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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 5, 2009 11:48:12 GMT 12
I'd like to find out about Johnstone's wartime career, he commanded a Ventura squadron in the RNZAF.
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Mar 7, 2009 13:43:36 GMT 12
Axel Neil Johnstone -- 27-11-93
Only recent reference on the internet is a death notice from Herald.Such a unique name would surely be him.Would also be interested in hearing about his career,he seems to crop up all through the early history of topdressing in NZ.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2009 12:41:07 GMT 12
Thanks Poolguy, yes sadly that will be him I think.
I wonder if anyone wrote an obit at the time.
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Post by claudioluchina on Mar 27, 2009 13:25:09 GMT 12
Hi All
I am not familiar with the list / forum yet, so I a re-posting here what I posted on the PL-12 thread:
I would like to introduce myself
My name is Claudio Luchina and I live in California.
I came across your postings on the PL-11 which were extremely informative. My gratitude for all the contributors.
I am a scale modeler and contributed with a number modeling articles online to diverse aviation modeling-related sites (aircraft resource center, Internet Modeler, Modelersite) under the pseudonym of Gabriel Stern.
I "specialize" in out-of-the-ordinary aircraft, mostly scratch-built.
I am now modeling the Pellarini Kingsford Smith PL-7
I couldn't find a way to attach images to the posting, though.
and I would very much like to make a model of the PL-11 (not the PL-12).
Unfortunately I couldn't find stats on that one (span, length, etc) or even a simple 3v.
Do any of you have info on that respect?
I would really appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance
Claudio
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 1, 2009 20:58:45 GMT 12
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tankie
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 7
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Post by tankie on Jun 1, 2009 21:34:11 GMT 12
sorry just found the thread. message deleted.
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ronb
Sergeant
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Post by ronb on Jun 11, 2009 0:21:02 GMT 12
As mentioned earlier,Folks in TeKuiti were mighty proud of their Airtruck and I can remember an Air paegent at the aerodrome ( must have been in the very early 60's) where it was the star attraction. Not only was it strange looking,it was pretty loud! I had slides of it taken then,But these were lost in 2000. I do how ever have a couple of it after the crash when the remains were dumped at the aerodrome.( I have no way of scanning these,any ideas ?) .In the old hangar that sign was hanging from the roof Along with a third Airtruck body up in the rafters. it was still there around 1970 when I last there. Colin Burrow's Brother was an aquaintance of mine when I was living in the far north and spoke of leaving his Ford V8 behind one of the aerodrome buildings,the same V8 me and a mate tipped on it's side to retrieve the gearbox... ;D The pics taken of HWM engineering ( in it's old place ) indicate a slice of the industry happening in that little town.HWM were known for building large machine tools ,such as would be imported from China today and the cement could only have come the Waitomo Cement works on Waitete Road and long since closed. Mr Gardiner would have been the baker wouldn't he? .I went into their large garage once 'exploring' to find a 1928 Sunbeam car which had been sitting so long it was starting to sink into the ground. I wanted to buy it but I don;t think they were prepared to take a 13 year old seriuosly...  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 11, 2009 21:10:27 GMT 12
Thanks for your contribution to the story Ron.
That's news that there was a third PL-11 body constructed, any idea what happened to it? Te Kuiti airfield has always been all closed up whenever I've called in.
We'd certainly like to see the slides. You need someone with a slide scanner. Have you tried asking a local photographic shop - they should have access to one. Try and get them scanned to at least 800 pixels wide.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 11, 2009 23:26:01 GMT 12
Well, I see that the latest issue of NZ Aviation News has an article about the PL-11 Airtruk in it, so Peter you must have got someone out there paying attention to what goes on on WoNZ.  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 12, 2009 20:18:10 GMT 12
Words by Ray Deerness, photos by myself, publication by John King. Good synergy.
Hopefully we will get some response from guys who were involved with the Airtrucks back in the 60s. Anyone who was there would be getting on a bit now, so its a good time for them to put chisel to stone and tell the rest of us just what it was all about.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 14, 2009 14:24:40 GMT 12
That is what I like about not only this site, but also NZ Aviation News as well: it brings these stories back into the limelight again - where they ought to be - and exposes so many more people to these wonderful tales of NZ aviation endeavour and enterprise over the past 100 years.
