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Post by alanw on Mar 7, 2009 15:06:19 GMT 12
Hi all Went to the open day at MOTAT II this morning and found this heart breaking sight   Apparently the high winds on Thursday lifted the tail plane right of the stern beaching cradle and dumped the stern keel section un-ceremoniously on the cement. The main beaching gear was twisted off it's support mounting on the cement also  I know grown guys are not supposed to be emotional or get teary but I have to say that sight brought me close to it  Speaking to one of the gents who is involved in restoring her, NZ4115 Q-Queenie will have to get the stern work done sooner rather than later!! I can't wait till this grand old lady is indoors where she belongs! |
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Mar 7, 2009 17:28:45 GMT 12
Ugh, that doesn't look good at all... Perhaps she was giving the MOTAT staff a subtle hint she wants to fly again?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2009 12:39:29 GMT 12
Hell, that must have been quite a gust. I hope the damage isn't as bad as it looks, this is the last thing that the rstoration team needed. My heart goes out to them.
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Mar 9, 2009 21:10:48 GMT 12
Well, I've said this before, but at least if there's one consolation when something like this happens it's that being a rare vintage aircraft it will no doubt be repaired to a good standard as soon as possible.
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Post by stu on Mar 10, 2009 11:44:54 GMT 12
I can't wait till this grand old lady is indoors where she belongs! Agreed and hopefully, for the sake of the restoration team, the damage isn't too bad. How strongly concreted was the main beaching gear? I only ask in the hope that in the process of being twisted off, the fuselage wasn't also twisted. As my trusty old "Spitphoon" weather vane can attest to, it was pretty windy last week but as Dave said ... that must have been quite a gust.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 12, 2009 20:05:44 GMT 12
I'm wondering if you have any other photos from the Open Day Alan?
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Post by Richard Wesley on Mar 16, 2009 8:07:42 GMT 12
Considering the thump that she must have come down with (heard by a staff member appartently in the tea room around 4pm Thursday) it is amazing that only two small points of damage were sustained. It is really lucky that she didn't actually hit the main concrete pad or there may have been a quite different result. NZ4115 was lifted safely back into her normal attitude by crane on Wednesday and the securing of her stern beefed up even more. Can't wait for work to begin on the new hangar extension for her and the rest of the aircraft waiting to get in out of the weather. Fingers crossed for work to begin this year in spite of the doom and gloom on the ecomonic front. Although not immedially apparent to the untrained eye, the amount of work carried out in the last few years is considerable, with a major part of the exterior stripped, treated and repainted, along with a ton of upgrade work inside.  |
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Post by Bruce on Mar 16, 2009 9:10:58 GMT 12
Great to see shes back on her feet again with minimal damage done - great sturdy machine!
doesnt look like any chances are being taken with Tie downs now either!
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Post by agalbraith on Mar 16, 2009 10:15:28 GMT 12
Thank goodness she wasnt damaged more than that! I agree, had she come back down on the concrete pad it may have been a different story.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 16, 2009 22:04:07 GMT 12
Thanks for the update Richard, thank goodness it is generally good news, or at least it could have been much worse. Well done to the team for getting it back into position.
I think this is God's way of saying even he can't wait for the hangar to be built.
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