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Post by hairy on May 31, 2005 15:45:51 GMT 12
Everything I have read on this a/c says that it was scrapped, but........................................... in Leslie Hunts 'Veteren and Vintage Aircraft' 4th edition, notes that the remains are stored with the Auckland War Memorial Museum. "A bad bit of information" I hear you all cry, but.............................................. A very good friend (and flatmate) of mine who worked at the museum told me that in their storage facility, location classified because it is in a less than salubrious suburb, holds soo much stuff that they have no idea what is there and the lists have all been lost or are extremely out of date (I'm talking about a large warehouse here). Unfortunately this friend of mine was killed by a pratt in a car whilst riding home on his motorbike a couple of years ago so we can't ask him. MMMMMMM.................................  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 31, 2005 18:28:24 GMT 12
WOW!! Now that would be amazing if it does exist.
I think perhaps the RNZAF Museum team would be interested if it does exist.
What date was the book published?
By the way, Leslie Hunt ahs a Kiwi connection, he was the Intelligence Officer in No. 488 (NZ) Squadron in britain and France during WWII. He wrote the squadron's history in 1949.
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Post by Bruce on May 31, 2005 21:26:32 GMT 12
I have heard similar scuttlebut over the years - at one stage I was offered a box of 20mm cannon ex DH mosquito / Vampire by a curator when we were speaking aeroplane - apparently they have boxes and boxes of them held as swap items, but never used as such and getting in the way! (I didnt take them, although now I wish I did, some targets sping to mind - I dont think that would have been very legit anyway!) The same curator reckoned that there were piles of other aircraft sections in store but didnt say what or where - I dont think they know for sure. Perhaps with the current museum upgrade under way, some of the reserve collection will make its way out.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 31, 2005 21:38:40 GMT 12
Blimey, I wonder if there's any truth to these rumours.
I'm really surprised to hear that they have a reserve collection so large they don't know what's in it.
I have emailed the museum to see if they can give us any hard facts. If I get a reply I'll let you know.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 31, 2005 22:12:55 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 31, 2005 22:35:11 GMT 12
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Post by Bruce on Jun 1, 2005 8:12:47 GMT 12
Could it be that the reference book may have made an error in serial numbers between NZ6001 the meteor and NZ6000 which is the A6M3 Zero in the museum collection?
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Post by Bruce on Jun 1, 2005 8:23:13 GMT 12
Just another Meteor Side issue, NZ6001 was a single seat mk 3, when I was browsing info on RNZAF Waipapakauri and Kaitaia, just for general info, I came across reference to a 2 seater T7 that demonstrated over Kaitaia, Landing at Waipapakauri - see link below: homepages.ihug.co.nz/~russells/nzrafaa/past_09_2004.htmlThe pilots is sqn Leader McKay, who demonstrated NZ6001 all around the country, but reference to a T7 is odd - did we get a T7 (still with RAF serial) at a similar time? |
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Post by hairy on Jun 1, 2005 13:54:09 GMT 12
An interesting aside to this, the CAF have an early Jet engine that was found on a dump  , it is sectioned and mounted on a stand so I think it was an instructional aid. The real interesting thing about it is that it was manufactured by 'Power Jets Ltd.' which would make it one of the earliest British jet engines around and more than likely the oldest one in NZ. My guess is that it came from NZ6001 and retained by the RNZAF as a training aide. More info. on what dump it came from soon. |
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Post by Bruce on Jun 1, 2005 14:10:39 GMT 12
The Meteor III had Rolls Royce Derwents which although almost identical to a Power Jets (Rover) R1 would have had RR badges and stamping. It is likely however that an instructional engine would have come over with the meteor during the formation of the Jet experience flight. Only the pre Production and early mark 1 meteors had Rover engines and Power Jets units would be even older. - the RNZAF Meteor seems to be quite an enigma - lots of odd stories..... |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2005 23:26:43 GMT 12
According to adf serials the engine was remove and sold before the airframe was melted down.
I've heard nothing from the museum, perhaps they're still searching for it ;D
Not a bad theory regarding the serial number mix-up, might be correct. But when was the book dated? The Zero might have already been in the museum by then on display.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2005 23:29:07 GMT 12
adf-serials also says the Meteor was sold "by tender to A. Elliot, Onehunga in May 1957." Does anyone know, was he a known scrap dealer? Did he scrap other aircraft?
