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Post by madmac on Oct 12, 2022 21:26:39 GMT 12
Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1951 First clover seed to go by air via Australia National Airways Pty Ltd aircraft, from New Zealand to Australia Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1951 First clover seed to go by air via Australia National Airways Pty Ltd aircraft, from New Zealand to Australia Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1950 Transportation by air of Wright Stephenson & Co Ltd Seeds (a) aeroplane interior, four men - (b) two men unloading I wonder how they tied these down in the cabin. Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1960 Loading aeroplane with sacks Did the Argosy ever fly Trans Tasman airfreight? Cyclone Industries Ltd: 1976 Cyclone products - industrial fence at Harewood airport with Continental aircraft lined up. Signage board - Operation Deep Freeze Geophysical Year 1957-1958 Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd - Hume Pipe Co: 1968 Aeroplane flying over unknown airport control tower Looks like a superimposed DC-8, but non the less a nice image, guess its the Auckland control tower. Fletcher Construction Co Ltd - buildings, Christchurch: 1970 Harewood Air Terminal - inside hangar - Air New Zealand 737 aircraft parked inside
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Post by madmac on Oct 12, 2022 21:06:29 GMT 12
A few ag aircraft from the fletcherarchives.co.nz Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1959 Aerial top dressing demonstration by a Cessna aircraft during the PATA conference in Christchurch, Canterbury Cyclone Industries Ltd: 1962 Loading topdressing aircraft on farm. The landrover looks a little light on the back axle. Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1951 Tiger Moth aircraft [aircraft registration ZK-AYJ] aerial top dressing in the Rotorua district, Bay of Plenty Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1951 Aerial top dressing, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, showing improvised air strip and Tiger Moth aircraft [aircraft registration ZK-AVJ] , which can carry a load of 5cwt of superphosphate, being loaded; Only one minute is required from landing to take-off; Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1951 Fletcher-built/brand aircraft, near Matamata, North Waikato aerial top dressing farmlands (may be performing the 'victory roll') Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1959 Aerial top dressing, Raglan area, North Waikato, showing the de Havilland Beaver aircraft Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1959 Aerial top dressing [aircraft registration ZK-BIX] for Maori Affairs Land, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1958 Aerial top dressing with heavy aircraft, a Lockheed Lodestar from the Agricultural Aviation Show at Milson Airport, Palmerston North, demonstrates top dressing Certified Concrete Ltd - Contracts: 1965 Air New Zealand hangar, Mangere Airport, Auckland (interior) I don't think I have ever seen any other photos relating to Fletchers being assembled in the hangar at AirNZ
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Post by madmac on Oct 12, 2022 20:55:10 GMT 12
I came across the fletcherarchives.co.nz the other day. They have some interesting photos. Soo, here is a few of helicopters working for living Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd - Hume Pipe Co: 1989 helicopter delivering pipes in rural hill country Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd - Hume Pipe Co: 2013 Humes Pipeline Systems Ltd - 1989 Ranfurly, Central Otago - Irrigation Scheme: helicopter lifting pipes into position Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd - Hume Pipe Co: 1979 Bay of Plenty - helicopter delivering pipes Fletcher Construction Co Ltd - Contracts - Kapuni Gas Pipeline, Taranaki to Auckland/Wellington: 1969 Helicopters being used to position Kapuni Pipeline in difficult country near Ngaruawahia Wright, Stephenson & Co Ltd: 1960 Helicopter weed spraying operations Hume Industries (NZ) Ltd - Hume Pipe Co: 1988 helicopter lifting slabs at unknown site Winstone Publication: 1969 Winstone van loading the helicopter with flooring materials to deliver to the oil rig, Discovery II, off the coast of New Plymouth, Taranaki
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Post by madmac on Aug 24, 2022 20:06:38 GMT 12
Also available from American Legend Backcountry Super Cub Custom Flight Ltd Dakota Cub Javron Inc Assuming someone didn't just build a homebuilt one out of Univair parts. Kitplanes article on the differances between the super cub kits www.kitplanes.com/super-cub-kit-comparison/Edit: Some how I missed the orginal certified clone by Aviat aircraft
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Post by madmac on Aug 24, 2022 19:05:37 GMT 12
Now just remember that not all Cubs are Pipers and you will be fine.
