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Post by baz62 on Oct 12, 2014 18:30:20 GMT 12
Teresa and I decided to make a weekend of our trip to Auckland and the Forum meet. So once we were into our rental car (supposed to be a Mondeo but they said it was going to be a Holden Cruze. When I looked disappointed they asked if I would like a brand new Commodore? YES!) we used the GPS unit to find MOTAT. Now it gave two choices so enny miney came to the fore and off we went. Now we were at some traffic lights when we spotted a sign talking about the grand opening of The Machine exhibit. Now I was a bit slow here as if I had looked at the GPS I would have noticed we were close to our destination. But no I followed the GPS directions to the letter and found ourselves up a hill in a suburban street with a small sign pointing down a set of steps. Huh? No no I said we want a car park, so went back into the GPS and chose the other address. Now because I hadn't made the connection between the advertising sign and the fact it was actually ON the MOTAT building i followed the GPS again. And it took us to some street in the city! So back to the GPS and this time when we came to the same set of traffic lights and saw THE Machine ad we also saw the MOTAT entrance! God knows what the GPS took us to in the city. (I say city but it wasn't central Auckland but there were office buildings etc so could have been anywhere!) Anyhoo we paid our admisson and of course i wanted my aviation fix first so hopped on the Tram. What a neat idea that is.  I should point out that I am in some of these photos as Teresa likes me in them.  Here I am on the tram.  And admiring the building.  Nice to see the Hurricane replica is still around.  I like the fact the first thing you see when you enter the aircraft hall is the Lancaster. What an imposing sight!    My eyes were soon drawn to the next aircraft. T43 Mosquito. Seem to be a popular aircraft these days.    View of the "office".   Devon and Skyhawk.   Thought this was a Merlin parked under the Lancaster's port wing but it was actually a Kestral.  And of course I had to get Teresa to take photos of the Auster.   Interesting position for the generator as they usually mounted these on the leading edge of the starboard wing.  A more general shot but showing the Hudson off quite well I thought.  That Solent is BIG! No wonder a lot of museums don't have big aircraft, they take up a lot of room and manpower but I think it's worth it.  All sorts of iconic aircraft in this photo. DC3, Electra, Flying Flea, Magister, Rapide.  Of course i'm always on the look out for Auster related bits. Anything in here?  Hmmmm that's got a Gipsy Major...............  "Ewwww that's got those 'orrible Cirrus engines in it!" I was pleased to see this as my friend in Australia has one so a few snaps have gone over the Tasman.  They have certainly got a good cross section of aircrat engines on display.  HA! Got my hands on the camera so here is Teresa in front of the Sunderland.    The Ventura looked a little lonely so we went over and gave her a pat.    The Avenger shaped tarpaulin!    Restoration workshop with Sunderland float in the foreground.  Bristol Hercules goodness for Al Marshall! And undercarriage leg all off a Hastngs.  Well that's all for now. I'll post some more later on plus another thread covering our other activities. (Yes some Auster related!)  |
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Post by craig on Oct 13, 2014 6:03:32 GMT 12
Thanks Baz. I really must make the effort to get there sometime
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Post by suthg on Oct 13, 2014 6:37:29 GMT 12
I'm planning on Wednesday 22nd - 10 days time, certainly whetted the appetite - thanks Baz!! May get to Ardmore in the afternoon too.
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Post by rayo on Oct 13, 2014 7:25:37 GMT 12
Yes great photo's thanks. I am heading up that way mid November and MOTAT is due for a revisit. I also hope to get to Ardmore.
On that vein what is the form for visits there. I have only been there previously for the Mossie launch airshow.
What public access is there at other times??
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Post by suthg on Oct 13, 2014 7:38:39 GMT 12
Do not use GPS to get there, it takes you to the NW side - the wrong side for a visit. But find Hamlin Rd - off Mill Rd (or off Clevedon Rd) and turn into Harvard Lane and follow your nose to the Warbirds Sign and carpark. The Warbirds hangar is further to the east.
