Avenger

[Deleted]

Didn't even see the reply from Rhys...aka my Mum's Dad!

[No longer identifiable]

Pinhole, there is a Bristol Freighter sitting amongst vegetation on Brook Road, which is the road to the Awhitu Regional Park on the south head of the Manukau. It is on the left, a bit before Fenton Road. My wife and I saw it years ago, and it was still there as at January this year (2013).

[kiwiwreckdiver]

Oh dear
She has gone down hill badly in recent years
I photographed it in ´1999/2000 and even tracked down Jacobs politely introduced my self and asked if he was willing to part with it, he said flat out NO and closed the door on me.

So no room for negotiation on this one, someone would have to go in with a heavy truck and remove it from its current location to save it, then being branded a criminal.

He also has loads of Vampire stuff which I under stand is in a better indoor location in Auckland.
Sadly I think this old girl is doomed to rot into the ground where she is.
And I thought this only happened in PNG

RIP NZ2539

[emron]

On your next trip down on the farm please take only pictures and leave no footprints.
I don't want my welcome there jeopardised. Just don't forget that NZ2539 is Ken's property.I heard that when the Jacobs acquired it the intention was to preserve it in "as is" condition because it retained more original paint and fittings than the other 2. So it's collection was well meaning, it's just that they've never been able to provide the time capsule that it so desparately needs now. Despite it's dilapidated appearance and ironically because it has remained "untouched" NZ2539 now has a number of unique features. Although encrusted with lichen and badly weathered, the external paint (an early target tug scheme) is still intact as is a lot of the interior paint. When the remaining fleet of TBFs were disarmed and converted to target tugs they all underwent the same mod. NZ2539 is the only remaining example in this configuration. The other 3 have been "restored" with turrets refitted. The bomb bay is still remarkably complete with intact bomb arming mechanism and full set of rack hooks plus most of the hydraulic and fuel plumbing. Inside the fuselage all the electrical, radio and instruments are gone but many of their mounts brackets and decals remain. It's proven to be an extremely valuable and accessible reference point for the restoration of NZ2527 at MOTAT and ensures that it will be as accurate as possible.
I agree that there's severe corrosion penetrating 2539's centre section and it need's dry storage fast.

[ngatimozart]

Ok if he won't agree to its sale and "preservation" and considering that it probably the only existing example of this configuration, is it possible that he would agree to non invasive recording of the current configuration of the aircraft. I mean photos and video.

[mumbles]

Mar 30, 2013 7:08:57 GMT 12 kiwiwreckdiver said:

Oh dear
She has gone down hill badly in recent years
I photographed it in ´1999/2000 and even tracked down Jacobs politely introduced my self and asked if he was willing to part with it, he said flat out NO and closed the door on me.

So no room for negotiation on this one, someone would have to go in with a heavy truck and remove it from its current location to save it, then being branded a criminal.

He also has loads of Vampire stuff which I under stand is in a better indoor location in Auckland.
Sadly I think this old girl is doomed to rot into the ground where she is.
And I thought this only happened in PNG

RIP NZ2539

This kind of intransigence when it comes to an aircraft an individual has saved and held onto for decades I find quite depressing in instances like this. If an airframe has exceeded your ability to care for it, and you're unwilling to let those that can, do, what is the point of preserving it in the first place? I understand if the effort hadn't been made all those years ago it wouldn't be here at all, and it is the owner's to do of what they will, but even laying a few sheets of corrugated iron over that frame in the images to keep the rain off would be better than nothing.

[pjw4118]

The landowner put in the poles years ago . Only plastic or tin sheeting was needed to protect it , but no the a/c owner would not. A strange position to take

[arcticrain]

Apr 3, 2013 18:19:11 GMT 12 pjw4118 said:

The landowner put in the poles years ago . Only plastic or tin sheeting was needed to protect it , but no the a/c owner would not. A strange position to take

Brian (the land owner) supplied enough Iron to cover the plane as well, but it never got put up and has since been used for other things. Unfortunately NZ is full of "well meaning" people who collect cars, planes, whathaveyou in order to own it because they see the value in it. They tend to not bother to preserve it to retain that value. For some reason they think a pile of rotted minerals is the same value as a working vehical. If seen this kind of thing with car collections rotting away in fields under trees. Makes me quite angry......

Unfortunately, with around 50 flying Avengers in the world still, no one would front up with the money that would be asked to this old girl. By the time they became rare enough to warrant the expendature, this plane would be a small meneral deposit in the dirt.

[emron]

Photos of the other three TBFs while in the playground or on gate duty have been posted elsewhere on the forum but I can't find any of NZ2539. Has anyone uncovered snapshots of it at Havelock North ? The only published image I've found so far is a small inset in the Avenger article in NZ Wings April'87.

[Ykato]

Avenger set for debut in Anzac Day fly past

On Anzac Day the Avenger will be piloted by RNZAF Squadron Leader Jim Rankin and special passenger on the flight will be former wartime Corsair pilot Neil Manssen, of Wanganui.

The plane will take off from Ohakea at 9.45am on Thursday, and fly over Palmerston North (10am), Apiti (10.20am), Feilding (10.30am), Marton (10.40am), Wanganui city (10.55am) and be back at Ohakea at 11.15am.

www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/avenger-set-for-debut-in-anzac-day-fly-past/1836179/

[baz62]

Apr 19, 2013 9:55:38 GMT 12 Ykato said:

Avenger set for debut in Anzac Day fly past

On Anzac Day the Avenger will be piloted by RNZAF Squadron Leader Jim Rankin and special passenger on the flight will be former wartime Corsair pilot Neil Manssen, of Wanganui.

The plane will take off from Ohakea at 9.45am on Thursday, and fly over Palmerston North (10am), Apiti (10.20am), Feilding (10.30am), Marton (10.40am), Wanganui city (10.55am) and be back at Ohakea at 11.15am.

www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/avenger-set-for-debut-in-anzac-day-fly-past/1836179/

I'm related to Jim by marriage so must get in touch for a free flight ha ha.

[delticman]

Quite a crowd were present at Durie Hill Viewpoint this morning to see the Avenger circle the city. Love that sound.

[Dave Homewood]

It seems NZ2539's fuselage was spotted on the back of a truck heading south on Great South Road a few hours ago.

[baz62]

Hope that means a brighter future for her then!

[Dave Homewood]

As nice shiny pots and pans, Baz?

[baz62]

Jeez I hope not, by all accounts she has a lot of corrosion. But aircraft in worse state have been brought back from the brink. Fortunately airframe wise the TBF is pretty much identical to the later TBM-3 from the firewall back and there's lot's of them in the US.

[andrewpit]

Jul 8, 2017 14:55:17 GMT 12 baz62 said:

Jeez I hope not, by all accounts she has a lot of corrosion. But aircraft in worse state have been brought back from the brink. Fortunately airframe wise the TBF is pretty much identical to the later TBM-3 from the firewall back and there's lot's of them in the US.

Are there any other parts wit it ? Wings ?

[Dave Homewood]

Maybe you missed this post Baz?

rnzaf.proboards.com/post/253484/thread

[baz62]

Johnnyfalcon mentioned it to me today and I was just about to go looking for it so cheers!

[planewriting]

Just came across this thread. If you happen to be wondering about the outcome of where NZ2539 headed in July 2017 then look at this thread. rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/25553/grumman-avenger-nz2539-classic-flyers