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Post by rone on Oct 20, 2018 18:40:09 GMT 12
After sitting beside the house for several years, the engine was removed and it was then parked, upended still in its mounting just inside the showroom on the left hand side, for a few more years. My father offered to buy it and the other remains, but was not successful. Eventually it just disappeared.
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Post by rone on Oct 7, 2018 16:22:17 GMT 12
Dead right there Dave, I Read today that $40million of Chinese money bought property at Orewa. The company is 60% owned by PRC Government. Same lot also building their style of shitbox 40square metre apartments at Wiri, Manukau. The Chinese guy says they are for local people. Yeah right!. They paid $35mil. for that. No need to learn Maori language, Mandarin is going to be needed in Auckland soon. I should have started with Mehaa I guess, not sure about the spelling though.
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Post by rone on Oct 6, 2018 8:39:39 GMT 12
I noticed in today's news that the former Wigram Base officers Mess has been sold to an Auckland based developer. A Chinese at that.
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Post by rone on Oct 5, 2018 12:38:20 GMT 12
A bit more history of the CAC. 5June 1936 there was an explosion when a factory girl was carrying trays of percussion caps, tripped and dropped the trays; she was supposed to only carry one tray at a time. The caps set off an explosion, the girl was killed, some other ladies were seriously injured, my father, an engineer who was close by was also badly injured. He was deafened for life as a result. He also had percussion caps embedded in his head which gradually worked to the surface for many years after.
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Post by rone on Sept 26, 2018 12:46:03 GMT 12
Saratoga, I just might take you up on making contact. I still have a few items left of my time and my fathers time at the CAC. Like the Crossed Bullets Munitions Badge issued 1941. These are very collectable and very rare now, they are all numbered as they were only issued to current staff in 1941. I have seen one other in the Hamilton Museum.
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Post by rone on Sept 25, 2018 17:48:17 GMT 12
Another item produced over at the base of the Shot Tower was Lead Came, made by extruding lead billets through a die under very high hydraulic pressure. It was used to make Leadlight Windows.
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Post by rone on Sept 25, 2018 17:37:43 GMT 12
Shorty is correct. There were actually two factories, Number One factory was at the end of Dey Street, recently demolished after some years of use by the University I believe. Number Two factory has been given to the Maori's and is now part of the Maerae. There are still some of the workers flats surviving along Peachgrove Road, at the intersection of Ruakura Road. There is a large building at back of the flats which was the Social Club Hall. Many of the Engineering staff were based down in Hayes Paddock. Other workers lived in Fairfield. All activities ceased in 1945, when the factories closed and we all went back to Auckland. The CAC factories and accommodation were built in approximately one year once the Japanese were expected.
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Post by rone on Sept 25, 2018 10:45:33 GMT 12
I realised later I spelt Grey incorrectly. What seems though, not generally known, is that the CAC did not just make ammunition. Back in the 1930's the CAC were one of the first firms involved in plastic manufacture, when Bakelite was the norm. Crown Seal's, bottle caps were a major product, possibly the only company in NZ making them. Metal Lipstick containers were another line, Clay targets made of pitch another, Air rifle slugs, and in the time I was there, Aluminium pie and Food dishes called ''Foiltainers'' and Alkathene water pipes. Then after, owned then by ICI, Toheroa Harvesting up at 90 mile beach. Attached to the Tool Machine workshop was the Hard Chrome plating shop where P & W crankshafts sent in from NAC had the bearing journals Chromed.
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Post by rone on Sept 23, 2018 18:21:29 GMT 12
I am an ex employee of the CAC, I served an engineering apprenticeship there. As did my father and an uncle during the 1920's. I have some knowledge that I can give, but am not aware of any research being carried out. One bit of info that has a connection to this site is, a descendant of the CAC founder, Major Whitney, was a RAF Pilot during WW2. He is mentioned in a couple of recent posts on here. His name is Gray Whitney.
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Post by rone on Sept 10, 2018 14:48:39 GMT 12
Haven't been near an airport for moonbeams.
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Post by rone on Sept 10, 2018 12:41:09 GMT 12
Bejasus!, even this old bugger managed 7 out of 7.
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Post by rone on Sept 7, 2018 12:01:53 GMT 12
With regards the Stratocruiser, I watched a few depart Whenuapai back in the day. They were reputed to burn/use 4gallons of oil on startup, not sure if that was for 1 engine or all 4. I do know there was a hell of a lot of smoke. I have a photo somewhere with 4 clouds of smoke.
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Post by rone on Aug 12, 2018 10:58:58 GMT 12
Dave Homewood,back in January 2018 you asked me if ''it still exists''. Were you referring to the photo of the B17 I mentioned, or just the aircraft itself. If the photo, the answer is yes, I still have it, but it is a normal b&w from a Brownie.
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Post by rone on Jul 11, 2018 17:36:42 GMT 12
That's what happens when an auto gearbox is left in drive, the vehicle wanders off on it's merry way. Bet she was squatting beside it too. While it was semi floating the back wheels would ''paddle'' it further out.
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Post by rone on Jul 8, 2018 16:14:34 GMT 12
There was a scoria dome known as Ellett's mountain that was quarried and the scoria used during construction, it was well away to northwest of the airport though.
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Post by rone on Jul 8, 2018 15:25:07 GMT 12
That's interesting, what hill/s were removed when Auckland International was built or when the runway was extended, pray tell.
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Post by rone on May 2, 2018 20:31:04 GMT 12
Some children are easily amused.
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Post by rone on Apr 24, 2018 8:49:42 GMT 12
Strange that, the discussion went from it was unlikely because it was not possible, to yes it did, on more than one occasion also.
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Post by rone on Apr 23, 2018 9:07:31 GMT 12
Madmax, that will be greatly appreciated, PM me when you wish to touch base again. I can swap yours for a couple of the same a/c. Rone
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Post by rone on Apr 21, 2018 17:29:15 GMT 12
xbaggy, in reply to your first post, of what I remember the a/c was airborne for quite some time before being able to align with the runway. Your second reply also is doubting, I do not know when you were in, but if after this incident, it is quite possible, is it not, that the "big round disc" was introduced after this episode?
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