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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 12:53:56 GMT 12
This time I'm seeking some ID. These two photos were taken on the southland coast. The C47 shed has been there for a long time, anyone know an identity for it? The big green marking on the side looked to be original which further confuses the situation. I spoke to the owner of the property but he said it was there when he moved in. The bottom photo is another mystery. It has since been moved and is supposedly destined to be a mobile coffee stand in Queenstown. The owner of this property said that it had three (?) letters inside and an enthusiast from Mosgiel had tracked it's identity down before it was moved. Anybody any ideas?  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 13:53:08 GMT 12
Interesting items. Is the bottom one a Hudson? Or is is a highly modified Dakota?
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Post by sleemanj on Jun 19, 2008 15:00:28 GMT 12
Image is broken shorty, perhaps you could try uploading to flickr or somewhere?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 15:29:01 GMT 12
What do you mean? I can see both photos fine.
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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 17:26:57 GMT 12
Interesting items. Is the bottom one a Hudson? Or is is a highly modified Dakota? Thats a good question Dave, it's not Dakota as the windows are the wrong shape, It's not Lodestar as window spacing is wrong and there weren't many broken up which also narrows the chances. Hudson? maybe, if so which one? (and the window question raises it's head again.) |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 18:42:44 GMT 12
The more I look the more I think it's a Hudson.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 18:44:18 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 18:56:44 GMT 12
Ok Denys, what was the rego of the caravan Hudson?
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Post by denysjones on Jun 19, 2008 19:17:14 GMT 12
Dunno Shorty we only had the pic I sent up that Dave has referred you to.
We did extrapolate things a wee bit. We somehow (don't ask how) ended up with a photocopy of an article about an old time truckie called Wib Maxwell from Dunedin who had delivered a Hudson to a client we presume in DUN. The article showed a Hudson (usual thing wings taken off at fuselage sides) being inched up a driveway in a residential suburb on hills. There are so many bodies around that serial is obscured but it has a black H on the bare fuselage side mostly over the door.
We assumed that it was the caravan one as the little old lady visitor we had at Ferrymead who told us the family had made one into a caravan was from DUN.
Who knows!
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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 19:38:35 GMT 12
Your task Mr Jones, should you choose to accept it, is to proceed to Queenstown, locate this caravan, and ascertain it's identity. As usual, should you or your ferrets be detained the secretary will disavow all knowledge of your activities.
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Post by sniff on Jun 19, 2008 20:32:12 GMT 12
Looking at the window spacing, Hudson seems right - with the fourth window blanked for the loo ;D or for some structural bracing for the wheel assembly?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 21:20:30 GMT 12
Additional to your mission Denys, find out what their coffee is like. :-)
If the coffee stand people realise it's a Hudson they could use that to create a great theme branding for their shop.
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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 21:33:06 GMT 12
There is no sign of the window being blanked off, the other curious thing is that the additional bits like the skirt have been riveted with spacing as an aircraft would use not the more widely spaced rivets that I would expect from a DIY type job.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 21:39:52 GMT 12
RNZAF Hudsons I know of that carried the code 'H' include:
NZ2031 UH-H (1943) not that one though as it's in Motat
NZ2043 SJ-H (1942) sold to Jack Larsen in 1948
However the black H on bare metal suggests a postwar Wigram based aircraft. The only bare metal Hudsons I've come across though are:
NZ2016 - no code apart from 016 on the nose
NZ2031 - F (Navigation School, Wigram postwar)
NZ2039 - G (Navigation School, Wigram postwar)
NZ2063 - no code
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 22:02:02 GMT 12
In fact NZ2080 also went to Wigram postwar, at first flying and then as an instructional airframe at the E&W School. It was sold to a Mr. Macintosh at the big sale of 1948. It's unlikely this one as I have seen the photo Denys descibes and it still has an NZ20XX serial poking out behind the inconsiderate people who stood in the way of the last crucial digits.
NZ2070 was also with the Naviagtion School at Wigram postwar and ended up in Nelson postwar wih a smelter firm. It's possibly thet smelted the wings and sold the fuselage I guess.
NZ2087 served postwar at the Nav school at Wigram too but wears camouflage in a photo in Charles Darby's book during this time.
NZ2013 also served postwar at that same Wigram school. Does anyone know what code it wore, which might help eliminate one from the misx as it survives at Wigram.
NZ2026 also served postwar at Wigram with CFS. I don't know if it was bare metal or what though. It was eventually stripped and sold to Mr Edwards, who often passed on aircraft to other buyers.
So there's the possibilities I know of to maybe pinpoint this trailer/aircraft. I wonder if the Navigation School records exist anywhere, or if anyone out there has postwar logbook details of Hudsons at Wigram that will tie up the 'H' code with a serial?
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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 22:29:31 GMT 12
Then when we've got that one nailed down we'll start on the Dak shed!
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Post by sniff on Jun 19, 2008 22:31:10 GMT 12
So, it's not a Hudson, Shorty?
Spacing between Window 1 and 2 looks right, but there should be another window equidistant between the 3rd and "4th" windows in the caravan pic. No?
Or was there a mod to some RNZAF frames?
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Post by shorty on Jun 19, 2008 22:41:25 GMT 12
I honestly don't know what it is, the window spacing is what throws me.
Looking at possibilities it could be (maybe) Electra, Hudson, Lodestar, think its too big for a Devon, Heron (that'd be a long shot).Dak is out because of window shape.
Initially I thought it was one of those American "Aero" caravans but when you look at their website they are way different.
The guy from Mosgeil is the bloke we want cos the ex owner said he noted the number from the inside.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 23:07:49 GMT 12
I would say it is definately a Hudson, and in the photo the nose would have been to right of picture, tail to the left. Note the larger space between the two windows at the right side, that's exactly how Hudsons are, there's slightly bigger gap between the first and second window than the rest. This is the best picture I can find right now to illustrate this www.godickson.com/Torberg%20Pix/Hudson%20b.jpgThe RNZAF added ventral guns to some of its operational Hudsons, and though I've never yet found a photo of these fitted to RNZAF ones I've been looking at RAF ones with the same fitting and they cut out two holes in the side right where this one's window is missing. Perhaps it had that mod and then later his one became a C-63 Transport and the holes were faired over again by No. 1 RD, Rukuhia. Denys's photo shows the port side, this caravan is the starboard side. The windows are all there on the port side in the photo. Denys, is it ok if I post that photo here please? |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2008 23:10:04 GMT 12
Furthermore this explains why we can't see the door, it's on the other side on Hudsons.
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