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Post by thomarse on Jan 25, 2011 12:03:45 GMT 12
Anyone got any info on that accident to ALX?
Background looks very like the rugged South Coast of Wellington or the Southern Wairarapa
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Post by angelsonefive on Jan 25, 2011 14:05:10 GMT 12
NZ Archives lists 6 accidents for ALX but that doesn't mean there could not have been others
18/11/47. Marlborough Sounds. Pilot E.R.Moyle. 5/5/48. Rongotai. Pilot Lynskey. 12/1/49. Rongotai. Pilot W.P.Anderson. 2/5/50. Paraparaumu. Pilot L.Gatehouse. 18/2/53. Kekeraugh ? Pilot L.Zampese. 5/1/86. Foxton. S.A.Tantrum.
I think Mr Zampese was an ag. pilot so I think that accident can be ruled out. Though it could have happened in a training or passenger flight, I guess. Stuart Tantrum's accident at Foxton, as I recall , was a serious one which involved injuries so that is out. " Rongotai " implies the aerodrome and the area in the pic. looks unlikely. Leaving us with the Marlborough Sounds and Paraparaumu.
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Post by kb on Jan 25, 2011 15:35:44 GMT 12
Wonderful set of photos Marcus. I wish I had pointed my camera at light aircraft more often in the 1960's.
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Post by Damon on Jan 25, 2011 17:48:51 GMT 12
I thought 'ALX' had had one mishap than that.An orchard in Tauranga saw a low level beat-up go wrong.I think there were injuries in that one. 'ALX' in now located in Cantabury.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 25, 2011 18:34:52 GMT 12
ZK-ALX is now at Rangitata Island, stored more than under rebuild. The project is for sale (if you are brave). Rangitita Island 1Jan2011
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Post by hairy on Jan 25, 2011 19:00:10 GMT 12
I lean toward the 1947 Marlborough Sounds incident going by this second view. I'll be posting another 10 later tonight.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 25, 2011 20:40:09 GMT 12
Something to ponder over: We are told that ag operations started in New Zealand with Pritchard's seed-sowing efforts in the Whitney Straight, and that the breakthrough came with the RNZAF Ohakea and Masterton trials in 1948 & 1949. Browsing through the ADF serials RNZAF Tiger Moth pages (looking for something else) I came across the entry for NZ713/ZK-AKJ which reads "Issued free to Marlborough Aero Club from No.42 Squadron on 04 September 1946 and entered the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register as ZK-AKJ on 31 July 1946. Crashed and destroyed by fire near Omaka on 01 December 1946 while sowing trace elements." So the question is, is this useage accurate? If so, how did they spread the trace elements? A spaghetti tin over the side? Or was there Tigers fitted with hoppers long before Airwork's trials with ZK-ASO? The aircraft does look to be in normal two-seat config, and had a very short civilian life. Food for thought.
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Post by The Red Baron on Jan 25, 2011 20:52:44 GMT 12
Pretty much so,depending on what trace elements they were using they would only have small amounts,probably the farmer sat in the front seat and just tipped them out onto the wing as they flew along. Last time I saw cobalt being added to super the farmer put 1 teaspoon in each ton being loaded into a Fletcher.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2011 22:00:14 GMT 12
That is how Arthur Baker and Ossie James started, in Arthur's Tiger Moth dropping Superphosphate. They liked how it worked and Ossie and his brothers set up James Aviation with Arthur as Chairman.
