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Post by shorty on May 11, 2011 14:03:23 GMT 12
To help me date some photos can anyone tell me when the concrete bombproof doors were replaced on the concrete hangars at Whenuapai and Ohakea?
I've heard stories about how it was done but don't know the year.
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Post by shorty on May 23, 2011 15:34:05 GMT 12
Bump
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 23, 2011 18:00:48 GMT 12
Shorty, I was not aware that the doors had been changed. Can you please post some comparisons? And what have you heard about the door change? Thanks.
Were the orignial doors made from concrete, seriously? They must have weighed tonnes.
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Post by machpants on May 23, 2011 19:42:43 GMT 12
HAS doors in the UK made of steel reinforced concrete and you wouldn't want to drop one on your foot!
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Post by shorty on May 23, 2011 20:46:10 GMT 12
Taking 2 Hangar at Ohakea as an example here are a couple of shots of the original hangar doors. Points of difference are that they have 3 rows of reinforced glass windows high up (presumably so that the blast wouldn't go through the windows at aircraft/personel level) They were also still painted in earth coloured camouflage and moved by use of a handcrank in the corner of the door (or a tractor). At some stage, I think late 50s- early 60s, they were replaced. I am told they just removed the pins holding the top wheels and pushed the doors outwards. This is reputed to have made a helluva crash and heaps of dust. The replacement doors are clad in corrugated iron with translucent corrugated plastic sheeting taking up the top third and they can be pushed open by hand. So what year did this happen?
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Post by 14liney on May 30, 2011 8:02:53 GMT 12
Shorty...I think Geoff Grey was there when the doors were replaced.
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Post by shorty on May 30, 2011 12:03:53 GMT 12
I hope he chimes in then, the problem is there aren't enough of us grim digs reading this. The colour photo of the Vampires show the fern leaf roundels so the doors must have been changed sometime after 1957 when these roundels were adopted.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 30, 2011 14:16:50 GMT 12
Why were they changed? Was it to make them more lightweight? Were the heavy doors detrimental to the rest of the structure perhaps? Seems very odd to change them on all four hangars for no reason, so there must ahve been a reason I guess.
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Post by shorty on May 31, 2011 12:43:53 GMT 12
I would say the reason was a. the bombproof function was no longer required b. lighter doors easier to open and close c. bigger clear panels allow more light in when doors are shut d. with all 4 hangars being the same get one firm to tender for the lot, economies of scale. and possibly the doors were cracking or the re inforcing steel rusting or similar If you recall No 3 hangar at Ohakea (42 squadons home at the time)had lumps of concrete falling from the roof due to corrosion of the re iforcing steel. You had to wear hard hats while in the hangar proper.
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Post by camtech on Jul 2, 2011 17:18:13 GMT 12
Shorty, just found an old RNZAF News, which I believe is April 1961, with 3 photos (albeit rather grainy) of the doors of 3 Hangar being pulled down, apparently in March 1961. Looks like they released the top guides, then attached ropes and pulled. Would have made a hell of a noise I guess. I'll try and get a copy of the page up later. Hope that helps with your initial query.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 2, 2011 18:21:28 GMT 12
I recall hearing of a hangar door at Wigram (either the PTS or CFS hangar) coming down with a crash into the hangar after a baggie (who was a Sgt by the time I was in) bumped into it with a powerpull. I'm told it just missed the only Airtrainer in the hangar. Does anyone have photos or memories of this? The story went that he had to run for it and the top of the hangar ripped his jumper as it went past him!
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Post by camtech on Jul 2, 2011 22:26:25 GMT 12
BTW, just noted that each door weighed 25 tons! need to keep the toes well clear.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jul 3, 2011 2:34:24 GMT 12
Dave, Re the incident at Wigram. Others will know for Sure but I was under the impression it was at 4 Hangar, the IMF Hangar with the roadside doors. The tug was getting about in the early 1980's with 'Hangar Eater' painted down both sides of the bonnet. As far as names go.. hmmm Steve Holtum, Head of NMIT's School of Aviation must have been at Wigram in that era.
I thought the door may have actually crushed a car, the hangar SNCO parking spot was just thereabouts.
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Post by kiwiinoz on Jul 3, 2011 7:14:37 GMT 12
Strawbs Holtum was indeed the driver, with Lyn Chandler riding shotgun. Hooning at the time when the thottle jammed and they went thru the door, thus bringing it down, it clipped Lyn on the way down. The powerpull then crushed Prentergasts push bike up against Ernie Thompsons car. Sure made a bang
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Post by baz62 on Jul 3, 2011 10:58:31 GMT 12
Thats so funny but man those guys were sooo lucky. Bet the bike and the car were a bit munted
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 3, 2011 14:33:55 GMT 12
Thanks for clarifying those rumours, funny how the Chinese whispers alter things when people who weren't there pass the stories along.
Yes, Steve was a great bloke when I knew him as a Sgt. I wonder if he reads the forum. I caught up with him at Omaka airshow in 2007 briefly,
Back to Shorty's subject, Les does that article you have actually state why the doors were being changed? I wonder what they did with the old doors.
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Post by shorty on Jul 3, 2011 17:07:45 GMT 12
Dave, the article stating that EACH door weighed 25 tons probably answers the question as to why and if you drop a concrete door weighing that much onto the ground I would think the only thing you could use it for after would be roadfill
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Post by Tony on Jul 3, 2011 20:32:41 GMT 12
Also might explain why the hardstanding outside the hangars was replaced (well at Ohakea anyway)
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Post by camtech on Jul 4, 2011 21:04:58 GMT 12
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Post by camtech on Jul 4, 2011 21:21:42 GMT 12
This might be easier - out of practice! Steve Holtum, when I knew him was a sgt, and worked for me on Friendships - quite a character!!
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