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Post by b10m on Jun 3, 2009 10:17:14 GMT 12
We are shifting. As always (at least with me) as I start to pack stuff up I usually come across something, books, photo albums, junk, that I have'nt seen since the last time I shifted, and spend more time looking at the old stuff than packing, much to the Lady Ed's chargrin. I come across an old photo album which was of the style that the pages were sticky, and then the photo's were covered by a sheet of clear something. Over time the photo's have become impossible to remove but I did and have scanned them so's as to try and protect them for the future As becomes obvious I am no Gavin Conroy, but here they are anyway. Skyhawk, Ohakea. No at all sure but I think Mooraabin. Ohakea This was taken at Paraparaumu. It appears that the canopy is being removed. Is that Ray Mulqueen holding the rear part of the canopy? Paraparaumu Oh look, another Skyhawk. Moorabbin. Kittyhawk,? Warhawk? Moorabbin Taken around Mangaweka from memory. Ohakea This was at Hastings. Hastings same day. Len Southwards Museum. Ohakea from the viewing area, through a telephoto by the looks. Actually I dont think it is Ohakea. F16 Ohakea F16 again Ohakea I think these guys were support for above mentioned F16 Again I think this was Moorabbin That will do.
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Post by barnstormer on Jun 3, 2009 11:14:47 GMT 12
I come across an old photo album which was of the style that the pages were sticky, and then the photo's were covered by a sheet of clear something. Over time the photo's have become impossible to remove but I did and have scanned them so's as to try and protect them for the future I just dealt with the same problem of trying to free rare aviation photos from those old sticky album pages. I was 98 percent successful for all the photos in the album, after giving up on them several times in years past. Yes, I too, First scanned all the photos in the albums while still affixed to the pages-but it was very important to remove them cleanly, as many had important information about the planes, people and date stamps on the back fom WWI. Try putting each page in a Microwave for ONLY 5 seconds at a time, and then keep working some sharp edges underneath until completely free. Some photos may need four, or even five, 5-second "cooks" but it softens up the glue or beeswax WITHOUT hurting the photo. a longer burst will burn them. I first tried using a sharp letter opener that came close to damaging a few as the back of the photo started peeling off too. I found that wiggling the sharp edge of a thin STIFF paper envelope or thin business card, back and forth, underneath the edges until all the way across, was more gentle and had great success. Try it.
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Post by FlyNavy on Jun 3, 2009 11:31:05 GMT 12
A4K photos appreciated - thanks.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 3, 2009 12:53:22 GMT 12
Great photos!
And some good tips there barnstormer, thanks, those old albums are a pain.
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Post by yak2 on Jun 3, 2009 13:17:05 GMT 12
For the eagle eyed amongst you........what is 'different' about the Moorabbin Warhawk/Kittyhawk depicted?
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Post by Bruce on Jun 3, 2009 13:21:30 GMT 12
It has Commonwealth Mustang wings - A kittystang!
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Post by yak2 on Jun 3, 2009 13:28:29 GMT 12
Very good Bruce. Need to check it out, but I think it is in the process of being rebuilt to an original standard.
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Post by Bruce on Jun 3, 2009 14:43:43 GMT 12
As a Mustang or as a Kittyhawk? At some point the Kittystang acquired a set of the compulsary sharks teeth! - Ive seen pics of it.....
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Post by yak2 on Jun 3, 2009 16:03:33 GMT 12
As a P40E. A29-53 saw service in the defence of Darwin. It is a much travelled airframe, and is currently under rebuild at Wangaratta for its owners, AARG.
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Jun 3, 2009 17:18:13 GMT 12
Zac will be along soon thats his yellow Fletcher.... ;D
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Post by ZacYates on Jun 3, 2009 18:25:17 GMT 12
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Jun 3, 2009 21:44:25 GMT 12
Great stuff, love the A4 Skyhawks in that colour scheme. They look a hell of a lot better than the white ones I saw on the way home tonight.
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Post by hardyakka on Jun 4, 2009 16:10:04 GMT 12
The brown and green camo paint scheme on the Skyhawks always made them look "messy" and untidy. I guess they too closely resembled the wrecked cars (sorry ... spare-parts reservoirs) parked out the back of my uncle's woolshed. I reckon the most recent maritime low-vis dark-grey scheme made them look much more "bad-ass". The current white stuff is too reminiscent of funeral shrouds...
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Post by John L on Jun 4, 2009 16:59:42 GMT 12
The current white stuff is too reminiscent of funeral shrouds... Well - that's what they are...aren't they....
