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MOTAT
Dec 4, 2019 9:11:33 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2019 9:11:33 GMT 12
It was great to see you Ron, and Steve, Richard and Frank on Sunday. Sorry I did not stop to chat longer, I was on a tight timeframe and the interview I did there was a last minute add-on to my itinerary.
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Post by corsairarm on Dec 4, 2019 17:08:10 GMT 12
It was good to see you to Dave.
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Post by emron on Dec 22, 2019 19:06:45 GMT 12
Flying Boat Update The benches have been cleared, the floor swept and the Sunderland turrets put away for the holiday with just enough left on them to finish in the new year. Not to forget our other big birds, I’ve been assured that the stocking left hanging on the storeroom door is big enough to take a Hastings’ co-pilot seat. Merry Christmas to you all.
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Post by agile on Dec 23, 2019 21:21:22 GMT 12
Merry Christmas to you and the team Ron, and thanks for all your updates this year. I hope Father Christmas brings you a stocking full of unobtanium for all your projects.
Cheers Alex
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Post by emron on Jan 24, 2020 21:16:15 GMT 12
Flying Boat Update Since the holidays there’s been good progress made on the Sunderland front turret. The first of the two gun seals has been made and the second shouldn’t be far behind. I’ve now assembled the gun cradle and fitted it so it swings through the correct arc of elevation and depression. It just awaits final trimming and attachment points so that the gun seals can be aligned correctly with the ports in the cupola. The top bracing arms are now complete and once bolted in the bearing holes for the gun sight radius arm can be drilled for that alignment also. The Hastings wasn’t so lucky and is still short of the seat. I hear there was a Hastings wreck in Greenland. Maybe Santa can pass by there on his way south next time. Anyway... we’d just like to rule out finding a local one before looking overseas.
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Post by emron on Feb 2, 2020 19:18:13 GMT 12
Flying Boat Update
We had a minor setback with the turret last week. When we tried fitting the first gun seal it didn’t line up well with the slot in the cupola. I eventually worked out that the bearings that I had fitted to swing the cradle on, were about an inch off centre. So I had to de-rivet and re-position them. Finally this morning, Mark, Rob and I were able to link up all the parts that we’ve been making. We had to consult the diagram to work out which way around the crank for the radius arm should be attached. The push-rod then just slipped on and now we could test out whether the gun sight was going to follow through parallel with the barrels as they moved up and down. I then discovered that I miscalculated the angle that the cradle was meant to be attached to it’s crank at. I was able to drill some new holes and lined it all up properly before I went home. Next time we can mount the guns and make sure they move through the correct vertical arc and that the sight tracks evenly with them. There is adjustment on the radius arm push-rod that should ensure we can get that right. As you can see, without accurate drawings this has been all a bit chicken and egg in development but eventually all the triangles match up and the puzzle is solved. After that Steve will be able to trim and fit the gun seals which will complete this part of the assembly.
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Post by emron on Feb 5, 2020 18:45:03 GMT 12
Flying Boat Update
I was able to join the Wednesday team today so some more progress to report. Steve had finished making the right hand gun seal so I clamped it up to the job and marked it out for trimming and lined up the centre of the barrel port. Then I cut it to final shape and made the stiffening and attachment brackets for it. When they were done I punched out the lightening holes and flared them in the press, drilled rivet holes and cleco’d it temporarily back in place. It was ready to trial the gun for fit. I slipped the barrel through the port and clamped the back onto the cradle, then mounted the front of the cupola back over it all. Everything seemed to line up OK and it’s beginning to look the part. Next time we’ll make a start on the left hand seal. I also caught up earlier with John who is designing the system to activate the turret, rotation by motor and elevation by electric actuator, both under remote control. He took away the barrel ends to bore them through so we can wire up mini strobe lights inside the flash hiders for special effects too.
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MOTAT
Feb 5, 2020 21:12:36 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 5, 2020 21:12:36 GMT 12
Fantastic stuff Ron, it sounds like this turret will make terrific display. Thanks as always for the latest diary update.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 10, 2020 19:07:38 GMT 12
Richard Cornwall has sent these through, doesn't this look fantastic!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 10, 2020 20:23:14 GMT 12
Richard says, "It is not only the Turrets being worked on. Mike Smith and I are working st the rear of the fuselage wire brushing off flaky paint and surface corrosion getting it ready to paint. Yours truly at work."
