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Post by xbaggy on Dec 30, 2010 21:23:38 GMT 12
 Sorry Zac but the "Dirty D" rules. Whirl-Wide operated up to five at a time on the Petro-Corp contract in Taranaki and Gisbourne. Will post more pics later. This was Noel Boyds machine based at Kaikoura. Re the Jetrangers. Whirl-wide bought 3 brand new, and 7 second hand from Okenagan in Canada. 6 were registered and 1 used for spares |
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Post by xbaggy on Dec 31, 2010 9:51:41 GMT 12
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Post by lumpy on Dec 31, 2010 16:27:07 GMT 12
Sorry Zac , but Im with craig and xbaggy . I like the T- tail , and Im not really fussed on the pointy nose of the 500E , so 500D it is , as my favourite . A very nice looking machine !! ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 31, 2010 16:56:31 GMT 12
My favourite Hughes 500 was Sir Tim Wallis's ZK-HOT. I'll never forget the morning we (the RNZAF guys and girls at WOW 92, who'd all been billeted in Tim's shearers house) went to Tim's house for breakfast the morning after they'd hosted a barbecue and piss up for all the airshow people. Lady Prue very gratiously cooked us RNZAF lads (around 50 of us or more) all bacon and eggs for brekky!! Awesome people eh!
We're all standing in the garden eating bacon sarnies outside the mansion when Tim came out and announced he was going to put the bbq away in its shed. This bbq was about the size of a snooker table with the biggest hot plate I'd ever seen. He disappeared and a few minutes later he comes up over the ridge in ZK-HOT, right in front of where a certain Cpl Doug Hilliard was spewing in Tim's flowerbed. Over the top of Doug he flew, and one of the Wallis boys hooked a cable to the big bbq, and off Tim flew with it down the valley into the distance. They don't do things by halves in Wanaka.
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Post by lumpy on Dec 31, 2010 17:15:38 GMT 12
Ha Ha Ha , great story Dave - awesome people for sure ! Can someone tell me the difference between a 500d , and a 369D ( as a quick google shows the original ZK-HOT would have been ) . They look the same , is it a manafacturer difference ( like a 300 , and a Schweizer ) ?
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Post by xbaggy on Jan 1, 2011 8:14:09 GMT 12
Not sure where the name Hughes 500 came from. The original manufacturer, Hughes Tool Company, designated the C model as a 369C and the D, 369D. All the part numbers started with 369C or 369D.
Same, the Hughes 300 had a A, B, and C model which were designated as 269A, 269B and 269C. All their part numbers started with 269A, B or C.
Just to confuse things, when Schweizer started building the 300, they built the 300B/C.
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Post by lumpy on Jan 1, 2011 10:09:14 GMT 12
Clear as mud then .  |
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 1, 2011 11:43:25 GMT 12
Clear as mud then . That whole 269 and 369 thing has never made sense to me either; but I do wonder if those were the company's military designations, while the 300 and 500 were the civil designations of the same helicopters? It gets more confusing when you look at the company's history and how the company was purchased by McDonnell Douglas in 1984 (and operated as McDonnell Douglas Helicopters Systems), was sold to a Dutch firm when McDonnell Douglas was bought out by Boeing in 1997, and finally ended up being bought out again in 2005, and is now the MD Helicopters! |
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Post by xbaggy on Jan 1, 2011 14:02:29 GMT 12
Having a break on Foxton beach in transit to Inglewood 1985. Dave Kershaw on right with the late Dennis Eggerton wearing helmet. Alfie Speights at helicopter.  Bruce Kingans HWH used on Petro-corp contract at Norfolk road, Inglewood 1985. It was a Wishart machine but came under the umbrella of the Helicopter Line.  HNR, HOJ, HWH after work at Norfolk road Inglewood. There is also another machine in the hangar on maintainance. Dave at this stage HOT was in the hangar at Timaru where Paul Jones and myself were rebuilding the belly after a mishap at New Plymouth airport. After rebuild I repainted it from the Blue/White colours to the Bonze/Brown colour scheme you would know.  |
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Post by xbaggy on Jan 1, 2011 14:39:01 GMT 12
Specially for you Zac Whirlwide did have 2 500C's. Here is Eddie Mcgregor doing a scoop net demo at Caroline Bay, Timaru 1979.  Eddie carting blocks to a building site in Timaru 1979.  I am pretty sure that Whirlwide imported the first brand new 500B, HDT with a C18 motor into New Zealand in 1973.The remains of it sat beside the Whirlwide Timaru hangar for many years. I remember seeing it at Omaka while still in the mob in 1973, and thinking that it looked like something out of this world, almost Alien like. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2011 21:02:41 GMT 12
A 500B?! Would love to see shots of that!
