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Post by shamus on Feb 8, 2010 17:18:33 GMT 12
Lost in translation, the word 'of'. The above post is a photo OF NZ1901 which is complete at Dairy Flat. Apologies for the bad typing.
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Post by alanw on Feb 8, 2010 17:43:07 GMT 12
what were they given for. extra sharp seams in the trousers, very shiny spit polished shoes  When I was a cadet, they were given for "Proficiency" in Cadet training. For such things as Drill expertise including rifle drill, Uniform tidiness etc/ flag raising/parade ground basics eg not screwing up when the Squadron W/O yelled on "Parade" and you were the point man to march out and everyone followed. I think (again from memory) it included rifle range expertise also In a nut shell being good/excellent in learning and carrying out those basic requirements taught. From memory (this ought to be fun...) you had to achieve both Proficiency badges to qualify for NCO training. Nothing quite like square bashing on the parade ground with a bunch of other wanna be's, putting them through their paces (oh the power trip....  )-bit like the Green Berets Ballard " One hundred men will test today, only three win the green beret" (Corporal/Sergeant stripes) I still have my two tucked away with my bits and pieces Good times ;D ;D |
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Post by shamus on Feb 9, 2010 9:05:30 GMT 12
Oh Hell, not more mistakes. I see I have said NZ1901 instead of NZ3901. Bad typing and not enough concentration. No beer for me tonight as a punishment.
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Post by camtech on Feb 9, 2010 9:32:41 GMT 12
Is this the original NZ3901? I note that the aircraft crashed into the Hauraki Gulf, following engine failure 7 April 1993.
I can recall the aftermath of NZ3903 crashing into the Waitemata Harbour. After the aircraft was recovered back to Devonport, there was a mad rush to preserve as much of the electornics as possible and much of the instrumentation was hauled out and dumped into fresh water tanks. I had the job of recovering the autopilot system a few days later when it was brought over to Whenuapai. After a lot of work drying the parts out, spraying them with WD40 and cleaning them up, we put the system together and managed to get a basic autopilot functioning. Some components were damaged in the crash, but most were working, so we were able to build a test bench for the Mk28 by incorporating the bits we had, plus some home made panels and electronic wizardry (Purloined from a set of ex Royal Navy publications) and saved many thousands of dollars. The test bench was still in use in 1981 when I left Whenuapai.
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Post by shamus on Feb 10, 2010 16:32:57 GMT 12
I am told that the tail boom on NZ3901 at Dons hangar is off NZ3908.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2011 23:00:00 GMT 12
Thought I might bump this thread rather than start another. Having seen NZ3901 up close and personal past weekend my fascination with I and the Scout has been rekindled.
Do we have any former Wasp crews here, be they air or ground? I'm reading an NZ Wings article on the type from the lag seventies and I am finding it most interesting.
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Post by strikemaster on Apr 4, 2011 0:24:10 GMT 12
Interesting stuff, I never knew NZ operated any. How long were they in service? It looks like a fair amount of time for a lot of problems.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 4, 2011 0:41:27 GMT 12
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Post by strikemaster on Apr 5, 2011 0:09:12 GMT 12
Thanks Dave. 1966 to 1998. 9 bought as spares, 9 saw service and 3 written off. 6 made it to retirement. There were more spares than operable aircraft.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 5, 2011 1:16:58 GMT 12
They used to be cool to watch buzzing around Hobsonville doing their training. When i was at 1TTS on my SEQ course we were shown through the Wasp hangar (which was on the other end of our building) and it was pretty interesting.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2011 20:10:24 GMT 12
I never got to see a Wasp in the air, only ever seen them in museums and farm sheds. Have always had a soft spot for the Scout though...did you know the RAN flew a couple?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 6, 2011 20:46:37 GMT 12
In the book 'Aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force' by Michael Burgess there's a photo of a Wasp on the deck of a frigate. It has painted on the nose the markings HMNZS WAIKATO 30
What did the 30 mean? It can't have been the aircrfat's number and I don't think it was HMNZS Waikato's number either.
When it was written in 1979 this book states there were four Wasps in service. I guess more were purchased when the Navy got the second-hand frigates from britain in the 1980's?
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Post by McFly on Apr 6, 2011 21:25:48 GMT 12
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 6, 2011 21:36:37 GMT 12
Maybe it is the abbreviation of '430' as seen in Peter's photo:  '460' also has '60' on the nose as sen in one of Peter's other pics in this thread:  |
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Post by McFly on Apr 6, 2011 21:50:52 GMT 12
Well that makes a whole bunch of sense flyjoe thanks. Also an earlier post in this thread stated that: With reference to the numbers on the doors, they are the Frigate pennant number assigned to each ship the wasps were attached to. They are RN dervied numbers as the RNZN frigates were considered part of a commonwealth naval squadron should any large scale ware break out. There were a set of doors painted with individual numbers and when a particular wasp was deployed to a frigate the doors were changed to suit the number of the ship! Saved a lot of painting! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 6, 2011 22:07:56 GMT 12
Sorry I hadn't read all the earlier posts in the thread for ages, not since this thread was ressurrected anyway. Thanks Joe.
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nzarra
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 5 
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Post by nzarra on Oct 19, 2015 13:56:02 GMT 12
Old thread I know, but wanted to say thanks for the pics. I am currently building a 1/48 scale RNZN Wasp.
Once upon a time I spent 9 years in the RNZN on HMNZS Canterbury, Waikato, Southland and Tui. I was a radar plotter and specialised as a HAC (Helicopter Approach Controller) and after training in Oz an ASAC (Anti Submarine Aircraft Controller). I logged about 400 hrs controlling Wasps and was in the Ops room controlling (under freelance control) the day NZ3901 ditched in the Gulf. I think there was three or four Wasps up doing some entry photos - I can not remember offhand is I was on Waikato or Southland at the time (would need to check) and there was at least two of us returning from Deployment and doing a Ceremonial entry from memory.
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Post by Ian Warren on Oct 19, 2015 15:18:32 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 19, 2015 22:04:21 GMT 12
Thanks for dragging this old thread back to the top, I have now moved it into the Fleet Air Arm section (which didn't exist way back when I started this thread).
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Post by camtech on Sept 8, 2017 21:27:14 GMT 12
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)-bit like the Green Berets
