but it was a heap of junk tacked together with 4x2 timber and fibreglass that neither MOTAT nor Wigram would ever have attempted to rebuild, so both museums got something they wanted in exchange for it; MOTAT got the Mosquito wing and Wigram get a WWI aircraft to display. The P-47D is still only partially restored some two decades later despite being with a commercial restoration workshop. Sorry, wasn't clear, fully agree that the P47 getting swapped for something more relevant to New Zealand was great, I'm just saying that may not be able to happen with the V-1 if it is a loan item?
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motat
Warrant Officer
Posts: 38
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Post by motat on Oct 9, 2017 8:43:33 GMT 12
As outlined in some of the previous blogs the rocket is a JB2 "Loon" which was made in the US and not a V-1 made in Germany and used during WW2. The rocket was made to look like a V-1 for display purposes and it will have to be converted back to its original configuration at some stage. The rocket is also owned by the Smithsonian so they have they are the only ones who can direct what happens to it (e.g. it is extremely unlikely that the Smithsonian would allow another museum to exchange it for another object and even if they did that object would belong to the Smithsonian).
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MOTAT
Oct 10, 2017 10:03:34 GMT 12
Post by ZacYates on Oct 10, 2017 10:03:34 GMT 12
The Harvard's wheels have gone up and down when the button is pushed, along with engine sounds, ever since they suspended it there. It's a great active display, I love it as much as the kids. I didn't realise that Dave, very cool. I very rarely press any buttons at museums, I guess I'm a bit more passive?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 10, 2017 13:30:51 GMT 12
Here is a photo I took in the restoration hangar on 29th of October 2010 of the electronics installed into the Harvard to make its wheels retract, lights blink and all that stuff. I posted this earlier in this thread. One one or two occasions when I have visited it has been out of order, but it is back in service again when I visit next time. No surprise that it gets tired, kids love standing there pushing the button over and over watching the wheels. It's a superb display for edicating young minds.
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