MOTAT

[Dave Homewood]

NZ's cutest home build (replica) - the Tui Sport

[Dave Homewood]

I'm not sure this is the image the RNZAF wants portrayed in a public museum ;D

[harrysone]

aerial photograph...

Attachments:

[sputnik767]

Drove along Meola Road today, some of the frame is up for the new hangar.
It looks impressive and huge....

[Richard Wesley]

Jun 20, 2010 18:32:22 GMT 12 harrysone said:

aerial photograph...

Fantastic shot, thanks for posting that one.

Dave: The wingtip for the Kittyhawk is a half finished project in the workshop at the moment. Not sure what the plans are on the colour scheme, I think everyone has there hands full on the aircraft outside right now. As shown though by the fast turn around on the Hurricane, a repaint of the P40 should be straight forward when its time comes.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Richard. How is the Hudson progressing in terms of its paint scheme? Does it look good?

[pjw4118]

In the middle of a down time , go to Motat Aviation and look at the size of the frames going up for the new aviation hangar. They make the original one housing the Lancaster look like a shed. It will be great to see so many historic aircraft under cover by Xmas.

[pjw4118]

The first frames of the new hangar are up, its goung to be a massive building.Wednesday is still work day and the last one in each month is dedicated to cleaning the indoor aircraft.
The Bomber Boys are about half way thru building a Grand Slam all 24 feet if it. A full size copy without the Torpex. Its in the Belfast restoration hangar at the back.

[Richard Wesley]

Jun 20, 2010 22:56:33 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Thanks Richard. How is the Hudson progressing in terms of its paint scheme? Does it look good?

When I called past last week the port wing fitting was underway but proving to be a complete b?#@*&. They are of cause lodestar wings and have never been on the hudson so there will clearly be a bit of jigging around to do.

Some photos of the new hangar going up for those that are interested:

[John L]

A large laminated wood structure - like a giant school hall. be good when it's finished.

[Dave Homewood]

It is looking great. Being such a tall building, will there be mezzanine floors around the edge for displays upstairs and viewing down onto the tops of the aircraft?

With that blue stuff behind it, it's hard to be convinced that that's Auckland!

[corsairarm]

Just thought I would give everyone an update on progress of the hangar.



The second photo was taken last Saturday and the guys were working in that horrible whether putting up the glass panels. Unfortunately you cant see it in this photo but most of the roof is on on the other side of the hangar. Now they have started filling in the end looking towards the Belfast hangar you wonder hown they are going to get the flying boats inside.

[Dave Homewood]

I had not realised it was to have glass wall/s like that. I guess on a sunny day it will be rather bright inside. That would be about 3 times a year in Auckland I guess?

They're going toneed a lot of Windex. Thanks for the update.

[Richard Wesley]

Sept 21, 2010 21:08:30 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I had not realised it was to have glass wall/s like that.

No, neither did I! It really will be very bright inside and much like the Duxford hangars I guess with natural light, rather than the RNZAF dioramas. Will certainly save on the lighting power bill.

As for getting the big aircraft inside, maybe the main hangar doors are big enough for the wingspan. Remember that the flying boats can in fact 'crab' if you use the adjustments on the main landing gear legs.

[Dave Homewood]

Does anyone know if the wall between the old hangar and the new one will be opened up later? Or will it remain as two distinct rooms?

I guess all the modern design regulations and trends will make this a very "green" hangar and the natural lighting will help towards that. They should put hydro generators in the downpipes to generate electricity for the interior lighting and sockets. The amount of rain the place gets it could be self sufficient, abd I'm not trying to be flippant. It's a big area on the roof to catch water which can be harnessed on the way to the stormwater.

I hope the glass wall/s will lessen the awful echo that such big buildings get (including the current Lancaster hangar which is terrible acoustically).

[Richard Wesley]

Sept 21, 2010 22:24:57 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Does anyone know if the wall between the old hangar and the new one will be opened up later? Or will it remain as two distinct rooms?

From looking at the original designs the wall will go and the Solent will straddle the old and new hangars. The Lancaster will get moved backwards and turned to give much better viewing and allow the Mosquito to go right beside it. Plans can always change though.

[oggie2620]

Sounds fab to me.. Must get to visit MOTAT next time I go to NZ... Didnt have the time but its on my must do list...

[Bruce]

It is going to be an excellent building and it will be great to get aircraft in out of the waether. My only concern looking at the proposed layout when I visited a month ago, was the layout seemed to have a number of aircraft in odd places. Motat in general (particularly the main Western Springs site) seems to have a thing about random display layouts (Maybe becuase there are so many "groups" involved) with exhibits stuffed into space available, rather than laid out in any coherant way to tell a story. the refurbished Auckland war Memorial museum, Wigram, Waiouru and Omaka have got this right, but in all honesty this is where Motat still falls down. I would like to see the "Pioneers of Aviation" display from the western springs site (where it is hidden between cameras and police cars) moved to Meola Rd, and the general layout moving from these, With Cliff taits Airtourer, through the Fox Moth and rapide (early airlines) Through WW2 Europe, FAA and Pacific, Postwar RNZAF Postwar airliners, Aerial photography, Topdressing and recreational flying. Although these areas "sort of" exist in the plan, key aircraft are missing and put elsewhere. I guess big aircraft have to fit where they can, but aircraft on their own out of context really arent as effective. The new building is good, but it could be excellent.

[Richard Wesley]

Couldn't agree more Bruce. The building is a huge leap forward, and there is a fantastic collection of aircraft, most of which will be soon in excellent condition, but to turn this into a really excellent display will take some more work on getting the right aircraft together in the right places. The draft design clearly will be changed and updated (no Friendship now for the moment for starters), and it would be great to have a progression. However I think that the Lanc will stay at the front and so at least having perhaps 'four themed corners' closely tied together would be a good compromise: WWII (Lanc, Mossie, Hudson, ventura, Kittyhawk etc), Post war RNZAF (Sunderland, Hastings, Harvard, Devon etc), Early Civil Aviation (Rapide, Solent, DC3, Fox, Electra etc), and Workhorses of Air (Kansen, Topdressers, Airtourer etc).

[pjw4118]

The floor plan is still being looked at and the latest NZBCA have been told is that the Lanc will stay near where it is with the Mosquito. The main thing is to get all aircraft under cover especially in this mild dry Auckland spring! The Belfast hangar was breathing today in the gusts with the roof flexing maybe 100mm.
If you plan a visit try Wednesday mornings when there are plenty of working volunteers to show you around.
Our thoughts are now where to put the Skyhawk and Aermacchi in already full hangars.In the five year plan is provision to extend out the front for offices, media room, cafe etc and then there will be another layout change.But in the meantime the superhangar will have a number of moving and hands on exhibits at last.