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Post by Gavin Conroy on Aug 15, 2010 8:02:03 GMT 12
Here are a few photos from my trip to Auckland last week. Thanks to Colin for all of his help in terms of getting from A to B and for being a good bugger as well. Had contacted the guys at MOTAT to see if it was possible to get up close with the Mosquito so I traded a few Classic Wings magazines for a look around. It was great, a lot of people were working on many different types. The visit was over shadowed by the construction of the new hangar. It is HUGE and I cant wait to go back and have a look when everything is completed. We visited Avspecs twice as I had a lot of photos to get and we had some flying planned but flagged it due to lack of blue sky. The Mosquito is looking great and the P-40C is coming along nicely as well and cannot wait to fly with both of these aircraft. Have always had a real interest in the P-40C and we have a few different ideas in terms of photos of that one when the time comes. Great day trip that's for sure, will be back every 6-8 weeks until the Mosquito flies for updates and is sure is exciting times.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2010 9:00:47 GMT 12
Great photos, thanks for sharing them
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Post by baz62 on Aug 15, 2010 9:59:29 GMT 12
Keep them coming Gavin we appreciate your efforts!! The P40B is looking a lot more complete now. Those "Long-nose" Allisons are a rare engine now so its good to see one powering a P40 and not sitting static in a museum.
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Post by obiwan27 on Aug 15, 2010 11:38:19 GMT 12
Awesome!!! Will be following this thread with interest Gavin. It's like an aviation enthusiast's wet dream...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 15, 2010 14:10:31 GMT 12
Fantastic photos Gavin. Although it is superb to see the two Mosquitoes and the Tomahawk progressing I think a major milestone for me to see there in the dim background is the Hudson with a wing on. Have you any better photos of the Hudson please?
Also, you just do not realise how massive that new hangar is till you see the spec of a man in the red top in the centre of the shot. It must be the equivalent of six or seven storeys at least. Are they planning for the building to have several storeys within?
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Post by ErrolC on Aug 15, 2010 15:04:15 GMT 12
Also, you just do not realise how massive that new hangar is till you see the spec of a man in the red top in the centre of the shot. It must be the equivalent of six or seven storeys at least. Are they planning for the building to have several storeys within? Draft layout at www.motat.org.nz/Projects/Funding%20-%20Aviation%20hangar.htm
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 15, 2010 15:56:18 GMT 12
Yeah, I had seen that plan before but it doesn't state whether the entire building will have just one floor or if they plan several. The can easily have the tall tails of the flying boats in there and still have a second or thrird storey within, surely. I guess it's all down to costs but wit would be great if they could have extra floorspaceabove the aircraft for offices, storage, more displays, a better cafe, etc. Even if it was just a mezzanine floor stystem.
I note there's no Devon in that floor plan. Maybe it will go into the Belfast hangar?
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Post by Bruce on Aug 15, 2010 17:05:52 GMT 12
I visited Motat today and was impressed by the size of the new building. Its going to be good! The displays in the existing hangar are currently in transition and its a tight squeeze in there! The restoration hangar wasnt open, but looking in the doors good progress is being made. I hadnt realised how bad the varnish on the Solent had become. Unfortunately the big impression today was of a sea of foul - smelling mud (A distinct "ex-landfill" fragrance) - the heavy rains of late have made all the public walking areas really bad No-ones fault, just one of those things... I do feel sorry for the "effervescent" Lodestar though - despite what has been said in the past, it is in REALLY bad condition - It needs at least a temporary coat of primer really quick!
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Post by corsair on Aug 15, 2010 17:22:24 GMT 12
Great Pics Gavin !
Do you have any more pics of the P-40B to share ?
Fantastic stuff
Corsair
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Aug 15, 2010 17:32:08 GMT 12
Hudson Tomahawk Will post some more once I have had a sort out.
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Post by baz62 on Aug 15, 2010 17:33:24 GMT 12
Actually its a P40C and according to Wikipediea the difference from the B model was adding underbelly drop tank and bomb shackles, self-sealing fuel tanks and other minor revisions so not much difference airframe/engine wise.
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Aug 15, 2010 17:47:26 GMT 12
You are right Baz, it is a C
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Post by baz62 on Aug 15, 2010 17:51:39 GMT 12
Its a very sleek looking aircraft compared with the later P40s, the scoop for the oil and glycol coolers are not as deep as the D model onwards. Nice photos Gav keep 'em coming! ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 15, 2010 17:52:19 GMT 12
Thanks Gavin. Hmm, why did I think the wing was on the Hudson? Now that I look, it isn't. But I'm sure someone here said they were fitting a wing a while back, was the port wing on?
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Post by Bruce on Aug 15, 2010 18:06:40 GMT 12
Port was on today - work proceeding on the starboard.
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Post by philip on Aug 15, 2010 18:56:17 GMT 12
I was talking to one of the Strong Bros (builders) bosses the other day and he was on his way out to MOTAT to work out how they were going to suspend the Lancaster and Solent from the ceiling. Might have been a little out but they are definitely suspending a lot of aircraft from the roof.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 15, 2010 21:43:10 GMT 12
I haven't been to MOTAT for many years. The last time I visited there was when they held the big airshow at Auckland Airport (when that Russian Beriev flying-boat landed in the Waitemata Harbour, then was displayed at the airshow).
However, I am planning to visit MOTAT this year. I'll be in Auckland the first weekend in September (flying from Wellington to Auckland on the Friday afternoon, then back to Masterton on the Sunday evening), then I'll be up there for the entire weekend again the first weekend in December (flying frtom Masterton on the Friday evening, then flying back to Masterton on the Sunday evening).
I want to catch up with the War Memorial Museum (another place I haven't visited for a long time) so I'm planning to visit that museum during one of those weekends and visit MOTAT during the other weekend, but I haven't yet decided which weekends I'll go to each museum.
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Post by Bruce on Aug 15, 2010 22:30:43 GMT 12
If you are wanting to visit from a "general museum" approach, the War memorial museum is far better. they have presented their displays to tell a story and put things in context. I found the main site at Motat quite perplexing in this regard, as the displays had good material, but were laid out in a really haphazard manner - a collection of Police cars and old electrical appliances sharing the same display area, more cars tucked in odd places around the the site. Special exhibits with totally unrelated long term displays right in the middle. The aviation section is in upheaval, but it was actually one of the best structured bits! I wish I could redesign the Motat 1 general displays for them!
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Post by Bruce on Aug 15, 2010 22:45:46 GMT 12
Oh yeah Throttlejockey - I'd suggest Motat in December - to give the mud a chance to dry out!
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Post by curtiss on Aug 15, 2010 23:13:02 GMT 12
Strictly speaking the Tomahawk is not a P40C. It was built for the RAF as AK295 and was therefore a Tomahawk IIB ( Curtiss model H81-A2 ). The IIB was the export version of the P40C built for the RAF. This aircraft was recovered from Russia, but I am not sure if it was one of the aircraft shipped directly from America to Russia or if it went to the UK first.
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