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Post by planecrazy on Feb 23, 2020 15:36:30 GMT 12
Have been given permission to shear an amazing collection of flying boat pictures. Have posted this one before, NZ 4108 18/12/63 the day she arrived from her delivery flight across the Tasman to be converted and go on the Australian register as VH BRF "Islander." 21/2/1983 ZK-AMO "Aranui" at MOTAT, you can see the Lancaster in the back ground. Yours truely on the right with Geoff Freer of MOTAT 12/9/2005 when our family donated the model fuselage of ZK-AMC "Awarura" to MOTAT, hope it's still there?
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Post by emron on Mar 8, 2020 20:22:55 GMT 12
Flying Boat Update
It’s taken a bit longer than first thought but the cradle and seals for the front turret are now done. I finally got the spacers and brackets the right size so that the clearances are good front and sides. I started the day drilling the last of the screw holes and then began pulling things apart and marking those that need to go back in the right order. Most of the parts have now been trimmed and edges smooth and are ready for degrease and paint which we can do next time.
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MOTAT
Mar 20, 2020 18:04:22 GMT 12
Post by emron on Mar 20, 2020 18:04:22 GMT 12
Along with many of the other museums in the region, MOTAT has announced that as from 5pm today it will be closed to the public until further notice,.due to coronavirus threat. MOTAT’s volunteer activities are also temporarily suspended.
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MOTAT
May 13, 2020 9:07:33 GMT 12
via mobile
Post by transcool on May 13, 2020 9:07:33 GMT 12
Peter, I have my Uncle Ian Sutherland's Flying Log Books (Lancaster Bomber pilot) and hope to some night this week, go back to work and scan them each into a long digital document. The funny thing is, the very first flying log book which was RNZAF initial book has had its pages scissored out, but the left hand page column close to binding, has end words such as '... landing" the "next" older looking dark blue book has a lot of DH82 at Ashburton starting Nov 1942 No2 EFTS 37.5H dual and 20.05 as pilot. I think the first book was of his earlier time at Rotorua and New Plymouth perhaps? Hmmm, more info in back of first book - ITW Levin 8/2/42 -- 22/2/42 ITW Rotorua 23/2/42 -- 11/6/42 EFTS New Plymouth 12/6/42 -- 14/10/42 ITW Rotorua 15/10/42 -- 26/11/42 No2 EFTS Ashburton 28/11/42 -- 29/1/43 He was in Ontario 27 Mar 1943 - No2 SFTS Uplands Ontario (RCAF) training initially in a Harvard II. Achieving 61.55 hrs on type as pilot by 2nd July 1943. Also external were 57hrs on a LINK training system in Ottawa and later in UK. He was then off to England Oct 1st 1943 to No.3 (P) AFV Southrop (RAF) and started flying in Oxfords and at Sth Cerney still in Oxfords then to Cranage and No 1531 BAT Squadron still in Oxfords finally achieving 122.5 hrs total time in type. Then to Silverstone May 26 1943 onto Wellingtons and he did 55hrs 1st Pilot including 19 hrs instrument/cloud flying. Total tally being 205hrs dual and pilot by May 23rd 1944 at 17 OTU. Then he went to Wigsley Stn No 1654 CON Unit where he started flying the Stirlings Jul 2nd 1944. By 19th July he had flown a total of 42h 10m on type both dual and solo (30h 45m solo). He was still only rated "Average" as a pilot in the total of 488.50hrs total flying. He started flying Lancs at No 5 LFS Syerston, Course 35 Aug 16 to Aug 26th flying 12.10 hrs before joining No44 (Rhodesian) Squadron Aug 29th. His mid-Upper Gunner was Rhodesian, rear Gunner was Maltese, and FE was English. The rest were Kiwi crew. His Navigator, Jensen from Wanganui, suffered a rear end injury (ouch!) from flak over Bremen (Oct 6 1944) whereby he had to stand for the rest of the journey refusing morphine as he had to get them all back home!! He received DFC for that!! A 5 hr night flight. IG Sutherland progressed to Flt/Lt on Dec 5th after 21 Ops. His last flight was on March 16th 1945 over Wurzburg. His crews longest flight was 9h 50m beyond Germany to Nth Poland and Gdansk in the Baltic Sea on Dec 21st 1944, likely a very cold flight!! He had another long flight 9h 35m - to Munich on Nov 26th which they