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Post by madmac on Aug 15, 2022 21:55:34 GMT 12
On the subject of ice runs... we all believe the B757 replacement will be capable of a return flight without touchdown... but I wonder if it's now more 'preferred' than a non-negotiable requirement. Given how close they came to the RNZAF being responsible for the 2nd largest air accident in NZ history, and that the ice flights are a quasi airline operation for which the civilian passengers should reasonably expect part 121 (airline operations) equivalent levels of safety, return flight without touchdown is the only way to achieve the require levels of safety. Does anyone know where the 100 seat limit for the KC-46 comes from, is it just because they only currently use the C-17 seat pallets, a safety equipment issue or did they block some of the exit windows? The use of 2nd hand civilian airframes is not a simple issue. The older airframes will have worked hard and tend to become unreliable unless flown very frequently (8 hours plus a day sort of thing) where as the RNZAF might do 20 hours a week if that and engines and systems tend to be come problematic in there reliability. Also because military aircraft parts can't be used by civilian reg aircraft parts become never cheap or simple. When a civilian operator needs an overhauled unit they do a core swap, they get sent the overhauled unit and after removing their unit in need of overhaul it is sent back. The RNZAF can't do this, either they buy the unit out right, or pull it from the airframe and then send it of overhaul, unless they have a unit on the shelve from a parted out aircraft (like the 3rd 727).
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Post by madmac on Aug 14, 2022 22:21:55 GMT 12
I can't find a reference to any cargo aircraft programs except for the stealth tanker. There maybe a life extension / re-engining program coming for the C-17 given the current out of service date for the C-17 is mid 2030's. I have updated the payload range diagram I did several years ago to include the KC46 & KC30 (best guesses really). It should be noted that the KC30 is limited to 37 ton on the lower deck and what ever can fit through the passenger doors for the main deck. The KC46 is limited to cargo on the main deck only and is limited to 29.5 ton but has a larger cross section than the KC30 lower deck. The Payload range for the KC46 is a lot less than the B767 because of the permanent tanks in the lower hold. The narrow bodys B737 and A320 are simply too small for flights to the ice.
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Post by madmac on Aug 13, 2022 22:25:24 GMT 12
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Post by madmac on Aug 13, 2022 14:48:02 GMT 12
Some of those figures are eyewatering. Why does the P-8 cost double that of a C-40 an hour when they are based on the same airframe? Is that taking into account the cost of the extra crew? Or perhaps maintaining the avionics? I guess so, those 7 mission specialists probadly cost a lot more to train & keep than a loadmaster or a flight attendant. The electrical power comsumption of the P-8 is double that of the C-40, thats going to warm up a few avonics boxes. Also I guess that those costs include comsumables like sonar bouys as well, plus fuel burn will likely be higher due to the lower operating altitcude
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Post by madmac on Aug 12, 2022 22:22:18 GMT 12
There isn't a lot of quality anaylsis for the replacement fo the B757's. So here are some operating costs, noting that one can't really compare the costs between the ADF & DOD because of accounting methodigy. From the RNZAF perspective their fleets are typically sub crtical mass, so cost will be much higher than the ADF & DOD and are dominated by fixed costs such as min spares holding, min staffing for airframe knowlege, etc. The role really requires 2 airframe types, heavy lift transport and VIP transport but that isn't likely to happen unless they can add to an existing airframe pool or lease ZK reg aircraft. However as the freighter market is running red hot, the operating costs of the B757s will likley be climbing rapidly and a long lead time of a conversion of a civilian airframe. I haven't found any decent cost data for the C2 or A400 or for RNZAF operating cost data. Anyone seen a cost number for adding an extra type to the airforce.
Hourly operating costs Looking at these costs I would say the KC-46A is a quite a possibly, assuming they are willing to fork out for new airframes. its payload range envolope exceeds that of the C17. While the program is crap, if they can make the NH90 work, why not the KC-46A, it doesn't look likely they will can the KC-46A program. The USAF appears unlikely to give up a couple of C-17's given the pivot to the pacfic. Otherwise I would pick a 767 combi conversion (will digout the payload range diagram of the possibilities). The KC-30A is nice but looks to run 50% more cost wise than the KC-30A and would require adding yet another OEM to the spares holding (its unlikey that there is much comminality in hardware between the NH90 and the airbus airframes).