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Post by pjw4118 on Oct 13, 2014 14:10:45 GMT 12
suthg and others.
If you make it to MOTAT Wednesday mornings our BCA guys are there along with the restoration team. A cup of coffee is always available. PM me with dates if you intend to come.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Oct 13, 2014 14:34:40 GMT 12
Teresa and I decided to make a weekend of our trip to Auckland and the Forum meet. So once we were into our rental car (supposed to be a Mondeo but they said it was going to be a Holden Cruze. When I looked disappointed they asked if I would like a brand new Commodore? YES!) we used the GPS unit to find MOTAT. Now it gave two choices so enny miney came to the fore and off we went. Now we were at some traffic lights when we spotted a sign talking about the grand opening of The Machine exhibit. Now I was a bit slow here as if I had looked at the GPS I would have noticed we were close to our destination. But no I followed the GPS directions to the letter and found ourselves up a hill in a suburban street with a small sign pointing down a set of steps. Huh? No no I said we want a car park, so went back into the GPS and chose the other address. Now because I hadn't made the connection between the advertising sign and the fact it was actually ON the MOTAT building i followed the GPS again. And it took us to some street in the city! So back to the GPS and this time when we came to the same set of traffic lights and saw THE Machine ad we also saw the MOTAT entrance! God knows what the GPS took us to in the city. (I say city but it wasn't central Auckland but there were office buildings etc so could have been anywhere!) Anyhoo we paid our admisson and of course i wanted my aviation fix first so hopped on the Tram. What a neat idea that is. I always just jump on an Outer Link bus (using my AT HOP Card) and when the electronic voice announces that the next stop is MOTAT, Meola Road, I get off the bus at the next stop and walk for a couple of minutes up the pathway to the Aircraft Display Hall and pay my admittance fee. If I can be bothered looking at stuff at the main site, I catch the free tram there, then catch a bus back to downtown Auckland, or if I cannot be bothered heading around to the main MOTAT site, after when I have had my fill of aviation stuff (which usually takes a few hours), I walk back down the pathway to Meola Road and catch the Outer Link bus back to where I came from (the buses run about every 15 minutes). No traffic hassles, no wondering where the car park is, no getting misdirected by CPS unit....just an easy trip to and from MOTAT. And it only costs $2.95 to get there on the bus (I just logged-in to AT's website and looked at my past HOP Card transactions to get the fare). |
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Post by ErrolC on Oct 13, 2014 15:32:57 GMT 12
Google Maps recognises MOTAT Aviation as it's own location. You can reach it from either Meola Rd, or Motions Rd (which goes from Great North Rd, past the Zoo to the short unsealed lane that gives access to the Aviation carpark.)
The 20 or so carparks outside the hangar are normally adequate outside some weekends, and school holidays. Overflow parking for the Zoo/MOTAT/Western Springs Park in the weekends is at the school on Motions Rd.
Auckland Transport Train and bus info at.govt.nz
The trains are much better than they used to be, could be useful if you are staying near a station.
Sent from my D5503 using proboards
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Post by rayo on Oct 13, 2014 18:39:46 GMT 12
suthg and others. If you make it to MOTAT Wednesday mornings our BCA guys are there along with the restoration team. A cup of coffee is always available. PM me with dates if you intend to come. Thanks for that. Sounds like a plan will PM you nearer the time. Cheers RayO |
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Post by snaphead on Oct 14, 2014 9:21:16 GMT 12
Hi Baz. glad you enjoyed your "sojourn" to "Jaffaland". Haven't been to MOTAT for about 40 years. Seems to have been some changes.
I have one question, is the Mosquito the one fitted with the wings built at Wigram? I recall seeing a Mosquito wing being built [in 3 hangar?] some years ago and being told they were for MOTAT. I also recall a Mosquito fuselage sitting on a "Queen Mary" trailer at Ohakea, having been recovered somewhere near Marton. Would this be the same airframe?