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Post by hairy on Jan 25, 2011 23:04:06 GMT 12
Time for tonights 10................... ZK-AOX (ex. NZ1417) seen here at the Southward Museum April 2006.( Marcus Bridle Photo) Withdrawn from use and sold to Len Southward in November 1963. ZK-AOY (ex. NZ1498) of Wellington Aero Club at Rogotai. Crashed at Hamama (Rd?), Takaka 1 March 1959. ZK-APD (ex. NZ1496). Crashed, Rotorua 16 September 1950. ZK-APE (ex. NZ1601) at Parawai (Thames). Crashed Waiatai (Rd?), Wairoa 15 September 1951 NZ1601 (ZK-APE) was the last Tiger Moth into RNZAF service, seen here after roll out at the de Havilland factory at Rongotai.( photographer unknown) ZK-APF (ex. NZ1500) after crashing at Rukuhia when with Robinson Air Service Ltd. on 3 June 1952. ZK-APL (ex. NZ828) at Paraparumu in 1947. Crashed Paraparaumu 24 December 1947. ZK-APM (ex. NZ737) whilst with the Marlborough Aero Club. Ditched off Te-Araroa 26 January 1979, stored. (I wonder what is going on here with the guy running in from the right, the pilot doesn't seem too concerned. ) ZK-APP (ex. NZ854) ex. ag-Tiger, Current. ZK-APQ (ex. NZ1428) at Rongotai.( Photographer unknown) Crashed on ag ops, Reikiarangi (Reikorangi?) 1 November 1955. ZK-APV (ex. NZ764) of Robinson Air Service Ltd. Crashed Waitomo 30 March 1957. More to come...............
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Post by Damon on Jan 26, 2011 18:01:18 GMT 12
I am enjoying these pictures of Tiger Moths from yesteryear.Thanks for posting them!
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Post by hairy on Jan 26, 2011 22:21:51 GMT 12
I am enjoying these pictures of Tiger Moths from yesteryear.Thanks for posting them! My pleasure. Time for tonights 10................................... anyone bored yet? ZK-APW (ex. NZ656) of James Aviation at Rukuhia. Crashed Te Anga 11 December 1951. ZK-APZ (ex. NZ683). Crashed top dressing near Porangahau, 6 December 1959. ZK-AQA (ex. NZ863) looking very smart in black and cream. Stored with Stan & Gilly Smith at Dairy Flat. ZK-AQC (ex. NZ1499) at Mangere 1947. Under restoration with GAPS in Gisborne. ZK-AQD (ex. NZ1413) taxying in after being clipped by another Tiger (anyone know the reg.?) whilst rounding a pylon during a closed circuit race at Waharoa, 27 January 1951. Crashed Te Kouma 20 February 1956. ZK-AQH (ex. NZ900) ag-Tiger at Rukuhia. Crashed Pirinoa 10 December 1957. ZK-AQI (ex. NZ889). Crashed Otane 15 August 1953. ZK-AQW (ex. NZ1474) at Mangere. Crashed Frasertown 14 April 1954. ZK-ARB (ex. NZ768) "Pluto" of Mr. O.G.James of Tologa Bay at the RNZAC Pageant, Mangere, 19 March 1949. Crashed Waikite Valley, 7 November 1956. Close-up of the nose art. ZK-ARC (ex. NZ755) at Parawai 12th August 1950. Crashed Stratford, 23 March 1958. See y'all tomorrow, same bat thread, same bat forum.
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Post by hairy on Jan 27, 2011 21:43:21 GMT 12
Right, time to inflict another 10 on you ................................. ZK-ARD (ex. NZ855). Crashed Kereru 19 November 1951. ZK-ARE (ex. NZ877). Crashed Kurow 12 April 1955. ZK-ARI (ex. 821) of Auckland Aviation Services at Mangere. Crashed Wairamarama 2 January 1957. ZK-ARO (ex. NZ816) at Mangere. Crashed Hurleyville 8 February 1952. ZK-ARU (ex. NZ849) whilst owned by C.Hewett and used by him as part of the "Flying Kiwis" aerobatic team. Crashed Claverley(?) 30 March 1955. ZK-ARV (ex. NZ715). Crashed Rotorua 18 March 1949. ZK-ARW (ex. NZ1402) seen here at Mangere after being released from service and waiting for a buyer. Crashed near Pukekohe 11 September 1948. ZK-ARX (ex. NZ747) taking a bit of down time. Crashed Tapanui 18 March 1976. ZK-ARY (ex. NZ798) leading a race during an air pageant. Crashed Kaipaki 14 July 1951. ZK-ARZ (ex. NZ888) of the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere 1950. Current. At Mandeville 3 April 2006. (Marcus Bridle Photograph)More tomorrow. We're just over 1/2 way now.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 27, 2011 21:54:07 GMT 12
ZK-ARU (ex. NZ849) whilst owned by C.Hewett and used by him as part of the "Flying Kiwis" aerobatic team. Crashed Claverley(?) 30 March 1955. Cr Conway Rivermouth 30Mar55 while with Airwork.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 27, 2011 22:42:48 GMT 12
I really like the look of ZK-AQA in those colours. And that one with the pluto nose art, ZK-ARB, is great. Has anyone got any idea what colour that aircraft was? Red and silver with polished trimmings? These last two batches have been awesome Marcus. Often the backgrounds are more interesting than the aircraft in some too.
