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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 13, 2018 23:15:47 GMT 12
My understanding is the RNZAF Harvards all had periods of not flying, when they were taken out of service to have major overhauls, and in the case of the Mk IIA's, upgrades, as Baz says.
adf.serials states NZ1037 was the "Thirty seventh and final Mk IIA to be converted to Mk 2A* between August 1954 and May 1957."
And it adds "In storage Wigram 1973. Reactivated with 14 Squadron, Ohakea January 1974."
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Post by baz62 on Aug 14, 2018 7:53:56 GMT 12
Yes they seemed to rotate the Harvards in storage out to operational duties then put the replaced ones back into storage (possibly after under going any servicing prior to being required again.) Some didn't make it back out of storage (eg NZ1012) and retained their final colour scheme prior to being stored.
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Post by camtech on Aug 14, 2018 10:12:25 GMT 12
I thought NZ1015 was with CFS at Wigram when they were withdrawn and then went to Historic Flt.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 14, 2018 10:30:35 GMT 12
What are you asking, Les?
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Post by tbf25o4 on Aug 14, 2018 10:51:42 GMT 12
NZ1015 was identified in the mid 1970s as the aircraft to be retained by the RNZAF in flying condition on the retirement of the type. It went to Woodbourne for a complete overhaul and then back to Wigram to CFS. It was flown only enough hours to keep it airworthy, and pilots were normally restricted to flying instructors. When Wigram closed in 1993 for flying it and the tiger moth moved to Ohakea.
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Post by camtech on Aug 14, 2018 12:05:25 GMT 12
Quote from Brendon Deere's Biggin Hill website: "This Harvard served at a number of RNZAF Bases and finished its days at Ohakea with 14 Squadron used as a FAC (Forward Air Control) aircraft for cooperation with the Army. It has maintained a continuous flying history since 1942."spitfirepv270.co.nz/home/aircraft/harvard/history/This is why I queried the comment. I was not aware that NZ1015 served as an FAC aircraft and Paul's comment above tends to confirm my thoughts.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Aug 14, 2018 12:42:37 GMT 12
The two FAC Harvards were NZ1037 and NZ1056
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Post by Brett on Aug 14, 2018 13:01:12 GMT 12
The quote from Brendon Deere's Biggin Hill website refers to his own Harvard, ZK-ENA/NZ1037, and not the RNZAF Historic Flight Harvard ZK-RNZ/NZ1015.
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Post by camtech on Aug 14, 2018 13:21:46 GMT 12
Thanks - clears up the confusion.
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Post by mit on Aug 15, 2018 10:44:37 GMT 12
The two FAC Harvards were NZ1037 and NZ1056 Also NZ1017 which crashed at Taupo on while on FAC duty
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Post by baz62 on Aug 15, 2018 15:32:35 GMT 12
NZ1015 was identified in the mid 1970s as the aircraft to be retained by the RNZAF in flying condition on the retirement of the type. I wonder why 1015 was the Harvard of choice? Well as well as retaing 1009 and 1083 as spare airframes was it number of hours on the airframe? Or the most recent out of a major overhaul perhaps?
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Post by shorty on Aug 15, 2018 16:37:23 GMT 12
Most recent one out of overhaul
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Post by tbf25o4 on Aug 15, 2018 19:32:08 GMT 12
Re NZ1017 did it have the full radio kit in it when it crashed. My memory is that only NZ1037 and NZ1056 were fully equipped with VHF FM and UHF which is why I referred to them. NZ1010 and NZ1017 were both used for FAC until NZ1010 crashed but don't know if it or Nz1017 had all the radios which were only fitted post delivery of the A4s
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grumpy
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 1
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Post by grumpy on Nov 27, 2018 15:47:25 GMT 12
Has NZ1015 ever been through a significant overhaul/restoration since new? Yes! Indeed. A little history lesson, albeit a bit late in this forum. This is from the "Tech Controller" at Wigram who was serving when the Harvards were retired in the late 1970's. All the Harvards progressively went through an overhaul at #1 RD Woodbourne and the last one done in 1975 was NZ1015 which was allocated to the RNZAF Museum historic flight. Two other Harvards, NZ1009 and NZ1083, were also retained for historical purposes, as "spare" museum aircraft. The reason why those were selected is because they were each progressively last before NZ1015 underwent the overhaul/demagnetisation. NZ1015 was not originally assigned for overhaul but it was a series of circumstances which made NZ1015's future! It stems from the fact that NZ1009 was overhauled as the "last Harvard overhaul" and at the time NZ1009 was the Woodbourne "Station hack". It was flown out of Woodbourne for pilot continuation duties, and to give the Boy Entrants their first flight. NZ1058 