Devons and Strikemasters

[xr6turbo1]

Here are a few photos taken at Woodbourne today.
Not sure why they were outside at the weekend but it may have something to do with the 70th birthday.

I couldnt help but think that these Devons should be flying warbirds and that the RNZAF guys could be working on some of the A4s that are parked two hangars down and sitting there doing nothing.
At least they would be working with a bit more modern gear than the Devon and I for one would like to see more Devons on public display.

[phil]

I think they do a beating the retreat ceremony followed by the cocktail party in that hangar.

[Dave Homewood]

Those Devons certainly look a lot shinier nowadays compared to when i was at No. 4TTS. You can tell the Aircraft Finishers' School is now based there rather than Hobby.

They used o have two more Devons, one in the dark blue and white scheme, and one in the silver and yellow. I wonder what became of them when the Blunties moved in. Were they disposed of? I doubt they went to Wigram as there were already three at least there.

Personally I'd prefer to see the Devons stay where they are and the Skyhawks go onto the warbird circuit. No point making the Blunties into warbirds now as the type has now been banned from aerobatics.

[Calum]

looks like they've painted a Blunty (65) in the Euro scheme. Anyone got any pics of it. Guess the Surface finshers school may of had something to do with that.

As an aside, what happened to 2TTS's devons? Are they among that lot there or are the still at Wigram.

[phil]

When I was last at the school there in '99 that blunty was half euro half SEA. I'm not sure if they ever painted the whole thing.

It would make a pretty unique model, I'm sure the Airfix of Matchbox kit with the Macchi decals for one side would be about right.

[Dave Homewood]

There has been a Blunty in that scheme for several years. Probably no point now though with the Skyhawks, Maachis and Andovers all gone. There are a few photos of it on Phil Treweek's site here

www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/bac167.html

I would imagine it gets stripped or part-stripped and repainted regularly.

[Dave Homewood]

According to adf.serials the two Devons at No. 2TTS were both sold to a P. Hindin, but remain in storage with the RNZAF Museum.

Alson it accounts for the other two not seen in the photos tat used to be at 4TTS. One is now just a nose section, the other is a tailless aircraft. Was there a nasty accident on the marshalling training day? :-)

[lesterpk]

admin said:

I would imagine it gets stripped or part-stripped and repainted regularly.

I wouldn't think so Dave, the practical side of the painters course is done at Ohakea now. Woodys paintshop is still absolute sh1te, dont know how it gets away with OSH standards these days.

[flyjoe180]

There was one that was being used as a fire simulator, used to be parked next to the jet test tunnel.

[skyhawkdon]

The GTW Devons and Strikemasters should all be sold to the private sector or given to museums (more likely as none of the Blunties will ever fly again because of the wing fatigue problems - not sure about the Devons airworthiness status though). The Skyhawks should be used as instructional airframes.

When they retire the Hueys in a few years some of them could join the A-4's as instructional airframes. In both cases there are plenty of spares already in the supply system (already paid for) and all the support equipment, publications and system training courses are already in place. Seems pretty logical and common sense to me... they should have been using the A-4's for the last 5 years instead of paying Safe Air to "maintain" them. I guess that is why I'm not in the mob any more - too much logic and common sense for them!

[kiwi]

I was under the impression that we re did the wings on our Bluntys ?

[skyhawkdon]

kiwi said:

I was under the impression that we re did the wings on our Bluntys ?

Only 6 aircraft were done and they were all sold to Aermacchi as part of the Macchi purchase (trade in's basically!). The GTW airframes and 2 RNZAF Museum examples all still have their original wings.

[trimotor]

Old thread I realise, though as the QFI to do the last instructional sotie on the Blunt, and living next door to the 14 Sqn MFC at the time, I recall that he arranged fit the OH wing of the museum to get an airframe that had the best of everything, so that it might be an easy task to make it fly able one day-recent major servicing, fresh engine and, I thought, was an aircraft with new wings.

[skyhawkdon]

The ex Ohakea Museum Blunty is now at the Wanaka Wings and Wheels Museum and is in a sorry state after being left to rot outside at Ohakea for years. It was also damaged when transported to Wanaka. So sadly that one will never fly again.

[nzjet]

Wigrams example has new wings, FI is around 62, near perfect example to restore to flight. but its never going to happen.

[isc]

Am I right in saying that the Blunty (civi) that on occasions flies out of Harewood is not ex RNZAF? isc

[baz62]

Correct isc. I think from memory its a MK87 ex Saudi Air Force.

[isc]

Thanks Baz62, I see it occasionally out over Darfield, it did a circuit around the town last Saturday (I think). isc

[trimotor]

Were the second batch of RNZAF Bluties refurbed ex-saudi airframes? refurb done by BAE, though there were legends of some aircraft still with sand in them at delivery to the RNZAF..

[Dave Homewood]

I don't think that is correct trimotor, I am sure the second batch was built new, like the first batch. The Andovers however reportedly had a lot of sand in them from their time spent in the desert with the RAF.