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Post by strikemaster on Jan 27, 2011 23:48:18 GMT 12
I love how obvious the Chipmunk's heritage is tied up in these old girl's looking at the pics. So which came first? The add-on canopy or the Chipmunk?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 28, 2011 0:14:30 GMT 12
The canopies were used in WWII before the Chipmunk was ever dreamed of. The RNZAf had several Tiger Moths fitted with the Canadian-designed canopy for their Air Training Corp Touring Flight, which went around the country and gave the young lads of the ATC some air experience.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 28, 2011 1:44:44 GMT 12
I think this is the appropriate thread in which to place this excellent article from 1941 on the Rongotai de Havilland factory, via Papers Past:
TRAINER AIRCRAFT Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 45, 21 August 1941, Page 10
TRAINER AIRCRAFT
BUILT IN NEW ZEALAND
D.H. FACTORY ACHIEVEMENT
INDUSTRY THAT GREW
Decided upon by the parent British ompany early in 1939, when war threatened but peace was not beyond hope, as one of the chain of Empire civil aircraft factories, the De Havilland Company's factory at Rongotai has grown far beyond the original proposals and has become a foundation part of the development of the R.N.Z.A.F.. for in it have been built the greater number of trainer craft in which Air Force flying begins. The total of planes flown away from Rongotai to the various Air Force stations is now very large, and more on the way.
From the six men who began the factory's work towards the end of 1939, and who just before Christmas of that year rolled out the first six planes, the factory staff has grown now to 225 men and women, and whereas initial operations were straight assembly-- out of the cases, bolts. nuts, and some rivets, a repaint, and away--the factory has more and more worked towards full manufacture of airframes from bulk material; of the last 86 planes the wings, fuselage, and tail assembly are a good 90 per cent. New Zealand-made. Engines, instruments, landing wheels, tyres, and a few special parts are imported from Britain finished for assembly, but otherwise timber (mainly Canadian spruce), steel in rod and section, aluminium plate and sections, special ply woods and covering come in in bulk. Except for engines, the New Zealand De Havilland factory duplicates the manufacturing processes of the, parent company, for instruments, specialised parts, and equipment are almost universally built by specialising firms; in fact, the New Zealand factory goes one step further, by building its light craft air-screws on the spot; in Britain they are made outside the De Havilland factory.
WOMEN TAKING A BIG PART. The wings of the Tiger Moth, adopted as the standard initial trainer in Elementary Flying Training Schools throughout the Empire Air Forces, are of wood and fabric, built of a multitude of bits and pieces, exactly cut. exactly finished, and exactly placed, to obtain extraordinary strength for weight, and covered with linen aeroplane cloth. The machining of timber is done by men, but detail wing building is largely done by women and girls. There are 30 in the factory now, and more will be engaged wherever they can replace men called up for service. Jigs are the foundation of aeroplane production—jigs for the score of sections that are built into the wing, jigs for holding fuselage tubing in position for welding, jigs for small parts, and more for bringing detail sections together for assembly stage by stage. All these scores of jigs were built on the spot from master drawings during the gradual transition from the 1939 assembly stage to full airframe manufacture, under the instruction and supervision of the six key men who founded the factory.
FIRST NEW ZEALAND GIRL WELDER. Girls also do most of the fabric work, but the manufacture of metal parts, main assembly of the built sections, and engine, instrument, and electrical installation are so far done by men. In Britain and in other overseas factories women have shown full competency in aircraft work, arid at Rongotai one girl, Miss Margaret Dickinson, has set off in work new to women in New Zealand. She is the first to pass the stiff tests set for the aircraft welder and works alongside men welders in building tubular steel fuselage frames, angle pieces, and attachment sections which' give strength at vital points, stitching the metal with an, oxy-acetylene needle at 6000 degrees Fahrenheit.
