Skyhawk NZ6201

[mumbles]

Is it just me or was the final green scheme paint finish on Skyhawk 01 just a patchwork mess compared to the rest of the fleet? I just remember it standing out in 2000-01 as being particularly heavily weathered, and was wondering if there was any particular reason for that. I understand it was the first to be painted in the green scheme.

[corsair67]

Maybe that horrible scheme wasn't as hardwearing as they first thought it might be?

Some of the Nowra based Skyhawks of 2SQN looked quite badly faded at times in the green/grey/green scheme, but I think that had a lot to do with all the low-level work they did in the salt laden atmosphere buzzing RAN ships at 35ft.

Oh well, now all the Skyhawks have to contend with is bird-poo, dust, cobwebs and of course, political indifference!

[Dave Homewood]

Was NZ6201 painted by the RNZAF or civil contractors into that scheme?

[Bruce]

It is a known flaw that dark coloured Matt finish paints do oxidise very badly when exposed to the weather - as evidenced by the P40s and Hudsons etc in the Pacific during WW2. Gloss is supposed to be a bit better, although not perfect as the Warbirds DC3 syndicate have found.... Maybe '01 just lived its life a bit harder.....

[phil]

The first time time the aircraft were painted green, the paint peeled off in great big sheets from the leading edges. I was on 75 at the time the scheme was introduced and it was a real problem (this was in 97 with the green w/light green markings). The later frames to be painted were better, but They never entirely got around the problem, so some of the frames ended up looking pretty patchy.

They were painted at Ohakea by S&S.

[corsair67]

Briscoes were having a paint sale, weren't they? ;D

[mumbles]

Thanks for the answers guys.
Another question; I was there on the day, but can't remember if '01 was 'named' with a pilot's name/nickname beside the cockpit for the disbandment. Anyone know if it was and who it was?

[skyhawkdon]

Yes 01 was one of those at Ohakea on the final day. It was flown by Flt Lt Andy "Boomer" Keith. I have some photos... just trying to figure out how to post them here (help please!!).

BTW Andy Keith got his nick name when he was on his conversion course at 2 Sqn in Nowra. As part of the course they do a "Mach run"going supersonic in a dive. Usually they do it out over the sea so the sonic boom doesn't upset anyone, but Andy did it a bit close to land and upset a few of the locals! Hence he was forever known after that as "Boomer"!!

[Dave Homewood]

Don,

There's a thread here on posting photos. Any problems, please contact me and I'll advise further. I'm looking forward to your photographs.
rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=info&action=display&thread=1111039920

I had no idea that our pilots actually took the Skyhawks through the sound barrier in training. I never heard of this in my RNZAF days, we were told they weren't allowed to. Was this only introduced when training moved to Nowra? Or was it done by 2 Sqn in NZ before that period too?

[skyhawkdon]

[skyhawkdon]

It works! Forgot to mention the photo is copyright to Glen Turner. A Skyhawk "Mach Run"was part of every pilot's A-4 conversion while I was at 2 Sqn (1987-1993). They only did it once and it was probably the only time they did one in an A-4 as the aircraft had to be clean of external stores and was climbed to about 35,000ft and pointed straight down with the throttle at Military power in order to achieve Mach 1+. The Skyhawk was only designed to go to Mach 1.2 and in the HUD tapes I saw of Mach runs the pilots only ever went to about M1.1 before starting the pull out. At that speed going straight down the altimeter was spinning round like a fan!

[skyhawkdon]

Another Glen Turner photo of NZ6201 on 13 Dec 01.

[Dave Homewood]

Good to see the photos worked for you!

Interesting photos, thanks Don. Yes, that paint job is indeed rough, it looks like they have masked the old stencilling and painted a new coat over top! A bit gash, as we used to say in the trade. But I guess as it was going out of service, no need to waste money on a full strip.

That's really interesting about the Mach runs too, thanks.

Regarding paintjobs and the reason I was interested in who painted it, I was posted to Ohakea in July 1993, and at that time the S&S (my trade) were paintstripping a Shyhawk in the strip bay. I was told this was the first one ever to be stripped and painted fully by RNZAF, as previously Safe Air did the major paint jobs on them during major servicing. They reckoned the swithc to get the RNZAF to do it all worked out cheaper in that economic climate of the time. Since we had the equipment and a lot of people withthe expertise it was no doubt true, rather than contracting out. S&S seldom got to paint a whole plane, unless it was a warbird! (ie Motat Lancaster, AFC Avenger, Wigram Gate Guard Harvard, etc...). This Skyhawk was before the major cuts that saw manyn trades farmed off to civvy contractors, though it was on its way. I wondered if S&S had retained that position as the people who did the job. Good to hear they were.

[phil]

S&S at Ohakea are still stripping and painting aircraft. They are currently doing the Iro fleet grey, and have done the Kingairs (just the markings/stripes etc I think, not sure if they repainted the whole thing).

[Dave Homewood]

Good to hear! Thanks Phil.

We alays did panels and detail work, but not entire repaints till that 1993 job.

[skyhawkdon]

Here is another photo of '01 taken at Nowra the day they flew back to Ohakea on 9/12/01. The photo is copyright to Calum Gibson. Note the RH drop tank's missing paint! I recall there was another aircraft that had most of its paint missing from its RH slat... must have flown through a hail storm at some stage - I saw the results of that a number of times. Not only did it strip the paint off all the leading edges but it could also smash the wing tip, anti-col and probe light lens' and erode away the leading edges of all the radio antenna's and nose and RWS radomes! Amazing that the engine could handle hailstones that big! That good old J-52 could sure take a lick'in and keep on tick'in!

[corsair67]

I've posted these before, but thought I'd put them up again.

Taken at Ohakea Open Day in April: an RNZAF King Air undergoing
a full repaint in the Ohakea Paintshop.

[Calum]

admin said:

Good to see the photos worked for you!

Interesting photos, thanks Don. Yes, that paint job is indeed rough, it looks like they have masked the old stencilling and painted a new coat over top! A bit gash, as we used to say in the trade. But I guess as it was going out of service, no need to waste money on a full strip.

That's really interesting about the Mach runs too, thanks.

Regarding paintjobs and the reason I was interested in who painted it, I was posted to Ohakea in July 1993, and at that time the S&S (my trade) were paintstripping a Shyhawk in the strip bay. I was told this was the first one ever to be stripped and painted fully by RNZAF, as previously Safe Air did the major paint jobs on them during major servicing. They reckoned the swithc to get the RNZAF to do it all worked out cheaper in that economic climate of the time..

S & S at Ohakea certainily painted A-4s when I was there (1988 til 1994). Alhtough allot were done at Woody when 1 RD did Groups and Check 2's

[Dave Homewood]

Really? Well the F/Sgt S&S (Bruce someone, forgotten his name, do you know?) told me the one in the bay in mid-1993 was the first full strip and paint at OH. That's all I know, I took his word for it.

I'd forgotten 1RD also did paintjobs as well as SAFE at Woody.

[Calum]

Don't think it was a regular thng as most would have been done at woodburne. But I recall seeing A-4's in there , maybe not for full strip and paint though.

I'm sure they did at least one when they got the new media blasting equipment, maybe that was the one in 1993