reached from the South East and via the Alps!! Another flight of interest was one on Oct 11th his 10th Op, - Flishing? but didn't get there as some flak shrapnel split open the hydraulics tank, he managed to get the U/C down and headed back home but they diverted them to Woodbridge where he landed with full bomb load and all the crew - no one wanted to jump at night... and they all trusted him! No flaps either so a hot, heavy landing - the plane survived and three days later they headed back to Spilsby. He has shared a few details with me over some of these flights in person before he passed away May 2013 aged 90, after seeing WOW that year!! He has written some stories over a few of his sorties, of which I have hard copies too. Very interesting in my first read through. I am planning on scanning everything into large colour images onto a memory stick and share with the RNZAF Museum as well, and the Masterton RSA. I hope others find this interesting too
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MOTAT
May 13, 2020 9:23:35 GMT 12
via mobile
Post by transcool on May 13, 2020 9:23:35 GMT 12
Peter, I have my Uncle Ian Sutherland's Flying Log Books (Lancaster Bomber pilot) and hope to some night this week, go back to work and scan them each into a long digital document. The funny thing is, the very first flying log book which was RNZAF initial book has had its pages scissored out, but the left hand page column close to binding, has end words such as '... landing" the "next" older looking dark blue book has a lot of DH82 at Ashburton starting Nov 1942 No2 EFTS 37.5H dual and 20.05 as pilot. I think the first book was of his earlier time at Rotorua and New Plymouth perhaps? Hmmm, more info in back of first book - ITW Levin 8/2/42 -- 22/2/42 ITW Rotorua 23/2/42 -- 11/6/42 EFTS New Plymouth 12/6/42 -- 14/10/42 ITW Rotorua 15/10/42 -- 26/11/42 No2 EFTS Ashburton 28/11/42 -- 29/1/43 He was in Ontario 27 Mar 1943 - No2 SFTS Uplands Ontario (RCAF) training initially in a Harvard II. Achieving 61.55 hrs on type as pilot by 2nd July 1943. Also external were 57hrs on a LINK training system in Ottawa and later in UK. He was then off to England Oct 1st 1943 to No.3 (P) AFV Southrop (RAF) and started flying in Oxfords and at Sth Cerney still in Oxfords then to Cranage and No 1531 BAT Squadron still in Oxfords finally achieving 122.5 hrs total time in type. Then to Silverstone May 26 1943 onto Wellingtons and he did 55hrs 1st Pilot including 19 hrs instrument/cloud flying. Total tally being 205hrs dual and pilot by May 23rd 1944 at 17 OTU. Then he went to Wigsley Stn No 1654 CON Unit where he started flying the Stirlings Jul 2nd 1944. By 19th July he had flown a total of 42h 10m on type both dual and solo (30h 45m solo). He was still only rated "Average" as a pilot in the total of 488.50hrs total flying. He started flying Lancs at No 5 LFS Syerston, Course 35 Aug 16 to Aug 26th flying 12.10 hrs before joining No44 (Rhodesian) Squadron Aug 29th. His mid-Upper Gunner was Rhodesian, rear Gunner was Maltese, and FE was English. The rest were Kiwi crew. His Navigator, Jensen from Wanganui, suffered a rear end injury (ouch!) from flak over Bremen (Oct 6 1944) whereby he had to stand for the rest of the journey refusing morphine as he had to get them all back home!! He received DFC for that!! A 5 hr night flight. IG Sutherland progressed to Flt/Lt on Dec 5th after 21 Ops. His last flight was on March 16th 1945 over Wurzburg. His crews longest flight was 9h 50m beyond Germany to Nth Poland and Gdansk in the Baltic Sea on Dec 21st 1944, likely a very cold flight!! He had another long flight 9h 35m - to Munich on Nov 26th which they reached from the South East and via the Alps!! Another flight of interest was one on Oct 11th his 10th Op, - Flishing? but didn't get there as some flak shrapnel split open the hydraulics tank, he managed to get the U/C down and headed back home but they diverted them to Woodbridge where he landed with full bomb load and all the crew - no one wanted to jump at night... and they all trusted him! No flaps either so a hot, heavy landing - the plane survived and three days later they headed back to Spilsby. He has shared a few details with me over some of these flights in person before he passed away May 2013 aged 90, after seeing WOW that year!! He has written some stories over a few of his sorties, of which I have hard copies too. Very interesting in my first read through. I am planning on scanning everything into large colour images onto a memory stick and share with the RNZAF Museum as well, and the Masterton RSA. I hope others find this interesting too
