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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2007 12:53:44 GMT 12
Working back from today's RNZAF, we have the Boeing 757's which act as the main VIP tarnsport, having a fittalbe kit for VIP I guess. Is only one aircraft designated the VIP one or do both fil the role?
Before that we had the Boeing 727 which did have the VIP fittable kit for long haul, and the Andover VIP aircraft for medium haul with the Cessna Golden Eagle for smaller party or short haul VIP duties.
Before them, I understand there was a fittable VIP kit for the Hercules, which rolled on like a pallet.
What occurred for VIP's before these days, apart from the famoud C-47 that's in the Wigram museum?
Did they have special VIP kit-outs for the DC-6, the Hastings or any other types? Bristols? Or did our PM's and dignatories have to rough it when flying aborad then? I guess they went by airliner and flying boat instead?
How many Andovers were kitted out as VIP? Just one? I have a feeling there were two of them. Same for the C-47, was there just one with that kit?
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Post by beagle on Mar 14, 2007 16:34:40 GMT 12
Out of the 10, 4 were originally painted in VIP colour scheme.
The interiors had variable set ups but 2 were proper VIP and were done at Woodbourne.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2007 17:06:07 GMT 12
Thanks Beagle, I thought there were two permanent VIP Andovers.
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Post by phil on Mar 14, 2007 17:15:38 GMT 12
Don't forget the current Kingairs.
Even the Iroquois have a VIP fit, carpet and padded upholstered seats!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2007 17:34:39 GMT 12
Ah yes, I had forgtten the King Airs.
I had never heard of the Iroquois VIP fit. Amazing. Has anyone got a photo of this?
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Post by phil on Mar 14, 2007 17:48:41 GMT 12
I think I saw a photo of it when I worked at CPE, but I haven't seen it fitted in person, I've seen it sitting in the role store at 3 sqn.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 15, 2007 7:38:07 GMT 12
Maybe that was for the Clintons? I seem to recall Chelsea Clinton went for a ride in an Iroquois. The King Airs would already be in a suitable VIP state inside as they can't really do much else other than training.
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Post by beagle on Mar 15, 2007 15:58:50 GMT 12
 here is an image of how the VIP Devons looked like. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 16:06:22 GMT 12
Not too shabby. How many Devons had this kit out? 42 Sqn again I guess?
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 15, 2007 16:11:38 GMT 12
There used to be a VIP Devon fuselage at Wigram that had a huge sheet of persplex replacing the skinning so that you could see the interior more clearly.
Does anyone know what happened to this?
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Post by beagle on Mar 15, 2007 16:16:20 GMT 12
pretty sure the FAA or what ever the nz equavalant would balk at those over head bins.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 17:37:34 GMT 12
Craig, I do recall that VIP Devon at Wigram now, but i can't recall where it was stored. it wasn't in the Museum when i was there. i think it must have been in No. 6 Hangar with the Museum Resrve Collection and the 2TTS Devons? Is that where you remember it?
I wonder what happened to the 2TTS Devons, stored at Weedons perhaps?
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Post by shorty on Jun 9, 2008 21:10:11 GMT 12
I think that there was also a Lodestar fitted out as a VIP bird.
The Devon with the perspex side was the one that came to grief at Wellington. My self and F/S Terry Rae took a team to dismantle it to return it to Woodbourne where the see thru mod was done.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 10, 2008 0:44:09 GMT 12
Shorty, do you mean that's the Devon that had a wheels up while the pilots were trying to sort out the brakes during taxiing? I have an article on that incident in Insight magazine.
I think you're correct about a Lodestar being VIP equipped. One was certainly used to tour high ranking officers about the country and the Pacific during the later years of the war, in bare metal with a NZ flag on the nose (each side). I think even the Governor General rode in that one, so possibly VIP fitted.
I have often wondered if Hudson NZ2031 was fitted for comfort when it was the personal aircraft of Gp Capt Geoffrey Roberts while he was comander of the RNZAF in the Pacific, or if it was just standard fit. It was by then a C-63 transport Hudson so may have been fitted with comfy seats during its refit I guess.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Jun 11, 2008 13:27:08 GMT 12
don't forget the consuls, dominees and the lodestar NZ3510.
Sunderlands were also used as VIP transports around the islands for various NZ British and Island VIPs
The devons NZ1801 NZ1802 were used by 40 squadron as Comms/VIP transports, and during the late 1960s NZ1819, NZ1820 were assigned to Ops Group and Support Group as Comms/VIP aircraft
NZ1822 later became a comms/VIP aircraft
other transport aircraft such as the freighter were used for VIP transports as required, but no fancy internal fit!
In later years the hercules had boeing seats mounted on pallets which were fitted to the forward hold as more comfortable/VIP seating with a toilet pallet at the rear.
Paul
Paul
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Post by ox on Jun 13, 2008 4:57:20 GMT 12
I think I saw a photo of it when I worked at CPE, but I haven't seen it fitted in person, I've seen it sitting in the role store at 3 sqn. I've bunged it in a few times. Squishy cushions, carpet, also had screen to hide the pilots similar to the sniper screen we used to fit for the SAS missions, might have even been the same one. It wasn't used much - I think every time we put it in when I was there was for Cath when she was Governor General. |
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Post by avenger on Jun 13, 2008 15:14:30 GMT 12
Devons (actually Doves) 1801 & 02 also operated by 42 Sqn at OH, in the late 1950's, there is another photo on this site showing the 'array' of aircraft 42 Sqn operated including the P 51.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Jun 13, 2008 19:00:08 GMT 12
I recall coming back for Singapore in 1968 in a C-130 with only a handful of passengers. We were on a pallet with rear facing passenger seats. In front of that there was a 'container' with VIP seats inside. What a painful trip, Singapore - Alice Springs - Whenuapai with only a brief fuel stop at Alice.
Paul
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 13, 2008 21:03:43 GMT 12
Did the C-130's have a loo aboard with the VIP kit in?
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Post by 30sqnatc on Jun 13, 2008 23:27:44 GMT 12
There was on the flight I described.
Paul
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