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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 22, 2013 15:46:27 GMT 12
This morning I had the great pleasure of recording the third installment of Noel Kruse's interview series for the Wings Over New Zealand Show. This episode focuses on his conversion to the CAC Avon Sabre fighter jet. www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html#Ep35_Noel_Kruse3Noel's memories of the Sabre are extremely vivid and his stories are wonderful. I am looking forward to recording the next installment when we record it next week, where he joined No. 76 Squadron RAAF and Australia's Sabres goes to war. I thought it would be interesting to start a thread here about the CAC Avon Sabre. Has anyone else here flown the type? Have you got photos of them in service and in preservaion? And apart from Noel, did any other kiwis fly the CAC Sabre in RAAF service? |
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Post by Bruce on Feb 22, 2013 18:38:53 GMT 12
Saw some when I was over in aussie a couple of years ago: Moorabbin:  Temora:  Darwin:  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 22, 2013 19:14:15 GMT 12
Nice. I have seen the one at Avspecs now tucked away in Area 59. And I have seen a Sabre at Classic Flyers in Tauranga too, is that an Aussie one or a US example?
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Post by raymond on Feb 22, 2013 20:16:58 GMT 12
CAC 31 Sabre ex A94-922 for Jerry at AvSpecs I believe the Tauranga unit is US.
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Post by ngatimozart on Feb 22, 2013 21:10:31 GMT 12
I saw the CAC Sabre A94-974 at Parafield in Adelaide in May 2009.  That is a RR Avon in the foreground.   Close up of the 20mm gun, starboard side. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 24, 2013 9:08:47 GMT 12
Kiwis who flew the Sabre (any sort of Sabre) that I am aware of include:
Noel Kruse (RAAF Avon Sabres, he's NZ born but Aussie-bred and lives in Cambridge, NZ now)
Bernie Lewis (RAF Sabres)
Keith Fitton (RAF Sabres, originally from Cambridge, NZ)
Charles Gibbs (I am almost sure he told me he flew RAF Sabres postwar)
Do you know of any others?
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Post by saratoga on Feb 24, 2013 10:43:54 GMT 12
I saw the CAC Sabre A94-974 at Parafield in Adelaide in May 2009. That is a RR Avon in the foreground. Close up of the 20mm gun, starboard side. Great pics , just a note, the cannon in the CAC Sabre is the British Aden 30mm. |
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Post by davidd on Feb 24, 2013 11:16:25 GMT 12
Dave H,
Don't forget about about R E (Roy) LeLong, RNZAF, WW2 on service with RAF in European theatre (flying Mosquitos), postwar tfd to RAF 1947, then on exchange with USAF for F-86 on operations in Korea during the war with a US squadron (5th Air Force), and in about 1955 was CO of the first RAF Hunter squadron (43 Sqdn), see Colin Hanson's By Such Deeds, page 304.
Dave D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 24, 2013 11:32:16 GMT 12
Wow, he sounds like a very interesting chap! Thanks for that David.
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Post by corsair67 on Feb 24, 2013 12:34:40 GMT 12
Kiwi born pilot Vance Drummond also flew RAAF Sabres, and led the Black Diamonds 75 SQN aerobatic team for a time.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 24, 2013 13:30:30 GMT 12
Ah right. Am I correct in thinking there's one preserved in Australia in Drummond's colours? Maybe even the flying example at Temora?
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Post by Mustang51 on Mar 6, 2013 13:28:01 GMT 12
Temora Sabre in 75 Sqn markings of Black Diamonds. This particular aircraft flew with every RAAF Sabre unit except 75 Sqn.
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Post by phil82 on Mar 6, 2013 13:32:05 GMT 12
The Avon Sabre flew at the recent Avalon Air show, alongside the Meteor. I'm sure my photographic companion [Mumbles!]on both days will produce a photo in due course.
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Post by bobajob on Mar 8, 2013 0:23:07 GMT 12
On the 23rd Jan 2013 I saw A94-935 Sabre on display at the Queensland Air Museum in Caloundra Qld. Will post pictures when I can.
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baj
Sergeant
Posts: 14
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Post by baj on Mar 23, 2013 23:46:23 GMT 12
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Post by lumpy on Mar 24, 2013 7:43:14 GMT 12
Heres a shot I took a couple of weeks ago ( as you can see , Im not too good with the camera ) - anybody know what the weird looking tube down the side is ? Part of the " smoke " system perhaps ?( it does have airshow " smoke " )  |
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Post by saratoga on Mar 24, 2013 7:58:34 GMT 12
I think its for dumping diesel into the exhaust for aerial displays, a 'smoke' maker.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 24, 2013 10:15:11 GMT 12
Thanks for that Baj.
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 25, 2013 14:41:10 GMT 12
Yep she was originally in the RAAF "Black Diamonds" (funny that)
display team. I was lucky enough to see this aircraft fly in 1988.
She was grounded for many years and now airworthy again with David Lowys team out at Temora. One of the last sports car aeroplanes the Sabre, could be flown with the cockpit open.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 25, 2013 14:58:19 GMT 12
Have you been listening to the Noel Kruse series? Loads of aeesome Sabres stories there! Part 6 just went online. Click the banner at the top of the page.
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