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Post by pjw4118 on Nov 2, 2016 7:36:29 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 2, 2016 9:19:56 GMT 12
Super photos!! Thanks Peter!
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Post by davidd on Nov 3, 2016 8:26:53 GMT 12
Yes, a fascinating place at that time - what a collection of waifs and strays! Cannot imagine why the sent the last Hind to Hobsonville from Nelson, it really was just a little bit on the primitive side by this late stage. The Corsairs were almost certainly NZ5501 and 5507, and the C-47s were (as can be seen) NZ3504, and probably 3501. Great shot of the unwanted Dauntlesses too. The only oddball seemingly NOT present is the Zeke, probably hidden at the back of a hangar somewhere.
David D
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Post by Damon on Nov 3, 2016 9:52:09 GMT 12
Enjoyed the pictures.Thanks for posting them,exp the SBD's
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Post by pjw4118 on Nov 4, 2016 10:30:29 GMT 12
Here it is  |
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Post by emron on Nov 26, 2016 15:11:11 GMT 12
Strange that only the Zero was deemed worthy of preservation at the time. The F4U's and SBD-3's already looked neglected and shabby and were all gone to the scrappers within 2 years.I guess the disposal rules were strict then. 70 years on it's just plain sad that despite numerous frustrated and failed attempts neither MOTAT nor Air Force Museum have one decent example of Corsair,Dauntless or Hind on display between them.
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Post by pjw4118 on Dec 2, 2016 10:29:06 GMT 12
David with the Corsair , perhaps its because they were once so numerous. In the mid 1960s when we were pulling NZ3009 from Rukuhia there were at least six Corsairs around , and yet we didn't think if getting one. Maybe as Asplins had two or three up on the main road and the P40s had to go right then for airport development, they were overlooked. Price may also been a factor and I seem to recall %5000 being asked and as I was then earning $12/week there was no chance.
As for MOTAT I think they had their hands full with a 100 and 0ne other things to do.
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Post by davidd on Dec 3, 2016 8:55:39 GMT 12
Remember that it was probably only the novelty of the Zeke that saved it initially, although it was given to the TTS as a "training aid" to demonstrate the oriental way of building aircraft. However this particular use was probably not often taken advantage of and the Zeke was soon put out to grass along with the Catalinas, Sunderland 3s, plus the Seafire XV and Firefly by the very early 1950s. Its presence here was eventually advised to the GSB for disposal as scrap in about 1952/53, but fortunately for posterity one of the equipment officers at Hobsonville remembered that this aircraft had already been promised to the Auckland War Museum several years previously, and the Museum had provisionally accepted the offer pending the completion of their new building (which was in its very early stages at this time). Although this equipment officer was unable to locate the relevant file on subject (and thus the authority), his words were taken at face value, and the rare Zeke was saved, so its survival was a close-run thing.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 3, 2016 11:07:34 GMT 12
Wow that was lucky. What a pity the war museum did not seek to also preserve some of our aircraft, like a Corsair and Kittyhawk. I wonder why they would be only interested in a foreign machine at the time. The only reason they ended up with a Spitfire was because of a group of ex-Spitfire pilots like Doug Brown, Bill Kain and Sir Keith Park insisting they needed one.
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Post by beagle on Dec 3, 2016 19:09:50 GMT 12
nothing like that around the hangar when I was there in 1981. bugger missing all that.
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