I do like the D model too, the E does nothing for me, but the C holds a special place in my heart thanks to many many repeated viewings of the TV movies Birds Of Prey and Deadly Encounter.
HOT was long a favourite with me, I'm keen to do a model of her in the stripe scheme at some point in the near future. Great story Dave, and xbaggy thanks for the wonderful photos!
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Jan 2, 2011 8:35:14 GMT 12
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Post by Dave.K on Jan 3, 2011 9:57:58 GMT 12
  INM at Wanaka. This machine was imported as HC-CEK, became HZH, then HOT, then INM, Toby Wallis keeps HOT hot with him, but it is the original HOT that everyone refers to, confused |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 3, 2011 12:59:15 GMT 12
Do you mean that Toby has retained the registration HOT but not the aircraft?
I wonder if Toby ever reads this forum. He was only about 16 or 17 when I met him a few times at Wanaka in 1992 and 1993 (I was 21-22) and he wouldn't even remember me at all I don't think, but he was a very nice young man and a very good host, showing me around the collection, etc. before the opening of the NZFPM. For that matter I wonder if Sir Tim reads the forum. He's a bloody great guy too.
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Post by Dave.K on Jan 3, 2011 13:21:09 GMT 12
Thats right Dave,each time he gets another machine it's redgo is changed to HOT.He'sd still a good chap got married and settled down, see him a bit as he is mates with my boss. His ambition was to do a father and son act with the fighters, but Tims crash put and end to that unfortunatley, always wonder what the collection would be like if Tim was still control.
A friend of mines two kids were hanging around the hiller at one show a few years ago and Tim out of the blue took them for a ride, shows the type of person he is, he didn't have to do it.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 3, 2011 14:03:44 GMT 12
Oh wow, that father and son act would have been brilliant. What a huge shame it never happened. Did Toby ever fly any of the fighters at all?
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 3, 2011 14:54:03 GMT 12
One of my best memories of 500s in New Zealand is a very noisy flyover I 'endured' down in Te Anau back in about 1987. I was staying with a mate and his family down there for a week or so, and we went down to the river late one afternoon to do some fishing. As we were standing there just on sunset, I heard the unmistakable sound of a 500 approaching, and being an idiot I started waving both arms madly as it came closer to us - not really expecting him to see us at all. To my surprise and joy, as he hurtled over the top of us the pilot activated a siren that was attached to the chopper! I think the smile finally disappeared off my face about a week later.  I was told that the helicopter probably belonged to either Dick Deaker or "Hannibal" Hayes, as they were two of the pilots that operated out of Te Anau at the time. |
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Post by furyfb11 on Jan 9, 2011 9:37:37 GMT 12
 ZK-HYY at Palmerston North 6/1/91  ZK-HMG at Tauranga 16/10/94  MD500E ZK-HFT at Wanaka 17/4/92 |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 9, 2011 11:39:16 GMT 12
Do the winglet things on the Rick Lucas Helicopters black and red chopper help the machine fly by providing additional lift? Or are they there to carry gear inside? Or are they for mouting additional equipment to, like spray gear or rocket pods?
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Post by Ykato on Jan 26, 2011 13:31:13 GMT 12
ZK-HMO Departing PAC for rotorwork - 18 Jan 2011
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