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Post by hairy on Jun 3, 2005 14:06:14 GMT 12
Could it be that the reference book may have made an error in serial numbers between NZ6001 the meteor and NZ6000 which is the A6M3 Zero in the museum collection? The Zero NZ6000 is noted as well complete with a potted history. |
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Post by hairy on Jun 3, 2005 14:07:47 GMT 12
What date was the book published? The fourth revised edition was published in 1974 |
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Post by hairy on Jun 3, 2005 14:15:19 GMT 12
Just another Meteor Side issue, NZ6001 was a single seat mk 3, when I was browsing info on RNZAF Waipapakauri and Kaitaia, just for general info, I came across reference to a 2 seater T7 that demonstrated over Kaitaia, Landing at Waipapakauri - see link below: homepages.ihug.co.nz/~russells/nzrafaa/past_09_2004.htmlThe pilots is sqn Leader McKay, who demonstrated NZ6001 all around the country, but reference to a T7 is odd - did we get a T7 (still with RAF serial) at a similar time? A friend of mine is researching a storey that appeared in a newspaper, possibly the ODT, about a local man in Dunedin who bought a Meteor off the airforce and kept in a shed on his property but eventually due to either sickness or death it was scrapped by his family several years later. Due to the fact that NZ6001 was an instructional airframe at Hobsonville its ending up in Dunedin is very unlikely........................(again) MMMMMM ;D |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 12, 2005 12:49:45 GMT 12
For the record, I have not yet had any reply from the Auckland War Memorial Museum, so either they are not interested, or perhaps they're still looking through their sheds for the Meteor.
This is an interesting thread with all the possibilities - perhaps a two-seater here in NZ (I think maybe this was mis-remembered/mis-reported as the timing coincides with NZ6001's tour). Also perhaps one in Dunedin... nothing is impossible. And the likelihood that the engine has survived is I think the strongest rumour of all.
I wonder if the RAF or other air forces brought any here on exercise or tours?
In the mists of my mind I think I may have read about the RNZAF Museum wanting or getting a Meteor which they hoped to backdate to represent NZ6001. Is this true, or am I totally "getting into the realms of fantasy" as Captain Mainwaring would say?
I may be confusing this with the Canberra which they definately have.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 12, 2005 14:29:09 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 19, 2005 17:28:39 GMT 12
Here is a newly rediscovered piece from 'Pacific Wings' magazine's September 1999 letter page that adds a little info...  |
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Post by hairy on Aug 20, 2005 11:01:03 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 9, 2005 19:52:18 GMT 12
[glow=red,2,300]The Plot Thinnens!![/glow]
Today I bought a copy of Issue Two of the excellent magazine New Zealand Military Style (from the early 1990's, this replaces one I had stolen).
In it is an article by Bruce Elliott who writes about his dad, Albert Elliott, who was a scrap dealer in the 1950's and 60's.
Now, it describes how his Dad bought and scrapped an Oxford, then three Mossies, and then NZ6001, the Meteor. It was he (Albert) who cut it up on the side of Hobsonville airfield.
The article says:
"One of the engines did survive. It was sold along with the fuel lines, etc, to a man who lived at Te Papapa. His intention was to mount it on a truck chassis and try for a land speed record along Ninety mile Beach. I remember going to his house with my father; we were invited to see the firing up. The house had a large basement garage where the engine had been mounted with its exhaust end protruding from the doorway.
The jet engine started by making a low whine - slowly winding up. Suddenly there was ignition with a sheet of flame out the back, which appeared to be about 20 ft long (6m) . It seared the leaves off the fruit trees growing in his back yard leaving only blackened branches. The noise became too loud and the jet was shut down. Fuel went down during this short run like the plug having been pulled from a bath. This engine is now preserved at the Museum of Transport and Technology.
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, it is sectioned and mounted on a stand so I think it was an instructional aid. The real interesting thing about it is that it was manufactured by 'Power Jets Ltd.' which would make it one of the earliest British jet engines around and more than likely the oldest one in NZ. My guess is that it came from NZ6001 and retained by the RNZAF as a training aide.