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Post by vs on Jul 31, 2008 16:41:49 GMT 12
Anyone know what the plans are for the UH1's when they retire them? It would be great to see them keep one flying. I guess the NH90's are not to far away now
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Jul 31, 2008 17:07:38 GMT 12
I'm guessing at least a couple will probably end up in museums. Maybe they will try and sell them to civilian companies? I'm sure there aren't any military forces out there that would buy them, at least not from countries we would want to be dealing with.
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Post by vs on Jul 31, 2008 17:42:39 GMT 12
I wonder if the airforce museum are going to get a bell47? I am sure that it would not take mush to get the seasprite into a reasonably complete state
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Post by sniff on Jul 31, 2008 19:00:31 GMT 12
Sold? Never! Remember FMS.  They will end up in cocoons at Woodbourne - even though the only original piece on most of them is the maker's nameplate! My bet would be one of each to The Museum, some to other museums, and the rest sold as spares to reputable operators. |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Aug 2, 2008 22:24:24 GMT 12
I'm sure the bureaucrats at the State Department are warming up their 'Declined' stamps. After all can't have the world military ballance upset with kiwi Iroquois on the open market.
Paul
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 3, 2008 0:47:15 GMT 12
It will be some while before the fleet retires. President Obama will probably be retired before the Iroquois finally leaves our Air Force's service for good.
I hope that one is kept flying in NZ with either the Historic Flight or a Warbirds syndicate.
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Aug 3, 2008 7:57:02 GMT 12
I also hope that the Historic Flight still operate one of these and perhaps a Bell 47 as well seeing they have served for so long.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Aug 5, 2008 15:36:33 GMT 12
The RNZAF already has a UH-1H in the museum at Christchurch abliet an ex-US Army one serialled NZ3800.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 5, 2008 18:38:15 GMT 12
It wouldn't hurt to place a genuine example in the museum and allow NZ3800 to become a swap item though, would it?
Think how many countless kiwi lives each of those machines has saved, as well as tens of thousands of people from overseas. They are amazing aircraft, their SAR work, ambulance work, disaster relief work, scientific work, and of course battlefield support, transport, police liaison and peacekeeping among other things must rank them as extremely significant to New Zealand museums. I'd much rather see NZ3801, and perhaps the first Orange Roughy NZ3808 (in its orange scheme) kept by the museum than some US machine that served in Germany that has no emotional connection to New Zealand. Just my personal preference I guess.
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Post by beagle on Aug 5, 2008 18:50:24 GMT 12
Yes of course, it would be better if one of ours was in there.
do they have anything at Waiuru, excuse the spelling, if not then one could go there.
I was going to say a few could go to GTW and kept in running order etc. Then again your pitting 1960 technology against 21st century stuff.
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Post by corsair67 on Aug 5, 2008 19:40:02 GMT 12
One of the Orange Roughies would be a great addition to the International Antarctic Centre at Harewood.
I'd like one for my backyard!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 5, 2008 20:30:26 GMT 12
Last time I was at Waiouru in the late 1980's they had a half fuselage of an Iroquois in a Vietnam diorama.
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Post by vgp on Aug 5, 2008 20:53:29 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 5, 2008 21:05:53 GMT 12
That's the one.
My favourite exhibit at Waiouru was the WWII desert one where the kiwis were eating breakfast of baked beans beside their Bren Gun Carrier. One of them had the filthiest singlet on I'd ever seen, and another had beans dripping from the spoon - very nice touch.
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