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MOTAT
May 13, 2020 9:24:43 GMT 12
via mobile
Post by transcool on May 13, 2020 9:24:43 GMT 12
Peter, I have my Uncle Ian Sutherland's Flying Log Books (Lancaster Bomber pilot) and hope to some night this week, go back to work and scan them each into a long digital document. The funny thing is, the very first flying log book which was RNZAF initial book has had its pages scissored out, but the left hand page column close to binding, has end words such as '... landing" the "next" older looking dark blue book has a lot of DH82 at Ashburton starting Nov 1942 No2 EFTS 37.5H dual and 20.05 as pilot. I think the first book was of his earlier time at Rotorua and New Plymouth perhaps? Hmmm, more info in back of first book - ITW Levin 8/2/42 -- 22/2/42 ITW Rotorua 23/2/42 -- 11/6/42 EFTS New Plymouth 12/6/42 -- 14/10/42 ITW Rotorua 15/10/42 -- 26/11/42 No2 EFTS Ashburton 28/11/42 -- 29/1/43 He was in Ontario 27 Mar 1943 - No2 SFTS Uplands Ontario (RCAF) training initially in a Harvard II. Achieving 61.55 hrs on type as pilot by 2nd July 1943. Also external were 57hrs on a LINK training system in Ottawa and later in UK. He was then off to England Oct 1st 1943 to No.3 (P) AFV Southrop (RAF) and started flying in Oxfords and at Sth Cerney still in Oxfords then to Cranage and No 1531 BAT Squadron still in Oxfords finally achieving 122.5 hrs total time in type. Then to Silverstone May 26 1943 onto Wellingtons and he did 55hrs 1st Pilot including 19 hrs instrument/cloud flying. Total tally being 205hrs dual and pilot by May 23rd 1944 at 17 OTU. Then he went to Wigsley Stn No 1654 CON Unit where he started flying the Stirlings Jul 2nd 1944. By 19th July he had flown a total of 42h 10m on type both dual and solo (30h 45m solo). He was still only rated "Average" as a pilot in the total of 488.50hrs total flying. He started flying Lancs at No 5 LFS Syerston, Course 35 Aug 16 to Aug 26th flying 12.10 hrs before joining No44 (Rhodesian) Squadron Aug 29th. His mid-Upper Gunner was Rhodesian, rear Gunner was Maltese, and FE was English. The rest were Kiwi crew. His Navigator, Jensen from Wanganui, suffered a rear end injury (ouch!) from flak over Bremen (Oct 6 1944) whereby he had to stand for the rest of the journey refusing morphine as he had to get them all back home!! He received DFC for that!! A 5 hr night flight. IG Sutherland progressed to Flt/Lt on Dec 5th after 21 Ops. His last flight was on March 16th 1945 over Wurzburg. His crews longest flight was 9h 50m beyond Germany to Nth Poland and Gdansk in the Baltic Sea on Dec 21st 1944, likely a very cold flight!! He had another long flight 9h 35m - to Munich on Nov 26th which they reached from the South East and via the Alps!! Another flight of interest was one on Oct 11th his 10th Op, - Flishing? but didn't get there as some flak shrapnel split open the hydraulics tank, he managed to get the U/C down and headed back home but they diverted them to Woodbridge where he landed with full bomb load and all the crew - no one wanted to jump at night... and they all trusted him! No flaps either so a hot, heavy landing - the plane survived and three days later they headed back to Spilsby. He has shared a few details with me over some of these flights in person before he passed away May 2013 aged 90, after seeing WOW that year!! He has written some stories over a few of his sorties, of which I have hard copies too. Very interesting in my first read through. I am planning on scanning everything into large colour images onto a memory stick and share with the RNZAF Museum as well, and the Masterton RSA. I hope others find this interesting too
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MOTAT
May 13, 2020 12:03:15 GMT 12
Post by davidd on May 13, 2020 12:03:15 GMT 12
A few comments and the odd small amendment to the above interesting commentary of I G Sutherland's flying career.
