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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 3, 2009 20:34:41 GMT 12
Any idea of the date of these Wanganui photos Shorty? Great photo of Keith's Avian, which previously belonged to some of the greats like Ted Harvie and Ron Kirkup in its time. Sadly it was lost in a fire.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Aug 3, 2009 21:04:10 GMT 12
The 74 (Tiger) Sqn photos reminded me of a funny story from Ohakea in the 1990s. The Sgts Mess had an old moth eaten mounted tiger head (yes a real Sumatra Tiger's head) that was gathering dust in a storeroom. It had reportedly been "borrowed" from 74 Sqn RAF in Singapore by either 14 or 75 Sqn in the late 60s. It was listed on the Mess property register and at an AGM permission was requested to write it off the books and dispose of it along with a whole lot of other unwanted junk. Someone suggested it might be worth something to a collector so it was taken to a taxidermist for a valuation. He valued it at several thousand dollars as it was! Apparently it is a very rare thing (the Sumatran Tiger). So at the next AGM it was agreed it should be restored and put back up on display which it was. I assume it is still on the wall in the Ohakea Mess? Maybe Phil or one of the other guys at Ohakea could take a photo of it for us. An interesting NZ link to these 74 Sqn Lightning photos of Shorty's! Maybe it was on one of Shorty's deployments that it was liberated! I'd love to know more about it if anyone knows the full story.
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Post by shorty on Aug 3, 2009 21:57:22 GMT 12
Likle that story Don! hadn't heard it before. Back to pre war light aircraft with Miles Whitney Straight ZK-AXD sitting and decaying at Maramarua. Prior to this it had been sitting on the roof of a service station at Drury with a electric motor spinning the prop. From Maramarua it was salvaged by John Chambers who, some years later, delivered it to me at Ohakea. By this stage it all fitted on a 8 x 4 trailer! I eventually passed it on the Ross McPherson and John Regan at Parapaumu Airport. Way back earlier in the thread I posted a shot of this poor thing sitting in the remains of a hangar at Wanganui, well eventually the hangar collapsed! Last one is a Bleriot mock up made for a air show at Omaka, I think it may have been the MAC 50th anniversary. powered by a Gypsy Major it was arranged with hinges to "break" in the middle as part of a "comic turn" whereby it would do a fast taxy and collapse. Well one thing led to another and it actually lifted it's wheels off the ground about 12 inches or so. Funnily enough if you read the Smithsonian book about the restoration of their example, in the list of "Original Bleriot Machines Surviving" this thing is mentioned as a "A Bleriot aircraft for which no details are available is reportedly located at Omakau, N.Z."! Just proving you can fool some of the people all of the time!Besides, what would the Smitsonian know? They already got it wrong with Pearse and the brothers from Ohio! The Wanganui airshow was either 68 or early 69
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Post by 14liney on Aug 4, 2009 4:27:30 GMT 12
"It had reportedly been "borrowed" from 74 Sqn RAF in Singapore by either 14 or 75 Sqn"
Correct. I believe that it was Barry Dorr who liberated the tigers head. it hung in the Sgts mess at Ohakea for years. Glad to hear that it is being preserved.
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Post by ZacYates on Aug 4, 2009 7:34:00 GMT 12
I believe a fair amount of the Bleriot replica still exists at Omaka! Unsure of the future plans for it though... The scheme on "RACING" is great! What an eyecatching tail! I love it! Looking in the background of the shot of "BEER", the two-story building looks very familiar....in fact, I'm heading there in ten minutes! Not much has changed....the Aero Club hangar is the same, just minus the sign over the door.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2009 9:24:18 GMT 12
Is the two storey building your modelling room...err... I mean your work Zac?
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2009 15:18:53 GMT 12
Time for ssome Lancaster photos for a change. One with its little brother. Taken 11-1-66 Motats Lanc having some work done by Dave Graham (with sore finger) and Monty Armstrong (I think) Rear turret.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2009 16:56:44 GMT 12
Is that first Lancaster photo with the intact Mosquito taken overseas?
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2009 16:57:53 GMT 12
Some more taken Feb 1965 Removing the French Roundels
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Post by ZacYates on Aug 4, 2009 19:38:46 GMT 12
Is the two storey building your modelling room...err... I mean your work Zac? ;D Sure is! Wanganui Aero Work. Hasn't really changed.
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Post by Naki on Aug 4, 2009 20:45:48 GMT 12
Last one is a Bleriot mock up made for a air show at Omaka, I think it may have been the MAC 50th anniversary. powered by a Gypsy Major it was arranged with hinges to "break" in the middle as part of a "comic turn" whereby it would do a fast taxy and collapse. Well one thing led to another and it actually lifted it's wheels off the ground about 12 inches or so. Funnily enough if you read the Smithsonian book about the restoration of their example, in the list of "Original Bleriot Machines Surviving" this thing is mentioned as a "A Bleriot aircraft for which no details are available is reportedly located at Omakau, N.Z."! Just proving you can fool some of the people all of the time!Besides, what would the Smitsonian know? They already got it wrong with Pearse and the brothers from Ohio! The Wanganui airshow was either 68 or early 69 Well that would answer your question in this thread Dave... rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=airshow&action=display&thread=7891must post more airshow prgrammes as well -- have a few more
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2009 21:04:45 GMT 12
Yes, thanks for that Paul. I was going to investigate that when I saw Shorty's photo but hadn't yet.
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2009 21:24:03 GMT 12
These will probably wind up the Lanc photos H2S radar installation Main U/C bay (with notice board attached to legs) Office The Lanc with the Mossie was at Perth.
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Post by shorty on Aug 6, 2009 11:07:37 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Aug 6, 2009 13:44:41 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Aug 6, 2009 14:01:00 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Aug 6, 2009 14:23:14 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Aug 6, 2009 14:34:27 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Aug 6, 2009 16:43:46 GMT 12
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Post by John L on Aug 6, 2009 17:14:56 GMT 12
When were they taken, Shorty?
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