|
|
Post by Kereru on Oct 4, 2006 20:41:07 GMT 12
Hi All, Can somebody help ID the TBF Avenger that used to sit at Ardmore for many years?  Just the plane ID will do , don't worry about the lads dreaming of what they might be doing on it. Maybe it is stiil around somewhere in a museum? Thanks in advance. |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 4, 2006 21:01:10 GMT 12
NZ2527/ZK-CBO
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Oct 4, 2006 21:38:38 GMT 12
Is that the Avenger belonging to Ken Jacobs that now resides near Bethells Beach (West auckland)?
|
|
|
|
Post by Kereru on Oct 5, 2006 10:45:19 GMT 12
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 5, 2006 20:04:30 GMT 12
ZK-CBO: To playground Kuirau Park, Rotorua, Oct64, then MoTAT who loan to CAF at Dairy Flat as gate guardian. From there . . .?
Ken Jacobs one is NZ2539, which was sold Waitomo Aviation 23Sep59; resold to Hastings Jaycees, arr 24Aug65 for Havelock North playground, to K Jacobs of Auckland.
Is that photo of the Avenger at Ardmore yours? I'd like to get a high res copy if possible.
|
|
|
|
Post by stu on Oct 5, 2006 20:27:36 GMT 12
ZK-CBO: To playground Kuirau Park, Rotorua, Oct64 I remember playing on it when I was considerably younger, just next to the "old army tank" (is that still there?). Swings, slides, roundabouts and even "Toot 'n Whistle" paled into insignificance in comparison  |
|
|
|
Post by Kereru on Oct 5, 2006 21:06:01 GMT 12
Is that photo of the Avenger at Ardmore yours? I'd like to get a high res copy if possible. Yes it is mine. I will email a copy to you tomorrow, okay? Colin |
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Oct 5, 2006 21:48:57 GMT 12
just next to the "old army tank" (is that still there?) The old Sheridan tank was retreived by a Waikato Military vehicle club in the 1990s. It is currently sitting out the front of a machinery and engineering firm at Horitiu, just north of Hamilton on SH1, awaiting a suitable location (and funds) to start restoration. the engineering company sells water tanks, so the Sheridan has a sign on it "We Sell Tanks!" (with the word "water" in small letters.) Toot N Whistle, sadly is no more (including the dinosaurs in the steaming hot pools  ) |
|
|
|
Post by stu on Oct 6, 2006 8:23:02 GMT 12
The old Sheridan tank was retreived by a Waikato Military vehicle club in the 1990s. It is currently sitting out the front of a machinery and engineering firm at Horitiu, just north of Hamilton on SH1, awaiting a suitable location (and funds) to start restoration. the engineering company sells water tanks, so the Sheridan has a sign on it "We Sell Tanks!" (with the word "water" in small letters.) Toot N Whistle, sadly is no more (including the dinosaurs in the steaming hot pools ) Goes to show how long it's been since I was last at the park, Toot n Whistle gone as well - sigh I've seen the Sheridan at Horitiu the few times I've used SH1 to travel all the way to the ancestral stomping grounds of Cambridge or beyond (normally turn off at Taupri and go via the back roads) and never even thought that it might have been the one from Rotorua. I have commented wishfully that I'd like to purchase it, restore it and finally sort out those morons who pinch my car park at work - not to mention the ever increasing offspring of the aforementioned morons who seem to have been let loose on Auckland roads  Getting back to the original subject, fascinating to see the photo of my Biggles-fueled mount for many do or die dogfights with the dastardly hun (it was "an old war plane" and I was young so in my eyes it must have been a fighter)  Cheers, Stu. |
|
|
|
Post by trx850 on Oct 6, 2006 20:49:11 GMT 12
This pic brings up an ongoing problem of mine regarding NZ2506 and NZ2527. I believe that somewhere along the line, these two airframes have 'swapped' identities. I have been able in the past to examine the so called NZ2527 when it was up at Dairy Flat with the 'Confederate Air force' as they were then known. It has all the features of the early model TBF-1, having no provision for the .50's in the wings, a trough in the upper starboard cowl for the fuselage mounted gun, and the brackets and fittings for the dual controls in the second cockpit position. A walk-around of it may be seen on my website at rnzaf.hobbyvista.com/avwalk.htmlCheck the photo of NZ2527 that Sean has posted recently. The 'bump' for the breech of the .50 installations in the wings is clearly visible just inboard of the yellow wing stripes. I have as yet, been unable to examine what is listed as NZ2506 at Gisbourne, but photos I have seen show it to have all the characteristics of the TBF-1C's, including the breech bumps in the wings, and a smooth upper cowl having no provision for the nose gun installation. It also appears to have the peculiar nose mounted intake filter 'hump' that appears on a block of TBF-1C's in both NZ and US service, but never on the earlier -1 series. I could understand that the wings may have been changed when in post war service, but not the upper cowl structures! If anyone with good access to the Gisbourne example could have a look into the second cockpit, and see if the dual control brackets etc. are in place in that airframe (or not there!), I would be eternally grateful. Better still, If there is a manufacturers plate still in the front cockpit, it may help to settle the matter. Cheers, Pete M. |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 10, 2006 18:23:10 GMT 12
Yes it is mine. I will email a copy to you tomorrow, okay?
