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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2011 19:57:38 GMT 12
Out of curiosity, does the RNZAF still have the technical trade of Planewright? They were the woodworkers of the RNZAF, and also did GRP (fibre glass) work. With the rise and rise of carbon fibre technology, have they moved more into this area? Or have they been superceded by civilian specialists?
In the early 1990's there were only a handful of Planewrigths on each base, just three at Wigram. So how has this tiny trade faired with the advance of technology and the creep of budget cuts?
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 8, 2011 21:02:00 GMT 12
I believe they are still a trade in their own right Dave, but there can't be many of them left these days! Maybe the arrival of the plastic helicopters will save their trade.
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Post by beagle on Mar 8, 2011 21:13:10 GMT 12
. So how has this tiny trade faired with the advance of technology and the creep of budget cuts? foreighners when I joined it was chokky bikkies. when i left it was a slab |
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Post by Deane B on Mar 8, 2011 21:38:06 GMT 12
Hehehe - nice one Beagle!!
They were disbanded I think in the 90's along with other small trades like draughting and electroplater. Not sure what the solution was with new composite helos. A big leap up when the whole airframe is plastic. Previously they were dealing with smaller secondary and tertiary structure. It may mean aircraft techo's will be trained up as well?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2011 23:30:52 GMT 12
For such a small fleet, with the small likelyhood of carbon fibre or compostite panels needing repair or replacement it would probably be more likely to use outside experts as and when, rather than train all the Aircraft techs in skills they'll seldom use. It doesn't make economic sense. Maybe Air New Zealand will be contracted, they have plastic Boeings now, don't they?
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Post by beagle on Mar 9, 2011 5:16:45 GMT 12
I left in 2001 and they were still a trade then.
I am not sure but they must be still around as their job was quite a technical one, esp such items as radomes, and others like the base base commanders oak desk.
I used to see them come over and do repairs to Boeing control surfaces etc
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Post by phil on Mar 9, 2011 16:52:51 GMT 12
We certainly still have composites as a trade.
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