AIR-SCREW -MANUFACTURE. Away from the main factory" is a' new development,' air-screw manufacture, commenced about the beginning of this year. Until then all air screws were imported; now they are being built at the rate of two a day, with a first order of 150 light screws and a large number of heavies for service types for the Air Force. Queensland maple and mahogany are used, for, as for wing construction, no New Zealand timber is suitable in weight, tough texture, and clearness of grain in the board widths and lengths required. Six sections go to the standard laminated light propeller. These are roughed out by band saw, press-glued, and given 28 days to toughen before being hand-worked to the fine tolerances permitted by the master gauges. Balance is checked repeatedly as the shaping proceeds, and checked again and again as the metal protection of the leading edge is applied, with doped fabric over that. So true is the balance that when the knife edge rolling test is made with the finished air screw a puff of the spray gun gives the last touch.
The largest propeller made in this section is for the Hawker Hind; it measures 10ft 9in from tip to tip. The Tiger Moth screw is comparatively a lightweight, and is 6ft 9in long, but the bantam is a long way down, 10 inches Icing and weighing a few ounces; these miniatures are used to drive aircraft radio generators. Overhaul and repair of propellers from the various Air Force bases is a steady part of the work of this section; about 150 have been reconditioned and have gone back to service. Wooden air screws for service planes are also being manufactured in considerable numbers at a Petone factory.
BEGINNING ON TWIN-ENGINED PLANES. Further removed again is a third development of the aircraft industry, overflowed from the main factory. Here light planes are overhauled and repaired, but more interesting in its significance of future expansion is the maintenance, overhaul, and repair, and the beginning of part manufacture, of the twin-engined Airspeed Oxford, the parent and overseas factories of which were taken over by the De Havilland Company last year. This is the forerunner of the next stage of development, the actual manufacture in New Zealand of larger and more advanced types. Light aircraft manufacture, too, began in a small way less than two years ago and in that short time a skilled staff has been trained, production organisation has been built, and a great many trainer planes have been built and have flown off to one or other of the R.N.Z.A.F. flying schools.
War orders naturally speeded the growth of the aircraft industry in New Zealand, but with the far greater use of air transport which will inevitably follow when peace returns there is all the probability of still wider expansion, not of shrinkage, in post-war years. It is highly improbable that the year will come when every motorist will carry his A licence and when one back garden in every five will have its hangar, but the certainty is that five will use air transport as the natural way of getting there where one flies today; and Wellington will be caught out very badly if the present easy satisfaction with Rongotai's inadequate landing field and facilities persists.
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Post by hairy on Jan 28, 2011 22:43:03 GMT 12
Interesting article there Dave. I was surprised to see that no NZ timber is suitable for making props and all the timber had to be imported. The article got me thinking that I might finish up by posting the pictures I have from the factory during WWII that I posted a few years back. Now for tonights 10................... ZK-ASB (ex. NZ850) what happened and where? Damaged wing tips and broken prop, perhaps this is the Tiger that clipped ZK-AQD at Waharoa (see post earlier this page). Crashed Rotorua 7 April 1951. ZK-ASC (ex. NZ802) of the Middle Districts Aero Club. Crashed Punakitere Valley 7 May 1957. ZK-ASE (ex. NZ870) at Mangere. Crashed Otamauri 7 December 1952. ZK-ASG (ex. NZ772). Stored/restoration. ZK-ASH (ex. NZ852) at the RNZAC pageant at Mangere 19 March 1949. Withdrawn from use and scrapped, Hastings 1958. ZK-ASM (ex. NZ874) at North Shore 4 November 2006. (Marcus Bridle photograph)Current. ZK-ASN (ex. NZ756) waiting for a buyer at Mangere after leaving the RNZAF. Under restoration. ZK-ASQ (ex. NZ792). Withdrawn from use, Masterton 1961. ZK-AST (ex. NZ671) at Mangere 1950. Exported to Australia to become VH-BPX, December 1956. ZK-ASU (ex. NZ773) at Mangere. Crashed Manukau Harbour 14 March 1953. More to come tomorrow.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 28, 2011 23:25:27 GMT 12
Thanks Marcus, I was actually meaning to suggest you re-post those excellent factory photos, they are great. Any ideas who the other firm in Wellingotn was that was producing propellers?
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