Colin
Looking forward to receiving that Colin (hint!)
Looked through the GAPS hangar a little while ago. The collection is in the old Fieldair hangar; the Lodestar and Avenger take up most of the space. If I get back there, I will check out the technical points raised and report back.
I'm told that NZ2527/ZK-CBO is now back in storage at MoTAT.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kereru on Oct 11, 2006 10:38:09 GMT 12
Looking forward to receiving that Colin (hint!) Yes I sent it the next day and it got bounced back with your email not being valid mailbox? <pviewis@woosh.co.nz>: host 202.74.207.2[202.74.207.2] said: 550 5.1.1 <pviewis@woosh.co.nz> is not a valid mailbox (in reply to RCPT TO command) Reporting-MTA: dns; mta1.woosh.co.nz Arrival-Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2006 14:53:18 +1300 (NZDT) Can you send me an email on hunter.colin@gmail.com and I will attach it to the reply? Cheers |
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Oct 11, 2006 15:04:31 GMT 12
Perhaps the i should be a small 'L' ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 11, 2006 19:14:11 GMT 12
email sent
|
|
|
|
Post by Kereru on Oct 11, 2006 19:44:54 GMT 12
Perhaps the i should be a small 'L' ? Definately an l no an i Eyes aren't what they used to be!  Reply sent and email address corrected in address book. Cheers |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 16, 2006 19:37:36 GMT 12
Photo received by email, thanks Colin. I have a b&w neg I took of this Avenger in what looks like the same spot. Date of photo is 7th July 1963, which is just after the civil conversion attempt was abandoned.  The military reg is quite evident, so it looks like 'ZK-CBO' was never painted on the airframe. |
|
|
|
Post by SEAN on Oct 17, 2006 5:52:41 GMT 12
Sorry to butt in, but I just happen to find these which may or may not be of interest: This was taken at the old Silverstream (transport ??) Museum in Wellington some years back:  And this was taken at Wigram in 1980:  And although these are not a TBF, I thought they may be of interest to someone. I think this is a P47, but I have no further information on what / where / how. I just happened to be passing Whenuapai Air Movements one day with a camera:   |
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Oct 17, 2006 7:27:31 GMT 12
Hi Sean, those are quite interesting pictures. The P47 is the former Motat example, recovered by Charles Darby from PNG in the 1970s, this was swapped with the RNZAF museum for a rebuilt mosquito wing (I think) but has now been further swapped for a P40 from Australia. It is currently being restored to airworthy condition.
The other non-TBF of note in these pictures is Harvard NZ1057, which is now flying from Ardmore.
|
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Oct 17, 2006 13:38:55 GMT 12
Interesting that Harvard NZ1057, in the background of that first photo, is flying today out of Ardmore.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 18, 2006 22:02:02 GMT 12
The Avenger at Silverstream would have been TBF-1 NZ 2505. Sold to Waitomo Aviation 23Sep59, to playground at Opunake Beach 1964. Removed to Wellington for restoration 1972, storage at RNZAF Museum Wigram, on loan to Gisborne Aviation & Preservation Society from Oct99. (Not NZ2506 as mentioned at Gisborne above - this crashed at Masterton at the start of the famous topdressing trials in 1949).
Note the replica of the 'Plonky' logo that someone has painted on this aircraft.
The P-47 spent some time at MoTAT (owned, at that stage by Bunny Darby and Monty Armstrong). This was one of the aircraft 'restored' (attacked) by the PEP workers which preciptated the blazing wars that drove so many of us away from MoTAT around that time.
The Vampire NZ5765 wa the gate guardian at Te Rapa, Hamilton, from June 1980. When that depot closed, it was taken to Wigram and then on loan to the Alpine Fighter Collection for display externally complete. I guess this photo shows that it went from Te Rapa to Wigram via Whenuapai.
Nice set of photos there Sean.
|
|
) 
