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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2007 15:08:12 GMT 12
Where did the restoration back to P-51D status take place of the Mustang in the RNZAF Musuem? Was it at Woodbourne's No. 1RD like the Spitfire? or at Wigram?
Was it the RNZAF who did it, or the RNZAF Musuem?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 30, 2007 14:27:16 GMT 12
Well, I'll answer my own question, it was restored at Ohakea by RNZAF staff.
Now another question, as it was acquired without a merlin (it was a Cavalier F-51D) was one fitted to it, or is it displayed without a Merlin inside? Does anyone know?
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Post by lumpy on Jul 30, 2007 15:51:00 GMT 12
Im sure someone else will have a much better answer than me , but it was my understanding that it was never fully converted back from a Cavalier - only made to look like a Mustang again on the outside. As such I doubt it has an engine ( I could be wrong )
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 5, 2007 23:29:48 GMT 12
Well, I have just found a report in the May 1987 NZ Wings magazine which details the restoration a bit, and that states the Mustang had been "restored to airworthy standard", so I guess it does have a Merlin fitted. Seems a waste really.
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Post by lumpy on Aug 6, 2007 12:30:49 GMT 12
I stand corrected ( although still cant help feel I read differently somewhere ) . I agree , it does seem a bit of a waste , but I do understand their reasoning behind the " no flying " policy ( appearantly the p40 hasnt even had some of the inspections during its rebuild that would be required for it to take to the air - no reason to , as they dont intend to ever fly it )
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 6, 2007 13:37:27 GMT 12
I too understand their no flying policy, but on the P-40E restoration I was told by the then (he retired in May) Warrant Officer in charge of the restoraion facility, Dennis Gibbons (who is my old boss and a trusted friend) that the P-40 was indeed being built completely to airworthy standard. I asked why, when there's no chance of them flying it, and he said because the museum feels that if someday down the track should they suddenly be cash strapped and need to sell assets to keep afloat then an airworthy restoration will make twice the money that a staic example would. This makes sense, and also accouns for why it has been such a long proracted restoration. If they were doing it just for show, it would be completed by now, ages ago.
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Post by lumpy on Aug 6, 2007 18:39:10 GMT 12
Yes , that sounds much like what I was told last time I was there . The inspections can be done latter ( with the removal of some skin pennels etc - not as easy as doing it during assembly , but not impossible ) . It will however be essentially airworthy , or at least close enough to it that returning it to the air would not pose a huge issue .
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