Post by obiwan27 on Mar 6, 2009 16:39:33 GMT 12
Hello everyone here's a few photos that I'd like to share with you of my days working as a volunteer at the RNZAF Museum back in the days before the Museum building was even built and the idea of a Museum was still in it's embryonic or early development days. Yes folks, the days when the RNZAF still had a Strike Wing!!
Before I launch into this item I'd just like to say that, as a young lad at the time it seemed like a good idea to trim up the photos to fit into my photo album, not something I'd contemplate as I grew older and wiser!!
I was an ATC cadet at the time and one Tuesday evening before we were dismissed from parade there was a notice as part of the Squadron Standing Orders that anyone who was interested in working as a volunteer for the Air Force Museum on a special project should make themselves known to one of the officers at the end of the parade.
My brother and I, being aircraft fanatics, duly obliged. We were told to report to Number 6 Hangar on Sunday at 1pm. So began a regular pilgrimage to Wigram on a Sunday afternoon.
Our first project under the benevolent supervision of Paul Harrison and George Jaunzemis was the paint-stripping of the Museum's Avenger, NZ 2504
At the top is the Avenger with her wings folded. Pretty much the configuration stuck to while we were working on her. (Sorry it's a bit dark, I was in my early days of photo taking then) Yes, the hangar lights were on!!!
Then there are two photos of me in my paint-stripping/working clobber along with the required tools for paint-stripping. One can of paint stripper, one brush and one pair of heavy duty PVC gloves. In addition to that we had several strips of metal sheeting cut to size and folded to suit for scraping off the many layers of paint. Once we started to get through the layers we used polypads, not steelo pads but the synthetic 3M stuff. (I don't look very keen in the photos but I think I was going through the teenage 'don't smile in any photos' stage at the time)
There was a regular group of 5 of us on paint stripping duty every Sunday afternoon, apart from when the base was closed or Paul &r George were on holiday. In the group photo I am on the left of the propeller blade and my brother Barry (baz1962) is on the right.
It was a time consuming yet interesting job and at the tender age of 15 at the time I had boundless enthusiasm. In fact I think it's fair to say that after the passage of 30 years my enthusiasm is undiminished!!!
The interesting parts were when we got down to the original US Navy Blue and then down to the primer and bare metal, at which stage we had to be particularly careful. At one stage we discovered a series of signatures in the area in front of the tail-wheel (As far as I remember). These signatures I think were from the guys at the Grumman factory at the time the old girl was being assembled. Naturally I stand to be corrected on this particular point.
When we started working on the Avenger there was some talk about the possibility of getting the engine running again. In due course, through the efforts of George and Paul and others at the base, the Avenger was running again. The photos above show Paul in action with the old girl strutting her stuff. I believe that it used to draw quite a crowd, and it really was something to witness the start up, wing folding/unfolding, bomb bay doors opening/closing, mag check, and run up etc. As my brother has already shared this with you in an earlier thread I won't bore you with the details.
As you can see at the top there she is in her new coat of paint with just the finishing touches to be done on the roundels. The painting was done in 4 hangar I believe. In the middle, as she appeared outside 4 hangar on her first roll out after painting was completed.
Lastly here are the TBF crew, a mixture of ATC cadets and Regular Force guys, very pleased to see the Avenger in her new paint scheme. It's quite nice to know that we had our own small part to play in getting 2504 back to display standard.
I have a number of other photos of my time spent at the museum and I'll share those with everyone in due course.
Before I launch into this item I'd just like to say that, as a young lad at the time it seemed like a good idea to trim up the photos to fit into my photo album, not something I'd contemplate as I grew older and wiser!!
I was an ATC cadet at the time and one Tuesday evening before we were dismissed from parade there was a notice as part of the Squadron Standing Orders that anyone who was interested in working as a volunteer for the Air Force Museum on a special project should make themselves known to one of the officers at the end of the parade.
My brother and I, being aircraft fanatics, duly obliged. We were told to report to Number 6 Hangar on Sunday at 1pm. So began a regular pilgrimage to Wigram on a Sunday afternoon.
Our first project under the benevolent supervision of Paul Harrison and George Jaunzemis was the paint-stripping of the Museum's Avenger, NZ 2504
At the top is the Avenger with her wings folded. Pretty much the configuration stuck to while we were working on her. (Sorry it's a bit dark, I was in my early days of photo taking then) Yes, the hangar lights were on!!!
Then there are two photos of me in my paint-stripping/working clobber along with the required tools for paint-stripping. One can of paint stripper, one brush and one pair of heavy duty PVC gloves. In addition to that we had several strips of metal sheeting cut to size and folded to suit for scraping off the many layers of paint. Once we started to get through the layers we used polypads, not steelo pads but the synthetic 3M stuff. (I don't look very keen in the photos but I think I was going through the teenage 'don't smile in any photos' stage at the time)
There was a regular group of 5 of us on paint stripping duty every Sunday afternoon, apart from when the base was closed or Paul &r George were on holiday. In the group photo I am on the left of the propeller blade and my brother Barry (baz1962) is on the right.
It was a time consuming yet interesting job and at the tender age of 15 at the time I had boundless enthusiasm. In fact I think it's fair to say that after the passage of 30 years my enthusiasm is undiminished!!!
The interesting parts were when we got down to the original US Navy Blue and then down to the primer and bare metal, at which stage we had to be particularly careful. At one stage we discovered a series of signatures in the area in front of the tail-wheel (As far as I remember). These signatures I think were from the guys at the Grumman factory at the time the old girl was being assembled. Naturally I stand to be corrected on this particular point.
When we started working on the Avenger there was some talk about the possibility of getting the engine running again. In due course, through the efforts of George and Paul and others at the base, the Avenger was running again. The photos above show Paul in action with the old girl strutting her stuff. I believe that it used to draw quite a crowd, and it really was something to witness the start up, wing folding/unfolding, bomb bay doors opening/closing, mag check, and run up etc. As my brother has already shared this with you in an earlier thread I won't bore you with the details.
As you can see at the top there she is in her new coat of paint with just the finishing touches to be done on the roundels. The painting was done in 4 hangar I believe. In the middle, as she appeared outside 4 hangar on her first roll out after painting was completed.
Lastly here are the TBF crew, a mixture of ATC cadets and Regular Force guys, very pleased to see the Avenger in her new paint scheme. It's quite nice to know that we had our own small part to play in getting 2504 back to display standard.
I have a number of other photos of my time spent at the museum and I'll share those with everyone in due course.