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Post by obiwan27 on Jun 5, 2009 13:49:21 GMT 12
Well I think the original paint scheme on the A4's was pretty cool albeit a reminder of the Vietnam War era when a lot of USAF aircraft were painted in that exact style. Maybe the guys at McDonnell Douglas thought our Scooters were actually USAF ones? ? Here are some photos I took of an A4K arriving at Wigram for the 1981 'Wings and Wheels'. For that particular show displays were set up on the opposite side of the airfield near the Rifle Range. This was in the days when my brother (baz62) and I were volunteer's at the RNZAF Museum so luckily we got to use the Museum's Bristol Freighter NZ 5903 as a viewing and photography platform. Enjoy..... I think that this may have been the first A4K flight into Wigram? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I remember the pilot did an initial approach and go-round before landing. It was deafening!!!!! Plus for a (then) 17 year old very very cool!! Lastly, can anyone tell me what this 'defuelling' lark is and why it is done. Is it an A4 thing, fast jet thing or what? Let's keep the older pics coming!!! Cheers.
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 5, 2009 14:07:30 GMT 12
Obiwan, you are very wise man. ;D Boy, those photos bring back some great memories! You are correct about that Skyhawk (piloted by Flt Lt Ian Gore) being the first Skyhawk to land at Wigram. The runway had been recently extended, so up to that point it was apparently too short for safe A-4 operations. I seem to recall that the Skyhawk did a roll after his missed approach, as I was biking along the road at the end of the runway when he went overhead. The arrival of the Mirages in the afternoon was fantastic too, especially for someone who'd never seen a Mirage (or a Skyhawk, for that matter) up close and loud! And how many times did the weather always seem to start off cloudy and cool, but later developed into a sunny afternoon for a Wings and Wheels event at Wigram!
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Post by obiwan27 on Jun 5, 2009 16:19:37 GMT 12
Thanks corsair67.....also thanks for not saying wise 'old' man ;-) lol !!! Actually I need to have a dig around as I think I have a few more pics from that airshow that will be of interest. Yep the Iroquois was just finishing it's SAR routine when the mirage flashed across the crowdline at low level.....impressive.....most impressive (Yes I'm channeling Darth Vader there) lol
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Post by obiwan27 on Jun 5, 2009 20:11:10 GMT 12
Ok folks, I've had a search through some of my old photos so here we go back to the aforementioned Wings and Wheels at Wigram..... The Museum's aircraft at that time were housed in No. 7 Hangar and they had been positioned across the other side of the airfield the afternoon before the day of the airshow. As you can see it was a lovely summer's day The aircraft look quite different outside on a bright sunny day as opposed to inside a hangar or the display hall As mentioned above, it was the first visit to Wigram by a Skyhawk which arrived about mid-morning. I lined up wanting to get a shot by shot sequence of the historic moment. So far so good and now for the money shot........ #!!#@%#!!....don't you hate it when that happens? ?!!!!!! After some car racing in the morning and afternoon the airshow started. The Bristol Freighter was a very good photographic platform..... ;-) Joined by another A4, they attempted an air to air refueling demo. I'm not sure if they were successful as it was fairly windy in the afternoon. I can't remember if they did a 'plugged' barrel roll or not..... Back in those days 3 Sqn had a detachment at Wigram with the Sioux's there for Rotary Wing conversion and the Iroquois doing SAR work primarily in the days before the Westpac helicopters..... As well as providing a fire fighting service from time to time. The Huey was just finishing its display when suddenly WOOSH!!!!!!!!!! 2 RAAF Mirage's flashed past the crowdline. I missed them the first time but I managed to get them on their second pass..... Unfortunately they didn't linger long. This was a memorable event, a race between the Historic Flight's Harvard NZ 1015 and a Jaguar car (not sure of the time as I'm not a car person. Anyway this was memorable due to the dicey takeoff by the Harvard. It was clearly being left behind by the Jag on the ground and a rather quick raising of the undercarriage after the takeoff run was followed by a sharp intake of breath all-round as the aircraft dipped rather alarmingly before achieving enough airspeed to begin climbing steadily. One lap of the airfield by each vehicle and it looks like the Jag made it across the line first.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2009 20:27:00 GMT 12
Craig, just to correct you, Wigram never had a hard runway till 1991. Before that the aircraft like Skyhawks were in fact landing on a taxi-way. The main runway was grass from 1923 till 1991, then a brand new expensive runway was opened around the same month that Disneyland in Wellington declared the base was to close. Go figure...
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jun 5, 2009 23:02:02 GMT 12
Those are great photos, the best days of airshows in NZ I reckon.
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