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Post by madmac on Aug 9, 2022 13:10:59 GMT 12
My suggestion is to buy a couple of P-8 airframes and fit removable interiors .That would cut down the aircraft types and would allow for cannibalization to allow the P-8 to keep operating There's already a milspec 737 pax/cargo variant as well pax/VIP variant. Look up C40. C40 would still likely cost more over the life cycle as there would be greater flight deck / airfame differnaces, plus you can't use a C40 as feed stock for building a replacement P-8. A cargo P-8 would have a much better payload range than a C40, as is the p-8 has a 6000 lb payload advantage & that is without all the crap that wouldn't be fitted to a cargo version. Operationally a P-8 cargo would make the perfect source to rob spares from when depoyed / ferry additional flight crew. Although we would really need a 3rd airframe to allow us to get the best out of the P-8 fleet (2 for transport work, 1 for circult trainer / 5 sqn support).
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Post by madmac on Aug 7, 2022 10:23:56 GMT 12
So will we find out if the PC21 dominates the T-6 in ACM, looks mostly one sided. PC-21 looks well ahead on excess power, while T-6 lower wing loading and higher aspect ratio may allow them to out turn the PC21.
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Post by madmac on Jul 13, 2022 7:54:00 GMT 12
It certinially overstates current defence spending, given the current costing system seems to be designed to overstate the experenditure as much as possible. Anyone found a list of countries expenditure corrected to the same definiation of defence Costs?
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Post by madmac on Jul 12, 2022 8:59:08 GMT 12
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Post by madmac on Jul 7, 2022 20:15:41 GMT 12
Poltically a spendup on defence might not be off the cards, the left isn't going to vote for National or Act because labour spent up on defence but some of the centre / right might swing left if there was defence spend up on offer, because National isn't exactly pro-defence & I can't see them backing an increased defence budget particularly if aimed at countering PRC influence.
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Post by madmac on Jul 7, 2022 13:36:33 GMT 12
You never know there might be a fighter buy for a free trade deal, they have wasted more on less in the past.
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Post by madmac on Jun 30, 2022 16:40:38 GMT 12
My suggestion is to buy a couple of P-8 airframes and fit removable interiors .That would cut down the aircraft types and would allow for cannibalization to allow the P-8 to keep operating Non-MAX B737 are only being built for P-8As and E-7s, and the production is spoken for well in advance - the USAF is facing a long delay before they can get modified (from UK spec) Wedgetails, the time to design and test the modifications will not impact the delivery dates as they currently stand. There are also substantial mods to build a P-8A, putting in a bomb bay isn't simple. breakingdefense.com/2022/05/lawmakers-press-air-force-on-speeding-up-purchase-of-boeing-e-7-wedgetail/I seem to recall the Base airframe is built and then flown to the P-8 conversion line, we could take the spares NH90 route order airframe just receive it before they chop it up to put the bomb bay in. There is probadly a USN market for P-8 combie. A main deck cargo door would present a couple of issues but nothing too major (P-8 has a different window belt structure to a stock 737NG, I believe but cabin pressurization hasn't changed).
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Post by madmac on Jun 29, 2022 19:33:36 GMT 12
NZ7571 Rolled out 16 December 1992. First flight 22 January 1993. NZ7572 Rolled out 27 March 1993. First flight 15 April 1993. Someone cannot count... I suspect they lost the "when purchased by the RNZAF".
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Post by madmac on Jun 29, 2022 19:32:23 GMT 12
is 70 million really a lot. 757 parts market is going to be pretty tight given the airframe age and lack of retirements. Heavy check for a civilian 757 10 years ago was 6 mill, given the exclusion from civilian market for core swaps for overhaul etc, its going to jump up quite a bit even before inflation.
As for the fault rate, the best fix would be the RNZAF getting a freight contract and flying 12 hours a day everyday, nothing worse for old airliners than sitting on the hardstand all week.
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Post by madmac on Jun 25, 2022 17:26:59 GMT 12
Nope, wasn't living in NZ at the time. To my surprise. looking back through this thread, there is a closeup pf NAO as a sprayer and one in the cockpit showing the GPS lightbar. Those photos are from when the spray was test fitted with the possiblity of spraying dispersant on the oil slick from the Rena. She did however have the loom already fitted, I think she did some of the last runs after NAN had her oops. THe GPS unit was actually owned by MAF apprently & should have gone back but got packed away when the gear was removed at the end of the apple moth program. Had she been used to spray dispersant on the Rena's slick the droplet size recommendations would have seen the spray mozzles removed as it looked by calculation that the required outlet size was something like an 1/8" outlet. It got canned before we moved on to test flying, would have actually required quite a bit of work to make airworthly as some elements were stored ouside, & there were possible issues with regard to the spray boom mounting brackets cracking on each flight. I have always wondered if the helicopter spraying didn't work because it wasn't set up quite right with regard to droplet size.
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