'
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Post by baz62 on Oct 14, 2014 11:41:41 GMT 12
H Pete
Yes that's the one. She looks really good, you'd never know the wings had been joined together, at least to me.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 14, 2014 12:58:01 GMT 12
The Mosquito wing was built in No. 7 Hangar (at least it was there the years I was at Wigram). I'm not sure what you mean about 'joined together' Baz. I recall it as being a complete new wing.
This huge job to build the wing (mainly done by one man!)was done at Wigram in exchange for the Thunderbolt remains and the Vildebeest project. The Thunderbolt was then on-swapped to Australia for the damaged Sopwith Pup replica that was patched up and is now in the Museum.
I love seeing how these deals pan out over time, we now have a Mosquito on public display, a Pup on public display, a Vildebeest under long term restoration and a P-47D very close to flying again in Aussie.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 14, 2014 16:42:15 GMT 12
Hi Baz. glad you enjoyed your "sojourn" to "Jaffaland". Haven't been to MOTAT for about 40 years. I also recall a Mosquito fuselage sitting on a "Queen Mary" trailer at Ohakea, having been recovered somewhere near Marton. Would this be the same airframe? Yes, NZ2305 was recovered from Marton in 1967. |
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Post by John L on Oct 14, 2014 18:15:55 GMT 12
Did the Hudson ever fly with a turret fitted? And are there any long term plans to refit one?
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Post by Richard Wesley on Oct 14, 2014 20:37:02 GMT 12
Motat has a fully restored Hudson turret ready for fitting some time in the future.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 14, 2014 23:28:15 GMT 12
The RNZAF only had enough turrets for just over half their Hudson fleet, so generally only those up in the forward areas of the Pacific with No. 3 (GR) Squadron, No. 4 (GR) Squadron and No. 9 (GR) Squadron, and those at the Gunnery school in NZ, were fitted with them. When they came back from the Pacific for major servicing the turrets were swapped into the replacement aircraft that was going up there. So basically pretty much all the Hudsons served at some stage without turrets fitted. A few in the home based No. 1 and No. 2 Squadrons did have turrets too, but they didn't get priority. It seems everyone thinks they all had turrets because they selected the ones with turrets when they took photos usually.
This particular aircraft, NZ2031, because a personal transport aircraft for the AOC, so it probably flew more often with no turret than ever with one.
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Post by Richard Wesley on Oct 15, 2014 9:11:48 GMT 12
The Mosquito wing was built in No. 7 Hangar (at least it was there the years I was at Wigram). I'm not sure what you mean about 'joined together' Baz. I recall it as being a complete new wing. Might have looked like a brand new wing when it was finished but it certainly started its rebuild in three pieces. Here it is leaving Motat for Wigram with a centre section and two outer wing panels. Under all the reconstructed ply and fabric are large steel fittings that were used to rejoin the front and rear spars back together again.    |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 15, 2014 9:27:29 GMT 12
Fascinating, thanks!
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Post by baz62 on Oct 15, 2014 11:52:49 GMT 12
I think there might have been an article in Classic Wings(?) Dave and there was a photo showing one of the joins. The good thing is with the fabric covering it would hide the joins completely. Wigram seem to be good at this as they did a similar job with the Hudson, using an A4 Skyhawk engine stand (which isable to be adjusted in all axis)to get the correct alignment. I wonder what they did to get the Mosquito wings aligned? I notice in the second to last photo the P47 Thunderbolt sneaking into shot.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 16, 2014 9:16:26 GMT 12
Denys Jones has been in contact about the Mosquito wing joint. He writes: "I saw the chatter about the mossie wing joint that Brian Smith et al did at Wigram. Here's a piccie I took showing the join with assorted metalwork etc in the tank bay that might bring back memories to you."  Denys adds: "The attached might interest in the same vein as it shows the sequence of events that Dag and the crew went through repairing the aft most inner fuselage bulkhead and the upper surface for the fin mounting on NZ2328. Lots of little bits, screws and glue in a Mossie. Poor old Alex (Agile) lived up to his forum name as the one who spent ages in the rear fuse doing the bits in there."     |
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