Mosquito on it's wheels

[Dave Homewood]

The latest Classic Wings issue has a photo of MOTAT's Mosquito looking very nice, sitting on it's own wheels and very near completion by the looks of it. Congratulations to the team there (and at Wigram) who've done so well in bringing this lovely aircraft up to such a great standard.

The article says it will be leaving the Belfast hangar, as have all the other aircraft in there, and will go outside till the hangar has been shifted.

Outdoors now also are the Hudson, Ventura, Lodestar, Sunderland, Kansan, Airtourer, Harvard, Agwagon, Crescos, C-47 and the Avenger. Has anyone been along with a camera to capture them all in the sun before they go back indoors?

[Peter Lewis]

admin said:

Has anyone been along with a camera to capture them all in the sun

Sun? This is Auckland. We don't do sun. We do warm-and-wet and cold-and-wet, but we don't do sun.

I'm home today because the AAC weekend club trip to Whangarei/Kaitaia/North Cape/ Kaitaia/back home has been cancelled due weather. Too much weather.

Might make it over to Keith Park and get some photos of these in the lull between a strong north-westerly and a strong south-easterly though.

[vs]

Hope all that hard work does not get ruined in the weather!

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Peter, good luck finding a dry patch to get some shots of the aircraft. I hope they're well covered, but not too well covered that it spoils photos, if you know what I mean.

[flyjoe180]

You should go south of Auckland Peter, the weather is fantastic (admires tan and sips on Heineken) admittedly some of it is due to wind burn ;D

[Peter Lewis]

Today, as Auckland is in the grip of a drought (no rain for 12 hours), I was able to look at these aircraft out in the sunshine.
They are at the rear of the main display hangar, and publicly accessable. Most have cockpit covers on for protection, but you can't have everything!

Those parked out are:

The Harvard Mk.II NZ944/INST153, no visible markings



Cliff Tait's round-the-world AESL Airtourer 115 ZK-CXU



Cessna A188A Agwagon ZK-COO ex Rural/Phoenix/Air Contracts, no visible markings



The one-and-only Fletcher F.1060 ZK-CTZ



Lockheed Hudson Mk III NZ2031 without outer wings



Lockheed-Vega B-34 Ventura NZ4600



Beech AT-11 Kansan ZK-AHO ex NZ Aerial Mapping



ex NZNAC Douglas DC-3C ZK-BQK missing a few tailfeathers



Lockheed 18-56 Lodestar ZK-BVE which has had all it's paint stripped off



and of course the one you've come to see, DH98 Mosquito T Mk 43 NZ2305, up on its wheels and out in the open at last







Sunderland NZ4115 was of course also there, but quite unphotographable. A substantial mainwheel/undercarriage assembly, probably Hastings, was also visible.
One noticeable absentee was the Grumman Avenger. Any ideas?

[corsair67]

Peter, wonderful photos there: it's good to see them all out in the sun, albeit with covers on them.

Does anyone know long will they be kept out in the open for?

The Airtourer and AgWagon are looking fantastic in their new paint schemes.

Thanks for posting your shots for us.

[alanw]

Peter

Excellent photos ;D

Re The Avenger, the last I saw of it was in a building to the left of the current placement of the workshop (about May 07) If you follow the gravel road around it was in about the second/third building (building has folding doors)

Corsair67 The new building is "supposed" to start around March this year, and will directly butt onto the current hangar and won't be finished until @ 2010.

As to where they will place all the aircraft? well we'll have to wait and see, there's not alot of room left!!!

During a very recent trip to MOTAT, overheard some workers commenting on the fact someone screwed up the plans a little, as
the tram line was supposed to go right around the back of Keith Park

[hairy]

This is how the Avenger looked on 23 Sept '07, behind the DC-3 by the gravel ring road.



On the following page, you will see the planned disposition of aircraft in the new hangar. (scroll down the page about 1/2 way)

www.motat.org.nz/Projects/Funding%20-%20Aviation%20hangar.htm

[turboNZ]

Great pics, thanks for sharing !!

[vs]

looks as though there is going to be abit more room to move in the new hangar. Some museums I have been to have way to many aeroplanes in them, particually the American air museum at Duxford and bomber command hall at Hendon. RNZAF museum has got it pretty well right in there current diplay hall.

Is that a F27 in there as well? Where is that coming from?

I thought the cost of getting a portable hangar for the mozzie would far out weigh the damage it will get sitting outside....but that is just my opinion

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos Peter, thanks for taking them for us.

The Harvard looks superb compared to before, a real nice job. Also the Mossie looks incredible!

It's so nice to see the B-34 Ventura on its legs and also the Kansan. But that poor old Hudson has really deteriorated after being outdoors these past two years or so. I know it's on the top of the list for next restoration but it's still sad to see.

The Cliff Tait Airtourer has changed schemes too, is it in the scheme it wore during his world trip now?

The Harvard used to wear the wartime camouflage and yellow scheme like Wigram's example. It's a bit of a difference now, much brighter and nice looking.

I believe they're all outside so the Belfast Hangar can be re-trussed or something. So hopefully they'll get back under cover soon and not have to wait for the new hangar to be built.

Perhaps the Avenger is in one of their smaller sheds, as it has spent time in one before.

[Dave Homewood]

Is the Mossie colour scheme accurate to its RNZAF service? If so, I wonder why the RNZAF painted NZ numbers on it but didn't replace the RAAF roundel?

[Bruce]

The mozzie scheme is almost certainly innaccurate, because even if it did retain its RAAF roundels, by the time it came to NZ the RAAF had changed back to blue - white- red roundels as well. I hope when it gets finished off this will be corrected. I see it doesnt have any wing roundels yet either.
Its quite good to see all the covers etc seem to be custom made to the particular aircraft. That should reduce damage from wind and water standing in the folds of the covers. I see the RB34 even has a little protrusion for the nose guns!

[Dave Homewood]

bruce said:

The mozzie scheme is almost certainly innaccurate, because even if it did retain its RAAF roundels, by the time it came to NZ the RAAF had changed back to blue - white- red roundels as well.

I was wondering about that but wasn't sure when the RAAF reverted to standard RAF roundels.

bruce said:

I hope when it gets finished off this will be corrected. I see it doesnt have any wing roundels yet either.

Hmm, well they've not yet finished the roundels on the P-40 and that's been on display for over a decade. But it looks like at last they have a competent aircraft finisher on their staff or volunteering, unless the RNZAF is involved again, because the three new paint jonbs (Harvard, Airtourer and Agwagon) look pretty good.

[flyjoe180]

Great photos Peter. Here's the Harvard being worked on in late 2004. They have certainly done a great job thus far.