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Post by simonrh on Apr 17, 2011 14:34:30 GMT 12
Hi All This is my first posting A friend of mine has recently lent me a few photos taken at an airshow at Ohakea in the 1950's Hopefully these will be of interest Regards Simon Levin Attachments:
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 17, 2011 15:00:22 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum Simon. Thanks for posting this shot. I hope there are more to come. Have you any idea what year the airshow was?
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 20:29:45 GMT 12
Thanks
Can I post more than one attachment at once or do I have to do them one at a time ??
All he could say was sometime in the 50s
Will post some more shortly
Cheers
Simon
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:11:19 GMT 12
More to come
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:12:47 GMT 12
more Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:13:38 GMT 12
another Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:15:09 GMT 12
another Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:15:53 GMT 12
another Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:16:46 GMT 12
another Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:17:16 GMT 12
another Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:17:48 GMT 12
another Attachments:
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Post by simonrh on Apr 19, 2011 21:18:33 GMT 12
last one Attachments:
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Post by oj on Apr 19, 2011 21:39:02 GMT 12
That was the 21st Birthday of the RNZAF in 1958. I was there as a 12 year old. My elder brother was ........ (not again!)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2011 7:31:46 GMT 12
What an amazing collection of aircraft to have seen in NZ skies! It is very cool to see the B-29(B-50?) there as I once tried to take off in one from Ohakea on Flight Simulator....sadly the virtual fences had to be mended afterward!
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Post by shorty on Apr 20, 2011 9:08:58 GMT 12
The airshow was in June 1955, the aircraft were here on "Operation Hand Clasp" where 4 F84Gs from the 4th FBS based at Iawazuki AB Japan visited NZ along with tankers and support craft.
Japan to NZ in a F84 would give you a real numb bum!!
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Post by kb on Apr 20, 2011 10:54:46 GMT 12
I would say that they are KB-29's. The B-17 is probably a VIP transport. The C-124 is a very early one as I think that the round tipped propellor blades were changed quite early and this of course fits in with Shorty's date comments. It's a pity that something/someone has managed to cut off the Bu Numbers in a lot of cases but I guess that information is available somewhere. |
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Post by kb on Apr 20, 2011 10:56:36 GMT 12
I forgot to say thanks simonrh for the interesting photos.  |
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Post by shorty on Apr 20, 2011 22:47:52 GMT 12
I just found out some more about this and the exercise was correctly called Handclasp II
The tankers were KB 29s from the 421st and on 18 May 1955 six of them were to refuel 6 F84s on a trip to Australia and NZ. One F 84 developed fuel trouble and returned to Yokota, one landed at Guam as briefed and the remaining 4 carried on to set a world record for non stop flight by single engined jet fighters, 4840 statute miles from Yokota Japan to Newcastle Australia. a time of 12 hours 10 minutes (knucks must have good bladders!)
They refuelled over Guam, Manus Island and Townsville. They went on to Canberra then Ohakea, Whenuapai , Brisbane, and Darwin giving static displays and making refuelling demonstrations.
On the return flight the fighters flew Darwin to Clark AB (phillipines) refuelling over Morotai and from Clark to their homebase of Itazuke refuelling over Okinawa.
The four F 84 pilots received the (US) Distinguished Flying Cross, the KB 29 crews received their commander's thanks!
Six KB 29 crews headed by Lt Col John Steel (421st Commander), Maj Michael Rowan, Capt Vincent Wallis, Capt Alvin Dyck, Capt Archie Nesbit and Capt Fred Kemp. were involved and some were deployed to Clark in the Phillipines
BTW the fighters launched from Itazuke at 0400 and each pilot had two thermos flasks, one with iced water and one with hot chicken broth!
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Post by John L on Apr 21, 2011 18:52:03 GMT 12
And a B17!
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