New Zealand is such a very lucky to have so many keen aviation historians, who through their own blood, sweat and tears have worked so hard to make sure that these events don't just slip off the radar and into oblivion. Peter, I count you amongst those mentioned above, as your work in recording all the histories of so many NZ aircraft and you amazing collection of NZ aviation photographs would have to be one of the treasure of the past 50-60 years of NZ aviation.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Nov 14, 2009 23:20:09 GMT 12
After reading the posting I brought a copy of NZ Aviation News. Great article
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 15, 2009 18:58:15 GMT 12
Thank you corsair67. Your comments are appreciated.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 13, 2009 20:04:17 GMT 12
Roger Young has created a DVD with a narrative and both still and movie coverage of the PL-11 first prototype and the people behind it.
Due to some copyright issues, I understand that the DVD will not be generally available, but Roger has kindly sent me a copy. A sterling effort, and one more step along the path of preserving the history of this unique New Zealand product.
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Post by furyfb11 on Dec 15, 2009 15:37:32 GMT 12
While looking through a box of slides for agdak photos came this one taken at TeKuiti.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 15, 2009 18:14:59 GMT 12
That is a great photo!! Really classic.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 15, 2009 21:37:22 GMT 12
That's really cool. First colour pic of ZK-CKE I've seen.
Like the Holden Special, Vauxhall and Ford Anglia cars too, a nice period touch.
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roger
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by roger on Feb 11, 2010 10:13:53 GMT 12
with regard to ronb's comment (June 2009) about finding a part of the fuselage of a 3rd PL-11 in the hangar at Te Kuiti. I have a photo of that "bit" -- it is merely one of the tailfins (and is now all covered in birdlime).
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roger
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by roger on Feb 11, 2010 12:45:45 GMT 12
With regard to the DVD documentary about the PL-11 Airtruck:
I am not aware of any copyright problems with any of the photographs or movie film used, and the quotes from newspaper articles are almost certainly permissable, but the existing problem is with background music.
As you probably all know, 8mm movie film and still-camera photographs do not have any soundtrack, so there is no way that I could get authentic sound effects (engine noise, etc). But with just a spoken commentary the documentary seemed somewhat insipid (for want of a better word). So I went looking for some suitable background music.
My first effort used fairly bland computer-generated music, so there was no problem with copyright on that. I think, from memory, that this is the version which should have been given to the NZ Aviation Historical Society.
However, I still felt that the movie lacked "character" and -- for my own entertainment only -- produced a version that started off with a piano rendition of "Those Magnificent men in Their Flying Machines". I liked the result -- but my computer didn't and would not write the finished product to DVD! And the possible copyright implications for a saleable version of the DVD were ... well, shall I say, "Just too much to be even given serious consideration."
I then produced yet another version with some piano music that I got from an old vinyl LP record. There is an interesting drum-roll associated with the piano and, with a bit of imagination, this could be accepted as a substitute for a P&W R1340 at take-off power.
I then did some research and wrote to the composer of the music asking for permission to use this music in the documentary. Eventually received a reply from the holder of the music copyright to advise that the fee would be $250 USD! I then responded (several months ago) asking if there would be any further expense, such a Lawyer's fees for drawing up legal documents. I have never received any reply to that email.
And I had serious doubts that I would ever sell enough DVDs to cover my costs if I added that expense into my budget.
However, there are several copies of the documentary with that music in existence -- mostly given to friends who were also involved with the project -- and these editions all include a copyright warning.
So that's where I am at present with the project. If -- and I emphasize IF -- there is likely to be sufficient interest I am prepared to produce saleable DVDs with the computer-generated background music. But please be aware that you won't get the thrill of hearing a P&W R1340 at full throttle and none of the distinctive crackle as the tips of the prop' blades touch the speed of sound during the take-off run(s).
I have thought about trying to make an audio recording of something like an AT301 (AirTractor with the P&W 1340 radial engine) but the sound would not be really authentic for the PL-11 and it could be very difficult to co-ordinate the sound correctly -- with regard to the doppler effect as the machine flies past on the screen. So I don't consider this to be a really workable suggestion.
I would be interested to read any feedback as to whether I should spend any more time on this project or just leave it as it is. Just for the record, there should be a copy of this PL-11 documentary DVD somewhere in the archives of the NZ Aviation Historical Society.
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Post by ErrolC on Feb 11, 2010 14:31:47 GMT 12
With regard to the DVD documentary about the PL-11 Airtruck: However, I still felt that the movie lacked "character" and -- for my own entertainment only -- produced a version Been there, done that. One of the battle sequences on the Battlefield Cambridge DVD works really well if you start "What's that Sound" at the same time, but we couldn't distribute DVDs with the song on them. |
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