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Post by htbrst on Dec 3, 2011 11:36:37 GMT 12
Just adding a thread to raise awareness about the Pahiatua "Harvard Adventure Playground" with the infamous Harvard Slide. Pahiatua has (finally!) embraced the Harvard and the playground as a point of difference in the town and is fundraising madly to upgrade the playground facilities. Based on the fundraising sign at the Xmas parade I passed through today, they have now completed the first stage a $100,000 upgrade of the play equipment (which looks amazing!) and and are progressing to the second stage which is an upgrade of the large fort behind the Harvard. What was good to see was that the next stage or two included preservation work on the Harvard itself - it has definitely seen better days with the Canopy being open for quite some time. I must say though I am dissapointed that their application for a Skyhawk was turned down, a Skyhawk slide would have been awesome! (Yes, they did ask for one - www.times-age.co.nz/news/pahiatua-skyhawk-bid-foiled/1057345/) Will try and get some pictures next time I am throught there to make this thread a bit more useful
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Dec 3, 2011 23:03:45 GMT 12
I've had my eye on this Harvard since I've been doing some work up this way and I gotta say: What does it take to save the old girl? It's sacrificial enough already to have REAL planes as gate guardians let alone as a neglected/abused play-thing in a small rural part of NZ. I can remember playing on it when I was a kid, and I knew exactly what it was (thanks to Dad), I wonder how many kids do today... When there is so much effort and money put in to preservation of airframes of historical value this seems to be an enigma.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 3, 2011 23:37:10 GMT 12
It's NZ918, which became INST150 with the CMT Training mob at Taieri in 1950. Sold by to Bennett Aviation Ltd, Te Kuiti. Sold to Jaycees, to playground at Pahiatua Nov63 I quite like it there, actually. The last remaining example of what was quite a common sight around NZ back in the late-1960s.
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Post by jonesy on Dec 4, 2011 9:37:27 GMT 12
That just looks fantastic! I must say tho, being in a small town means it would probably be reasonably well looked after. Put it in a larger metropolitan area and its just a matter of time before its trashed/tagged/stripped for scrap metal....
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Post by shamus on Dec 4, 2011 12:10:55 GMT 12
Another shot of NZ918 in the playground. Plus a few other Harvards in playgrounds in NZ, NZ980 at Tauranga. And the following ones, which I cannot remember the locations. NZ946 taken in 1976 NZ980 NZ1100 unidentified. unidentified.
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Post by jonesy on Dec 4, 2011 12:57:31 GMT 12
That NZ 946 setup with the slide is just fantastic! Would've been great to have played on those back in the day. Shame we never had one where I grew up.
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Post by 7gcbcpilot on Dec 4, 2011 13:07:46 GMT 12
I think NZ1100 was in Takapua (also in the Hawkes Bay). It was there in the early 70's when I used to visit my Grandparents.... but not there now. There was some reference to components from NZ1100 in rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Airshows&action=display&thread=14111. The last photo also looks to be NZ1100. Here is a color photo of NZ1100 in the playground that was posted to the forum a few years back... search for Takapau and you should find it.
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Post by dakman on Dec 4, 2011 14:10:25 GMT 12
hi jonesy re the Pahiatua Harvard pics Iwas living there when the aircraft was mounted .Wonder if it being just across the road from the police station may have kept the vandalls etc away , Wow was it in 1963 ?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2011 14:41:40 GMT 12
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Post by Calum on Dec 30, 2013 15:13:19 GMT 12
unidentified. As I'm home in Tauranga Dad and I were reminiscing about Memorial Park and the Harvard. I remembered this thread and were confident that this one is NZ980 at Tauranga. The way it is mounted is the same as the picture of NZ980 above in it's silver livery (the one I remember) and in the background we can see the stands that are in the pools which were behind the playground. Out of of all the photos of NZ980 in this thread this would be the earliest of the 4 PS, home the photo owner doesn't mind I'm going to steal these and post them on a Tauranga facebook group. We might get some timeframes from there
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Post by baz62 on Dec 30, 2013 15:26:37 GMT 12
unidentified. As I'm home in Tauranga Dad and I were reminiscing about Memorial Park and the Harvard. I remembered this thread and were confident that this one is NZ980 at Tauranga. The way it is mounted is the same as the picture of NZ980 above in it's silver livery (the one I remember) and in the background we can see the stands that are in the pools which were behind the playground. Out of of all the photos of NZ980 in this thread this would be the earliest of the 4 PS, home the photo owner doesn't mind I'm going to steal these and post them on a Tauranga facebook group. We might get some timeframes from there That photo looks like it's the wrong way round going by the exhaust! Looked in good nick didn't it!
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Post by Calum on Dec 30, 2013 16:40:27 GMT 12
That would make sense Baz. We were trying to figure out what the big clear area to the right of the photo was, but as it's been scanned the wrong way round that would be the roller skating rink (which is immediately to the left of the pools)
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Post by nuuumannn on Jan 7, 2014 12:15:47 GMT 12
A simple fix... I remember playing in this aircraft as a child; it always smelt of wee!
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Post by machpants on Jan 7, 2014 15:30:31 GMT 12
^That smell was the same in the Pahiatua one, which we stopped of for food break every time we went north! I have recently taken the kids to the new improved park there a few times on travels. It looks great, kids loved it. However I cannot confirm or deny whether the smell is still there...
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Post by baz62 on Jan 7, 2014 17:00:36 GMT 12
Pretty sure I took this photo during Operation BRA. That means if there was any sly weeing going on hidden behind the car it was either of my two amigos, Baronbeeza and Johnnyfalcon...... nah they wouldn't do that it's daylight.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 7, 2014 17:19:23 GMT 12
Johhnie may be able to scale those heights but at my age I can manage a nice gentle arc. You did see me check the trailer during the night stop at Hastings Baz, before the Tomahawk was loaded. Then again I was pretty sure I took that pic, you wouldn't have bothered trying to take a similar one.. would you. What was the outcome with that Harvard ? We didn't unload it at Rangiora so did it ever get spruced up ?
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Post by suthg on Jan 8, 2014 7:13:08 GMT 12
I always thought the Pahiatua Harvard was in the centre median with the playground behind it under the trees. Then the highway split into two dual paths, but it is now wider "one ways" on each side, have to pass to the left now.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 8, 2014 10:15:51 GMT 12
Yes Graeme, Baz was a very naughty boy and parked his car à la UK style for the pics. We just snucked in a couple of sly youies in the Cambridge Street intersection.
I think everyone in the vicinity had a fair idea what was going on and no animals were harmed during the photoshoot.
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Post by davidd on Jan 8, 2014 10:32:46 GMT 12
Harvard NZ946 was located at Mayfield, towards Ashburton. At an earlier date it was fitted with, I think, an Oxford wooden prop. Have a photo of it somewhere. Must have bene installed in 60's or early 70's. David D
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Post by aeromedia on Jan 8, 2014 18:46:21 GMT 12
Small correction David. Methven, not Mayfield. The remains of that fuselage are now with John Walsh in Blenheim. The wings on the Methven Harvard were actually from NZ1077, and are now back in my shed with 1077. Cheers.
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