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Post by Kereru on Jul 4, 2008 17:36:23 GMT 12
For sometime I had planned to visit Ashburton Aviation Museum so while in Christchurch I arranged with a friend and spotter to make the trip on 1 July. A phone call and we didn't even wait two minutes and a member arrived to open up and show us around. A fantastic display that should not be missed when visiting Christchurch or nearby. My olnly regret is not taking enough pics of the new hangar being built to house the Dc 3. It will have a Cafe and exhibition area along with a facility for over head projection area. I am sure their hours will be extended further in time to cater for visitors. Various pics are below.  High on my viewing list was the Harrier.     A record breaking glider. Single seat Vampire below with no engine.  Harvard.  RR Dart turbo prop engine and Viscount model.  Parts of an Oxford.  Devon.  Can anyone ID this one? Sorry i forgot! old age again.   Airtruk ZK-DMZ  A fantastic diarama of wartime Ashburton RNZAF base.  In the hangar next door on loan a two seat Vampire with engine.    Anyone recognize this engine............. for a Bristol Freighter  Outside stands BXG proudly.  On some days they offer Dc 3 flights from Christchurch to Ashburton return with lunch provided with a tour for $90. I must return one day when the new buildings are finished and they are likely to have a few more aircraft added to their collection. It was a well spent afternoon and I highly recommend it to other enthusiasts. Colin |
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Post by Brett on Jul 4, 2008 18:22:24 GMT 12
Can anyone ID this one? Porterfield 35W |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jul 4, 2008 20:52:15 GMT 12
Great photos Colin. What a marvellous looking museum, must get there one day soon myself.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 4, 2008 22:00:27 GMT 12
Thanks Colin, that's a great set of photos, and it looks like a very nice museum. The Porterfield was restored to its wartime No. 42 Squadron colours by the team at Wigram and spent quite some time in the RNZAF Musuem before moving south. It's a pity Wigram didn't have ownership of it, it's a lovely aircraft, but at least it's in a very good home now.
That Viscount model reminds me of when I was a wee kid Dad had one very much the same but perhaps smaller. I think his was about a metre wingspan. He got it off a mate of his who was a travel agent and they were ditching it because Viscounts were removed from service. Dad mounted it on a pole and fixed it to the apex of the garage, like a weather vane, and it used to turn in the wind. I loved it very much, and I guess it acted as a gate guard to us because if yoiu were describing to someone where we lived you'd say 'up a driveway and it's the house with the aeroplane on the shed roof'. Sadly after several years up there the sun and rain affected it and it disintergrated.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jul 5, 2008 10:05:36 GMT 12
I remember the display at Air Expo 92 at Auckland (Mangere), the sheer noise and agility of that Harrier GR3 fascinated me for years. When I finally got to see one up close at the RAF Museum at Hendon I was rather amazed how small it was, not much bigger than the A-4. By contrast I was stunned at the large size of the F4 Phantom and Tornado.
Just a quick question, is that a Canberra nose section in the background? Is it wearing the 'Raspberry Ripple' scheme of the Empire Test Pilot School, or is it the scheme from another RAF unit such as (cant remember the name of the unit, but it was at Boscombe Down) an evaluation and testing unit.
(edited because my 'quick' question also involved some quick spelling!)
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Post by Kereru on Jul 5, 2008 12:41:51 GMT 12
 Joe, Boscombe Down I think and it was still flying up till 2002? Thanks Brett for the reminder on the Porterfield 35W. Colin |
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Post by corsair67 on Jul 5, 2008 14:36:23 GMT 12
Wonderful shots of a great little museum. Thanks for posting, Colin.  |
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Post by hairy on Jul 6, 2008 0:48:26 GMT 12
Thats one heck of a wide lens, great photos of what I think is one of the best muesums in the country.
I do hope you took the opportunity to join while you were there.
;D
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Post by Kereru on Jul 6, 2008 18:18:04 GMT 12
Thats one heck of a wide lens, great photos of what I think is one of the best muesums in the country. I do hope you took the opportunity to join while you were there. ;D Lens: Sigma 10-20 mm used on a D200 DX camera so effective focal length is 15-30 mm. No didn't think of joining and my first fleeting visit to Ashburton was in 1994 on our big OE to the South Island. This was my first ever visit to the museum and hopefully I will get there again one day. Cheers Marcus. |
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Jul 6, 2008 18:37:07 GMT 12
Great work Colin, some really nice shots there. Must get down there again sometime and its great to be able to see a harrier in NZ and harvard 12 is a very nice example.  |
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