at Wigram was subject to a "wheels up" landing out near Lake Ellesmere, and returned to Wigram via MT "Queen Mary" transporter after the wings were removed in the field. Upon NZ1058's repair back in No.5 hangar, it was discovered that the main spar in the centre section was damaged, and that aircraft was then given an Instructional serial number and retired. Wigram was a Harvard "short" for the flying program allocation, so NZ1009 was then allocated to the Wigram fleet to replace NZ1058. Woodbourne then did not have their "station hack", so NZ1015 was taken out of storage at Woodbourne, and underwent the overhaul/demagnetisation process over a period of months. It was a "bitsa".. The wings came from damaged wings, repaired and all patched up in the Repair depot, and assembled in 1975 to become Woodbourne's Hack! At the subsequent retirement of the Harvards from flying training, NZ1015 ended up at Wigram as the Museum's Historic Flight. It was assigned 50 hours per year for display purposes and flown only by selected pilots, on fine days, usually a Friday, from outside No. 4 Hangar at Wigram where it was stored and maintaned. NZ1015 is not original and was only selected because it was the last Harvard to be overhauled. NZ1009 and NZ1083 preceeded NZ1015's overhaul and that's the reason why they are still available for historic purposes. The writer was involved completely in the storage and maintenance of NZ1015, while serving as NCO i/c Intermediate Level Manitenance at Wigram prior to retirement in 1983. Cheers!
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 27, 2018 16:05:11 GMT 12
At some point 1015 gained a stainless doubler that was screwed across the lower centre section. As time went on and the guys working on the Harvard were not so current, or knowledgeable on type, a few mistakes crept in. Somehow the stainless ending up getting replaced with an alloy panel and as a consequence the screws frequently loosened through fretting. I suspect the alloy panel may have been changed more than once as the fretting and hole elongation took it's toll. The aircraft must have flown for several years with loose centre section screws as a result. It was a long time ago now and the centre section may have been replaced/repaired in the meantime but 1015 was certainly not without issues.
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Post by baz62 on Nov 27, 2018 16:56:01 GMT 12
Wow thanks for that Grumpy an interesting footnote to the retirement of our Harvards.
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 27, 2018 17:21:24 GMT 12
Yes, I should have welcomed Duncan to the forum also. It was a great first post and I am sure he will have some interesting 'tales' as well. I am too lazy to look it up, stinky hot here at the mo', but didn't Duncan Middlemiss have something to do with the overhaul of either 1083 or 1009 ?
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Post by camtech on Nov 27, 2018 18:33:58 GMT 12
I believe Duncan was the pilot of 1083 when it ground looped at kaikohe. Duncan was/is vertically challenged and the accident report alludes to this as a contributory cause. I knew Duncan as a very young captain on Freighters with 1 sqdn
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 27, 2018 19:01:43 GMT 12
Indeed. A little history lesson, albeit a bit late in this forum. Welcome to the WONZ Forum! In this place, no history lesson is too late, we actually love it when new info comes along after the fact. NZ1015 underwent the overhaul/demagnetisation. Can someone please explain was demagnetisation involves, and why it was done? This is new to me.
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Post by xbaggy on Nov 27, 2018 20:44:54 GMT 12
Dave when the Harvards went through refurbishment at No 1 Repair Depot they were stripped down to their last nut and bolt. The centre section and 2 mainplanes were sent to the skin bay, as were the ailerons, elevators,flaps and rudder, The powerplant went to the engine bay to be looked after by the sumpies, landing gear to component bay, hydraulic bits to hydraulic bay and all we were left with on the hangar foor was the rear fuselage and the tubular chrome moly steel centre fuselage cockpit section. After a period of time magnetism builds up in the steel frame which effects the aircrafts compass. On the hangar floor was a huge square electrical coil square in shape around about 8ft x 8ft and 3ft long with a square hole in the middle big enough for two airframe baggies to carry the tubular frame through. The whole thing was covered in timber to prevent electrocution and powered by an A.C. current. The idea was for the baggies to start out of range of the pulsing magnetic influence of the coil, approach it and carry the fuselage frame through the hole and out the other side till it was outside the influence once again, This was repeated until no trace of magnetism was found using a little hand held magnetism detector. Another interesting thing that happened as part of the refurbishment, all the bolts and some steel fittings were inspected for wear and thread condition and stripped and re-cadmium plated to be re used. The joys of having such a great engineering depot.
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