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Post by flyjoe180 on Sept 8, 2011 22:46:53 GMT 12
Lost a few on the way over.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 8, 2011 22:54:32 GMT 12
I meant Trimotor. Just testing you!
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 9, 2011 11:48:37 GMT 12
Meanwhile back at the story, . . . here's the first set of cowls I found and the two engine mounts I picked up. One of them is on the a/c now, the other was one I abandoned somewhere along the way. I always wish I had tried harder to keep it as it would have been very handy for working on the 1340 as a horizontal workbench. I got a better set of cowls through Mike Nicholls and these early ones were traded off.
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 9, 2011 12:15:20 GMT 12
I was introduced through Lyndon, to Don Subritzky (pictured) who at that stage had his family hangar setup out at Dairy Flat airfield. Don is another of those guys who is a genuine enthusiast and happy to help others where he can. I used to pay him a visit now and then and at that stage 1051 shared space in his hangar with his own project, 1053. I will feature a few shots of those restorations shortly too, because they are all part of my story, in the way being around those projects inspired me. Albeit mine was on a much more modest scale. By the way, that's 1051 on the right, and 1053 behind Don. More of those shortly. Don scurried off and came back producing a gem for me. Filling a space in a cockpit with something like this is GOLD ! Presto, . . . an electrics panel for the lower left hand side, front cockpit. Now don't get excited, this panel shown below is actually from Greg Ryans very long term Mk II project, but shows the front cockpit panels very well. Go and look at a Corsair panel (and I LOVE Corsairs), then go and look at this and tell me, honestly, isn't the humble early-model Harvard front panel set up, one of the most beautiful of all Warbird set-ups? All pressed out and beautiful, unlike the later models that through necessity were just "flat and functional". See? !!! Agree?? You can also see next to the electrics panel, in the middle there's the hinged door with the manufacturers plate on it. I was missing that door until the one off NZ914 found its way to me. At that point of course, I dropped the Project 948 handle, and went with the identity of NZ 914. And yes, I'm still missing the bits off the electrics panel shown, so if anyone has any leads, I'd be very grateful. And thanks again to you too, Don !
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Post by agalbraith on Sept 11, 2011 8:18:22 GMT 12
Great thread Peter!!
Great to know how some of these lovely old machines get saved. Awesome work on ressurecting an important piece of RNZAF history.
Cheers Anthony
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Post by obiwan27 on Sept 11, 2011 10:28:35 GMT 12
Fascinating story Peter, with the pics supplied it does help to bring the story to life.
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 11, 2011 19:49:17 GMT 12
A few years before I acquired the beginnings of my project, I worked at Radio Caroline in Timaru. Our young receptionist got on to the subject of her dads Harvard. That got my interest immediately. She was a very young Lyn Diamond, and her dad Dave Diamond along with friend Jim Sullivan, had managed to put 1025 onto the civil register and into the air, among the first to do so. Apparently Jims family called it "Dad And Daves" aircraft. It carried the civil registration ENN and when a hangar was built for it at Levels, Timaru Airport, the structure was dubbed, what else??, . . but the ENN House. This of course also fuelled my interest. I remember when John Greenstreet came down to buy the aircraft from them. He saw it, flew it and loved it. He bought it ! My son Jason, pictured with it at Wanaka, got his PPL last year. Wonder where he got that interest from?
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Post by jasonmac on Sept 11, 2011 19:54:37 GMT 12
I didn't stand a chance, right? Very cool...... Maybe one day I'll get the opportunity to get inside one and have a go myself. A Harvard type rating is on the dream list..... Might have to try my luck at a big Wednesday ticket!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 11, 2011 20:03:42 GMT 12
Radio Caroline - the pirate station? ;D
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 11, 2011 20:40:42 GMT 12
Well the clothing was a bit dodgy in those days but no pirate gear. ;D We often used to get confused with the famous English station of the same name. No that was the name of the local Radio New Zealand commercial station. Named after Caroline Bay. I like Timaru, but it often gets maligned. I often joke that I spent five years there one weekend!!
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 11, 2011 20:43:48 GMT 12
I didn't stand a chance, right? Very cool...... Maybe one day I'll get the opportunity to get inside one and have a go myself. A Harvard type rating is on the dream list..... Might have to try my luck at a big Wednesday ticket!
At $480 per hour or whatever it is these days, you'll need to win Big Wednesday several times!! Maybe Baz or Anthony will give you Auster tailwheel time at mates rates so you've got a bit of a head start before you head onto hydraulic shelves and radial engines?
