Where did these MoTaT a/c go?

[ZacYates]

Hi all,
Flicking through the April 1978 NZ Wings magazine there is the second part of a directory of aircraft held by MoTaT. However some aircraft I don't remember from my 2005 visit but listed here are Hawker Hind NZ1518, Vampire T.55 NZ5705, Vampire FB.52 NZ5734, Vildebeeste NZ102/105 and Grumman Widgeon ZK-BPX.

Does anyone, out of curiosity, have any information on these airframes? The Hind is especially interesting to me, as are the Vamps. On the subject of the Hind the article mentions that a set of wings were donated by NZ Aerial Mapping Ltd....how exactly did they come to have a set of Hind wings?

It is quite satisfying from an observer's pout of view to read of the Mosquito restoration at this point in time, saying that various parts were needed and the fuselage was almost complete.

[shorty]

Vildebeeste NZ 102/105 ws swapped to the RNZAF Museum in exchange for the rebuild of the Mosquito wing sometime around 1980

[Peter Lewis]

Widgeon ZK-BPX - DBR Pegasus Bay, Stewart Island, 15Jan64 when landed wheels-down on water. To MoTAT, then Owen Harnish who stored at Ardmore

Hind NZ1518 - Cr Tararua foothills, near Waikanae, 20Nov41, Ex-Ohakea. Pilot LAC G C Stewart. Wreck recovered by helicopter 4May72, to MoTAT, parts in storage for use as patterns

Vanpire NZ5705 - WFU - relegated to INST190. To MoTAT Auckland 17Dec62, destroyed by outside storage & dumped

Vampire NZ5734 - Retired May62, conv INST184/INSTNZ5734 Sep62. Sold, to Ross Jowitt of Auckland. Advertised for sale early 2007.

Hind NZ102/105 - as above

[ZacYates]

Sad news about NZ5705! To think that an organisation dedicated to preservation actually let an aircraft get to the stage it had to be dumped, that's most disappointing.

[Dave Homewood]

To play devil's advocate, how degraded was it when MOTAT acquired it? Perhaps it is not entirely their fault?

[shamus]

Hi Peter. What is Hind NZ102/105 ? I dont know this one.

[Dave Homewood]

He means the Vildebeest project that went to Wigram I guess.

[shamus]

Have been talking to Don this morning, and to clear the slate regarding NZ5705 Vampire that was mentioned on Shorty's Stash, the info on this aircraft is a mystery. In Don's early days at Motat we were told we were getting a two seat Vampire from Hobsonville, but nothing more was heard or seen. Years later out of the blue, and not under Tom Craills chairmanship (Al Rowell, Chairman) the sad remains of this pod was dropped off at the tip site at Meola Rd. by persons unknown. After a few headscratings and bad press about Motat, it was decided the best thing for it was to have it put down. It still resulted in a few people being smacked. During this time Motat had no friends in any quarter. This was about 1968 from memory. As Don was on an aircraft finishers course at Hobsonville later, NZ5705 tail-booms were still at No1 TTS labeled as NZ5709. Refer Shorty's Stash photograph

[shamus]

Referring to the Hind, NZ1518. The remains of this aircraft were in a very sad state when they arrived at Motat. I must have needed my head seen to, to have taken on the project.
A little background knowledge is needed to understand what we were dealing with. Firstly when a Hind that cruises a 185 mph crashes into trees on a rugged range, substantial structural damage is done. After this the RNZAF salvage party removed the armaments and small items they could carry out, ( no helicopter in those days). The then pierced the fuel tank and set fire to the aircraft. This fire melted a lot of the aulminium burnt all of the woodwork and fabric and burnt the paint off the seel tubing. The remains were then left in an area of high rainfall and salt laden westerly winds for 31 years before recovery. It does not take much imagination to realise what state these remains were in. There was no piece of steel tubing that could be used, so the restoration will be mainly replica. Also, not all of the Hind was recovered from the very steep slope that it was on as when it broke up over time, smaller pieces were washed away by heavy rain. Darren Hammond now at Wigram, who was at Motat about 5-7 years ago, said the project should be abandoned. Since then, Don has held the remains of the remains in storage at Dairy Flat with the idea, as the other 3 Hinds progress, unserviceable parts will be used in a replica for Motat.
The wings donated by NZ Aerial Mapping, are off Don's first Hind recovered from Hastings, Don then offered the fuselage to Motat which was soundly refused by management due to bad press
at the junk Motat was collecting and this was the catalyst for Don's collection.
Photos to follow.

[Dave Homewood]

I never realised Don was Safety and Surface.

[shorty]

he wasn't, he did his engineering apprenticeship with TEAL (along with Monty Armstrong, Dave Graham et al)

[John L]

The Vampire pod, around 1980

[Dave Homewood]

Jan 26, 2011 17:52:10 GMT 12 shorty said:

he wasn't, he did his engineering apprenticeship with TEAL (along with Monty Armstrong, Dave Graham et al)

Shamus had said, "As Don was on an aircraft finishers course at Hobsonville later"

I'm confised. Did TEAL engineering apprentices do aircraft finishers courses at Hobsonville?

[shamus]

No Dave, aircraft restorers at Motat were offered the opportunity to go on the course. Don was the only one who took it up, with the blessing of his employers, TEAL.

[Dave Homewood]

Ah I see. What a great idea. Thanks for clarifying that. That shows that the RNZAF did have some idea of the need to preserve aircraft properly even though they were not yet then actively preserving stuff themselves.