That is an unusual progression in the very early part of his career in New Zealand. Incidentally the ITW (Initial Training Wing) entries are a bit strange in that, although this large "formation" did move from Levin to Rotorua on 23rd February 1942, the period at New Plymouth (2 EFTS) seems inordinately long (over 4 months, probably 17 weeks, the EFTS course in 1942 in NZ was usually just 8 weeks, as is also shown in his second period at Ashburton, 8 weeks), this could be explained by some sort of injury or sickness during the course. The return to ITW is highly unusual, but perhaps explained by previous sickness or injury, as well as perhaps extra "cramming" on basic mathematics or other technical knowledge best undertaken in the school environment before being sent to Canada for his advanced training. No flying hours given of course, but presume these would show in second log book.
In the UK, No. 3 (P) AFV should of course read AFU (for Advanced Flying Unit), which undertook familiarisation with local flying conditions in the UK, which were vastly different to conditions in Canada, NZ and Australia, being in an active war zone just for starters!
No. 1531 BAT Squadron should read BAT Flight.
Also in this paragraph (which cover his advanced operational training in the UK) there seem to be some inconsistencies with date entries, based on the dates in previous paragraph which indicate he completed his Harvard course @ 2 SFTS Uplands between March and July 1943, which seem to fit in with previous (NZ) entries. Although starting out with fact that he was "off to England on 1st October 1943" (which seems fine, although this may be the posting date to the (P)AFU in UK rather than actual departure from Canada), then states he completed courses with 3(P)AFU, 1531 BAT Flight, "then to Silverstone (presume 17 OTU) May 26th 1943 (which cannot be right, as he was in Canada on that date - perhaps that date but in 1944?) However this does not seem correct either, his total flying by 23/5/44 (should this read 23/6/44?) with 17 OTU coming to 205 hours. After this it seems to come right, to 1654 Conv Unit 2/7/44, etc.
In 7th paragraph, is the target "Flishing? actually Flushing?
Sorry to be a bore, but I did get very confused reading this account (I have read a lot of service histories over the years and each has its own points of interest, and mini-dramas, plus sometimes unexplained gaps), but if these "wrinkles" can be eliminated it might read just that little bit more smoothly. Thank you.
David D
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Post by emron on Jun 14, 2020 19:47:11 GMT 12
Flying Boat Update
We’re Back !!!!
MOTAT re-opened to the public on 26 May and will continue Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) until the end of this school term, when 7-day operations will resume. Opening hours will remain 10am – 4pm in the meantime. Under Level One we’ve now restarted our volunteer restoration activities in the Aviation Workshop and I turned out for the first time today since being abruptly requested to stand down back on 18 March. Wow, almost 3 months, I reckon this enforced break is the longest spell I’ve had away from the Museum in all of the last 50 years.
Anyway back to the Sunderland. As expected in the last report, the turret cradle parts are now all painted black and waiting to be re-assembled. I’ll tackle that when back next on Wednesday. Although there wasn’t any new restoration being done during the closure, the staff did get a chance to re-fit the Sunderland’s radar domes and they’re looking smart. If you need an excuse for a re-visit.....
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MOTAT
Jun 14, 2020 20:21:28 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2020 20:21:28 GMT 12
Great stuff Ron. For those of us however that have no clue, when is the end of this school term?
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Post by emron on Jun 14, 2020 21:11:48 GMT 12
There’s no official confirmation on the website yet but I understand MOTAT will be open Mondays again on 6 July (first week of the school holidays) and onwards.
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