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Post by mit on Sept 12, 2011 2:17:04 GMT 12
A few years before I acquired the beginnings of my project, I worked at Radio Caroline in Timaru. Our young receptionist got on to the subject of her dads Harvard. That got my interest immediately. She was a very young Lyn Diamond, and her dad Dave Diamond along with friend Jim Sullivan, had managed to put 1025 onto the civil register and into the air, among the first to do so. Apparently Jims family called it "Dad And Daves" aircraft. It carried the civil registration ENN and when a hangar was built for it at Levels, Timaru Airport, the structure was dubbed, what else??, . . but the ENN House. Gday Peter, Great account so far, maybe this could be the start of that harvard book you were telling me about..... I hate to correct you but this is one thing that does annoy me.. The Harvards were put on the register in alphabetic order starting at with ENA (NZ1037) and ENB (NZ1076) which were "civilianize" at Harewood by Airwork. ENB was in fact the fist civil Harvard to fly in NZ in 1978 both ENA and ENB were work on at the same time in the same hangar and it just worked out it pip ENA at the post! ENN (NZ1025) was not registered until 1980 it certainly didn't fly until then as it was originally sold to Engine Support inc who removed the engine and on sold the remains to Dave Diamond and Jim Sullivan. It was the second to last exRNZAF harvard on the register with ENM (NZ1085) going to oz. The last harvard is of course the exSAAF example. Ok off my soap box... Looking forward to more installments, I think there is great potential for similar restorations and aircraft recovery.... Cheers Mit
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 12, 2011 5:36:27 GMT 12
Hi Mit, . . . you are quite correct when I think about it, thanks for that. My slip with the passage of time, all that stuff over those two years got a bit fused together in my head. Pleased to have you with us and feel free to weigh in with anything at anytime. In fact, I INSIST !
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 12, 2011 17:16:16 GMT 12
By around the early months of 1992, I had reached the point where I had the tube frame, the centre section, the engine mount/s, the kay nackered rear fuse, a few panels including the Port side panel, the wings, and a stack of boxed parts I had removed from the frame. It was time for a career move South and a new breakfast job in Dunedin, so not only the task of moving the family and furniture etc, but a Harvard in bits as well. The wings and centre section went into the truck with all our furniture and a lot of the small bits, and the tube frame went on my trailer with me and the car. I remember it was a bit of a circus and the Harvard bits cost more to move than our household stuff. Never mind, the company paid. The tortured rear fuse posed a dilemna. I was never going to use it, but I felt it should come. In the end I had to be hard-hearted about it. I simply turned around and walked away from it. Left it behind the shed in the trees and hoped the problem would go away !!!! The second engine mount stayed behind in what the kids called, the spider shed, down the back garden. I later regretted that too. I offered the yellow cowls around at Warbirds before I left but there was no interest. I honestly can't remember who got them in the end.
I quite like exciting road trips, and towing your Harvard frame nearly the length of the country qualifies for an exciting road trip I reckon. I remember pulling up for a cup of tea at my parents house in Ashburton and they being quite bemused at what was on the trailer. Nobody quite "gets it" like us fanatical vintage aeroplane people eh? Never mind, with the most part of the trip behind me, I continued on to Dunedin, and what would ultimately prove to be my Harvard projects darkest days, and the dream practically shattered, ........... and entirely of my own doing.
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 12, 2011 18:43:40 GMT 12
Mrs Mac thinks the yellow cowls did come south with us. She may well be right. And were disposed of in the next bit of the story. I seem to recall them under the house in Dunedin. Some of the detail is lost on me nearly twenty years down the track. I've always admired people who can recall in great detail what they were doing on the second Tuesday in March, 1943 at 3.15 during the War. I often can't recall what I did yesterday !!!!
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Post by thebrads on Sept 12, 2011 20:23:09 GMT 12
Awesome story, and very well written. Keep writing!
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 12, 2011 20:41:53 GMT 12
Thanks for the comments along the way guys. Really appreciated.
So we've arrived at Dunedin and I have all this aircraft stuff scattered around the place. We bought a house which had a reasonable area underneath and the frame, and mount and boxes of stuff all went under there. The wings were still sitting down at NZ Van Lines near the waterfront and from memory they were there for a reasonably long time. They couldn't stay forever. As I got settled into Dunedin, it all started to look too hard and maybe too ambitious for my means. What was I to do? I had no room for the wings at home and I couldn't see a practical solution in sight. I made a (very bad) decision. Perhaps I would have to divest the project. Starting with the wings to get the storage people sorted, I called up Kerry Horrell in Ashburton. As I understand it, the way things happened with the aircraft his dad had acquired, the wings off the Methven Playground Harvard (the ones I'd picked up) were actually the correct ones for the aircraft they had in their backyard. Yes he'd be delighted to own them. From memory I handed them over for what they had cost me (not very much), and Kerry was delighted. Kerry was even more delighted when the transport company he engaged to bring them from Dunedin to Ashburton, forgot to sent him the bill !!!!
The provenance of these things is always complex, but I trust I have the above matchings correct. As with anything here, I'm pleased to stand corrected in the interests of accuracy.
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Post by baz62 on Sept 12, 2011 20:48:53 GMT 12
Great story Peter, you'll have to come have a look at my Auster project and we can swap notes!
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 12, 2011 21:03:47 GMT 12
The Horrell Harvard Mk III NZ 1077 as it was in January 1991 when I visited on a trip home to Ashburton. At that stage it was at the orginal family property. It was later taken down from its pole mounts and today is stored with Kerry indoors at his property, with the wings off. He has plans to clean it up and suspend it in his big shed at some stage. Kerry's been helpful along the way with a good set of main wheel hubs for my project and the odd spare panel here and there.
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Post by aeromedia on Sept 12, 2011 21:07:05 GMT 12
Great story Peter, you'll have to come have a look at my Auster project and we can swap notes!
Love to Baz !
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