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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 15, 2005 16:33:48 GMT 12
1) Which prewar airline was set up to provide funds to a charitable organisation and bore the name of the charity in its title?
2) Which RNZAF twin-engined type was purchased specifically for an experimental role, but was never used and had a long life in another role?
3) What was the first hostile aircraft to over-fly New Zealand territory?
4) Who flew the first active operations in a New Zealand military aircraft? What did he fly, where, and who against?
5) What was the desired nickname of the aircraft gifted to the RFC by the Union Steamship Company in WWI, which was declined and never applied?
6) Where was the New Zealand Aero Transport Company based?
7) Which RNZAF squadron carried the squadron codes ZG
8) When replacement aircraft were needed for the RNZAF Hudsons, which type was selected as the desired replacement by RNZAF chiefs, but not supplied?
9) What previously important fleet of aircraft was withdrawn from RNZAF service in 1941 and all either made into Instructional Airframes or reduced to produce at Rongotai?
10) Which Government owned sole example of a type was ‘recognised as an RNZAF aircraft rather than impressed into service in October 1939
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Post by corsair67 on Oct 15, 2005 18:26:44 GMT 12
Here's my go!
4. Flt Lt Sidney Wallingford in an NZPAF DH60 Moth (armed with two Lewis MG: one each side of the cockpit and trecle tin 'bombs'!) in Western Samoa against a rebel uprising in 1930?
6. Hokitika?
9. Blackburn Baffin?
8. North American Mitchells?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 15, 2005 19:30:37 GMT 12
4. Flt Lt Sidney Wallingford in an NZPAF DH60 Moth (armed with two Lewis MG: one each side of the cockpit and trecle tin 'bombs'!) in Western Samoa against a rebel uprising in 1930?
Correct - the Mau uprising by the way
6. Hokitika?
Nope
9. Blackburn Baffin?
Yes, correct
8. North American Mitchells?
Correct. The order was rejected apparently because the providing agency doing lend-lease deals switched from the USAAF to the US Navy, (which is why other US types also purchased were Naval too, Corsair, Dauntless, Avenger, etc), so we ended up with the inferior Venturas which had already proven troublesome in Europe and soon fell fowl of RNZAF Pacific crews too, till the bugs were ironed out. I wonder how much different things would have been if we'd gotten the B-25's. Do you think much difference would have been made to the RNZAF capabilities and results? I'm not sure myself.
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Post by corsair67 on Oct 15, 2005 20:02:17 GMT 12
I wasn't sure with the Mitchells, but I thought I had read it somewhere once before (NZ Wings?).
I understand that the Ventura was a handful, but as you said, once all the bugs were ironed out it was a pretty good aircraft. I seem to recall reading in Wings Over The Pacific (excellent book!) that one of the big problems was with fuel flow when transfering tanks? I don't know if the Mitchell would have made much difference to the RNZAF's capabilities in the Pacific, apart from the fact that there probably wouldn't have been the teething troubles that the Ventura had. I think the problem with the Ventura in Europe was more to do with the fact that it was being used in low-level daylight missions over well-defended targets?
Dave, have you seen the famous photo taken of three(?) RNZAF Venturas in close formation, each with one prop feathered, which was apparently taken to show RNZAF aircrews that the Ventura was okay to fly with an engine out?
The ZG code question doesn't relate to NZ-based Corsairs, does it?
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Post by Bruce on Oct 15, 2005 22:03:38 GMT 12
#2 Miles Aerovan? #3 Yokosuka E14Y "Glenn" floatplane from Japanese Submarine E20? #6 Timaru #7 20 sqn with Hinds in 1942 - 3 and 5 SU with Corsirs in 1944 #10 Percival Gull Four ZK-AES / NZ572
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 15, 2005 23:28:52 GMT 12
#2 - not Miles Aerovan that I'm looking for, a much longer life than that type had
#3 - No, not the Glenn
#6 - Correct, Timaru
#7 - correct, 20 Sqn with Hinds (the Corsairs that carried the codes were not in a squadron, but a Servicing Unit, so not correct as such)
#10 - correct, Gull Four
Still to get are q's 1, 2, 3 and 5. Good luck
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 15, 2005 23:31:27 GMT 12
Corsair,
Yes that was the major problem with the Ventura regarding fuel starvation at the changing of tanks. There were other problems with the earlier models used in Europe, I think one vast imporvement was the changing of the turret to the Glenn Martin variety our PV-1's carried.
I have seen the photo you mention, from memory they were No 1 (B) OTU aircraft but I'll have to check.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 17, 2005 10:19:01 GMT 12
OK, the answers I was looking for...
1) Which prewar airline was set up to provide funds to a charitable organisation and bore the name of the charity in its title?
Bryant House Airways - formed in early 1930 to provide revenue for the Bryant House childrens home/s, this airline was based at Te Rapa, Hamilton (then home of the Waikato Aero Club. However on May 21st, 1930, the airline's Moth G-EBZY crashed while joyriding near Te Awamutu, killing the pilot A.W. "Pat" Saunders and the passenger. A three seat Desoutter Mk I that had been imported in April for the company was later sold and the business wound up.
2) Which RNZAF twin-engined type was purchased specifically for an experimental role, but was never used and had a long life in another role?
The Bristol Freighter, originally purchased with the intention of converting to topdressers I believe to be included in the trials the RNZAF was then carrying out. They were however not used in this trial (unlike the Miles Aerovans which were) and had a long life as transports. Can anyone confirm this please? I can't find where i read it, and it may be complete bullhucky!
3) What was the first hostile aircraft to over-fly New Zealand territory?
The German Navy’s Friedrichshafen FF 33E carried on the auxiliary cruiser SMS Wolf which raided ships, sinking 28 Allied vessels, for 15 months between 1916 and 1918. The aircraft is thought to have been the first operational plane carried on anycombatant ship on the high seas. It overflew New Zealand waters (thus part of our territory). It cannot have been too far from shore as our waters were not a 200 milesexclusion zoime back then, but just 5 miles if I recall right.
5) What was the desired nickname of the aircraft gifted to the RFC by the Union Steamship Company in WWI, which was declined and never applied?
MAORI - sorry I got this wrong! The aircraft was named MAORI, but the other request by Union that the pilot be a Kiwi was what was turned down, sorry if that confused you. My mistake. As no-one picked up on this I suspect you still didn't know the palne I referred to. Union Steamship Company provided £2,250 to the RFC for the plane.
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Post by Bruce on Oct 17, 2005 10:28:35 GMT 12
The Bristol freighters were always intended as Transports, but came with fittings for topdressing hoppers (Loaded through the front doors). One aircraft was usedin trials at Masterton, which pioneered Heavy aircraft topdressing. The aircraft was easily converted back to a transport after the trials. The Aerovans, on the other hand were intended as expeimental aircraft (Magnetic Survey and Cloud seeding trials) but they certainly didnt have a long service life, either RNZAF or civilian, after the trials were completed.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 17, 2005 12:07:05 GMT 12
Thanks for clearing that up Bruce. I'd read or heard (perhaps on a video) that the Freighters were not used in the topdressing trials, which they were apparently bought for (according to that source). Sorry for putting people crook. I know that Bryant House Airways and the German aircraft were right, even if I fowled up the other two questions ;D
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