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Post by ZacYates on Jan 11, 2011 15:15:58 GMT 12
I would like to see what photos the forum members have of the Bell 204, 205, 212 and 214 in use by commercial operators over the years. In particular I'd love to see shots of Helicopters NZ B212s as I would like to build a model of one.
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Post by Deane B on Jan 11, 2011 16:10:08 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 11, 2011 16:52:40 GMT 12
Does it have Co-Pilot written on the other side? ;D
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Post by ZacYates on Jan 12, 2011 18:19:28 GMT 12
Very quick, Dave Great shots Deane! I've not seen this scheme before, quite an interesting one. I certainly remember the float bags and big radome nose, but I didn't realise the dorsal fin was quite so big! As a kid I thought it must have been an aerial! Dad used to work on the Maui platforms and so the HNZ 212 was his commuting vehicle. One year Mum took my sister and I up to see him off/back and I vaguely remember sitting in the cockpit of one in the hangar at Oanui. Good times I intend/hope to do a model of one in the red/white scheme, floatation bags and all. Nowadays Deane its the Agusta-Westland AW139 and Bell 412s that are seen above New Plymouth, most mornings on the way to work I see a red-and-white whirlybird either coming or going.
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Post by furyfb11 on Jan 18, 2011 16:33:05 GMT 12
Time to give this thread a bit of a nudge. Bell UH-1H ex 66-0869 doing a display at Rotorua racecourse 2/9/95. I dont remember what the occasion was but there were several helicoptors present including a Kamen 32. Bell (Garlick) UH-1L at Tauranga 6/2/2000 Bell (Garlick) UH-1B ZK-HSF note it's s/n 62-2090 from a previous life on the tail. Tauranga 16/7/2000
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Post by ZacYates on Jan 18, 2011 19:20:34 GMT 12
Very cool photos! Seeing that UH-1H is interesting as I'd never seen it, ditto HSF. Smart scheme on the latter.
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Post by Deane B on Jan 18, 2011 21:24:14 GMT 12
Pretty sure HSP is still current and flying in NZ. HUE is with Central South Island helicopters in a yellow and blue colour scheme. Its also got a new Cobra style rotor head. Not bad for a machine that will be 50 years old next year !! Check out this video wn.com/HUEY_UH1-L_helicopter_NZHSF originally belonged to Brett Emeny based in Taranaki. Not sure who operated it later on, but it crashed on its way to Gore in 2004 after a main blade separated. The pilot (only occupant) was killed.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 18, 2011 22:09:48 GMT 12
Was that the helicopter crash that there was a huge case over because dodgy parts had been supplied?
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Post by Bruce on Jan 18, 2011 23:01:04 GMT 12
The HSF crash was because of dodgy rotor blade tension - torsion straps. From memory mit wasn't that the parts were specifically bogus, but they were of unknown operating life. The main crash that brought the bogus parts issues to light was an R22 Crash near Whakatane, where it was found the tail rotor was illegally repaired. At the same time another UH-1 operator found what became famous as "The blade" - it appears an ex military time - expired Main rotor blade was made unusble by attacking it with an axe, but some dodgy repair station in the US bogged it up, repainted it and sold it to NZ. after a few hours in service the pilot noted paint cracking in the blades and investigated it, discovering th truth. CAA took the blade around almost all aircraft operators and engineering shops to make everyone aware of the need to be vigilant - I saw "the Blade" and it was pretty scary!
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Post by Deane B on Jan 19, 2011 11:49:40 GMT 12
I also read that they think the torsion strap on HSF was also weakened by a possible overspeed which was never reported. Not sure whos machine "the blade" was found on. Could have been one of Alan Becks machines in Eltham. I also recall The RNZAF had a "reference" blade with a company who provided and balanced new blades. There was some suspicion about it whereabouts around the same time and there seemed to be a lot of dodgy happenings. I think they pulled any ties with the company after that. The RNZAF always sliced the old blades into short lengths, so there was no possibility of re-use. One day a SNCO sent two young troops out to slice some time-ex blades up. The old blades were in an area along with some new and some serviceable used blades with time remaining. You can guess what happened - but luckily he found them about to start hacking into the second serviceable blade before they got too far !! Ouch.
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Post by seantk on Jan 21, 2011 13:48:51 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2011 14:59:24 GMT 12
Sean, have you any phoots from your father's time in the Sinai? That's a period of RNZAF history that is all too often overlooked (just as is the No. 42 Squadron detachment in Iran).
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Post by seantk on Jan 21, 2011 16:29:54 GMT 12
Dave,
He was in the US Army (was a pilot of those Hueys), so there's nothing New Zealand related in the photos that I know of if that is what you're try to get at.
I know we have at least a few photos of the helicopters somewhere in the house, so I'll see if I can scan them in the next few weeks. I'm away at University right now so it may be a while yet.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2011 17:01:16 GMT 12
Thanks Sean. OK. I just assumed he was RNZAF, sorry. No. 3 Squadron had a detachment there for several years. In fact I think the RNZAF still has guys there, don't they? Not choppers though I don't think.
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Post by seantk on Jan 21, 2011 17:10:40 GMT 12
No worries. I noticed after your question that my profile didn't state that I was from the US. (Thought I had added that...oops!) The current Force Commander of the MFO is actually from the New Zealand Defence Forces. www.mfo.org/biographyfc.phpNot sure of the current strength of the New Zealand contingent, but they definitely have a number of personnel still there. On a RNZAF Huey note, your saying that they had Hueys there at one time, or just a non-flight element? If they did have Hueys there, would they have been white rather than gray? I keep seeing the occasional image of a white RNZAF Huey, and that would explain a lot...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2011 18:02:55 GMT 12
The RNZAF had a detachment there, with two (I think) leased Hueys. They were not our own ones, and from memory they may have had twin engines. they were white with UN markings. The RNZAF has also operated white Hueys in East Timor (as well aa orange one). Those were from our own fleet.
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Post by seantk on Jan 29, 2011 17:07:04 GMT 12
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Post by furyfb11 on Jan 30, 2011 10:56:52 GMT 12
[quote Regarding UH-1H ZK-HSP,
I'm wondering what the text on the door says.
The text says South Pacific ..possibly the name of the operator at the time
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Post by nzav8a on Jan 30, 2011 15:51:29 GMT 12
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Post by Ykato on May 30, 2011 15:17:06 GMT 12
ZK-HSX Operating alongside Cherry lane Hamilton this afternoon.
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