Labour weekend NZ aviation quiz

[Bruce]

O.K, its labour weekend so at some stage you'll be stuck inside waiting for it to stop raining.
here is this weeks quiz, a mixture of Civil and military stuff.

1. What was mechanically unusual about the Bristol Hercules engines, as used on Solents, B170s etc?

2. The demise of which airline gave TEAL its first landplanes?

3. Which company joined with TEAL in the first venture to bring Fletcher Topdressers into NZ.

4. The designer of the Fletcher FU24 was also responsible for which very common aircraft?

5. RNZAF base Shelley Bay was taken over from the Navy, what was it called in Navy Service?

6. Teal Sandringham flying boats were fitted with propellers normally fitted to Which RNZAF type in order to reduce cabin noise?

7. Turbine engined Fletchers in NZ have been around since the 1960s, but only 4 types of Turbine (Turboprop) engines have ever been fitted (ignoring individual model variations) what were / Are they?

8. in which year was the RNZAF trade of aircraft fabric tradesman finally phased out?

10.What type of weapon was fitted in the Waist Hatches aft of the wing on RNZAF Sunderland MR5s?

Bit of technical stuff this week, but I'm in that frame of mind....

[Dave Homewood]

1. What was mechanically unusual about the Bristol Hercules engines, as used on Solents, B170s etc?

They have sleeve valves?

2. The demise of which airline gave TEAL its first landplanes?

BCPA - British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines - hte planes being the three DC-6's that later went to the RNZAF

4. The designer of the Fletcher FU24 was also responsible for which very common aircraft?

The Piper Cherokee, both designed by Jim Thorpe

5. RNZAF base Shelley Bay was taken over from the Navy, what was it called in Navy Service?

I assume you mean RNZAF Base Shelly Bay formerly known as HMNZS Cook

7. Turbine engined Fletchers in NZ have been around since the 1960s, but only 4 types of Turbine (Turboprop) engines have ever been fitted (ignoring individual model variations) what were / Are they?

Lycoming?
Continental?

8. in which year was the RNZAF trade of aircraft fabric tradesman finally phased out?

1949

[Dave Homewood]

8. in which year was the RNZAF trade of aircraft fabric tradesman finally phased out?

Actually, what exact trade do you mean? I was a Fabric Worker in the RNZAF. Do you mean that trade as a singular position? Then it is 1949, when it and others were merged to become Safety and Surface Workers.

[DragonflyDH90]

4. You could also say the Thorp T-18 homebuilt as well


7. Turbine Fletchers - Walter 601, P&W PT6, Lycoming LTP101, not sure on the fourth but possibly Allison or Garret.

[Bruce]

Whoa - that was quick - must be too easy this week!
#1. Correct - they had sleeve valves - amazing engineering to make them work, but very reliable. To see the ultimate sleeve valve radial, see a Bristol Centaurus on a Sea Fury - inside the rear cover looks like a swiss watch!

#2 British Commonweath and Pacific Airlines - Correct.

#4 Yup the good ol Cherokee - compare the shape of an Early Cherokee 140 with a Fletcher next time you see one. And yes the T18 is also correct and becoming much more common.

#5, Yeah yeah, ignore the Typo, it was HMNZS Cook.

#7 - right on the money Dragonfly, The P&WC (remember the "Canada") and the Lycoming LTP101 were the earliest, with the Garrett TPE331 a little later. The Walter 601 is the lastest of the breed.

#8. I may have confused things - and myself even more. Essentially what I am after is when did the RNZAF cease employing people in the specialist trade responsible for aircraft fabric coverings? S&S workers are still around but covering specialists arent, so if you can work that out cool, otherwise Ive made a boo boo and we can call this one a draw!

[Dave Homewood]

Hmm, well as far as specialist who did fabric aircraft coverings, that would probably be still S&S. I assume you're talking about doped fabric coverings. Most of that was pahsed out by the time I was in (1989-93). I did actually do some dope work on the Harvard NZ1050 when we repainted it (although its fabric surfaces are actually specially made metal parts with fabric doped over the top for show).

I think if it wasn't an S&S job, if it ever arose dopig would probably be handled by the Planewrights, who did all the GRP and such work. It's more their line I guess these days.

The last aircraft with fabric surfaces in regular service would have been Harvards, C-47's, maybe Devons, into the late 1970's and early 1980's. The Fabric Worker trade became part of the S&S trade in 1949. I believe the doping work was also a duty of the Rigger trade too. Thier duties were split between S&S and Aircraft Tech when the trades were reshuffled in the late 1940's.

Someone must still be employed to do the work on the Historic Flight's Harvard and Tiger Moth.

At least one S&S worker and one Planewright still work full time on aircraft with fabric surfaces to this day, as part of the permanent RNZAF staff with the RNZAF Museum.

So, that's randomly all what I know. What do you know? Have you different info? I hope so because I haven't really put much of a solid case forward for my argument.

Are you going to bring up some obscure civilian position in the RNZAF or something maybe? hehe (like the fact that all we S&S workers were trained fully on the patching of parachutes, and had a trade test on it, but legally we were not allowed to touch repairs and two little old civvy ladies in Woodbourne actually did any parachute patching for the RNZAF!!)

[Bruce]

Remaining answers :

#3 A & G Price Co Thames

#6 Propeller ex Lockheed Ventura - said to be a factor in the "New Zealand Incident" involving the near loss of an aircraft over the tasman.

#8 - I admit this may be wrong, but my sources stated 1977 when the Devons, Dakotas and Harvards were retired. I'm totally open to correction on this.

#10. The MR5 Sunderland had a Browning .50 Cal Heavy Machine gun in the waist hatch postitions - when the aircraft were armed, which wasnt often. There is a hilarious story about an embarrassing (and somewhat painful) incident involving gunnery practice with this weapon described in "Golden Age Of NZ Flying Boats".