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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 7, 2006 9:39:30 GMT 12
A photo from the NZ Government Archives website, in this case dealing with our national symbols. I thought it may be of interest:  From the late 1950s until 1970, the emblem used on Royal New Zealand Air Force planes was the fern. However, in 1970, it was replaced with the kiwi. This photograph shows two New Zealand Skyhawks with kiwi emblems flying in formation with a Royal Australian Navy plane, which features a kangaroo emblem.
[Archives Reference: AIR W1832, box 18 (ADQA 17452)]www.archives.govt.nz/exhibitions/currentexhibitions/makingourmark/index.php?page=unofficiallynz&image=32 |
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Post by beagle on Nov 8, 2006 19:38:21 GMT 12
From that image, did we end up having A4G 885 in our fleet or not.
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Post by planeimages on Nov 8, 2006 20:32:28 GMT 12
RAN SKYHAWK N-13-154906/885 was lost from the deck of HMAS Melbourne on 21 October 1980 after catapult failure, 200km south-west of Colombo. Sub.Lt D.Baddams ejected and was picked up by Wessex helicopter. This was the final RAN Skyhawk loss.
The RAN Skyhawks which went to the RNZAF were:
A-4G/A-4K N13-154903/882 (RNZAF NZ6211) , N-13-154904/ 883 (NZ6212), N-13-154905/884 (NZ 6213) ,N-13-154908/887 (NZ 6214), N-13-155052/871(NZ 6215) , n-13-155061/874 (NZ6216), N-13-155063/876 (NZ62117), N-13-155064/877(NZ6218).
TA-4G/TA-4K: N13-154910/880 (NZ 6255 )and N13-154911/881 (NZ6256).
877 flipped onto its back while landing in heavy rain at Townsville in June 1985 while owned by the RNZAF. It was flown back to NZ in a C-130 Hercules and repaired with a new tail obtained from the US Navy, wings and rebuilt aft fuselage while being upgraded to the Project Kahu standard.
Thanks to Stewart Wilson's The Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian service.
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Post by mumbles on Nov 8, 2006 21:46:05 GMT 12
The caption gives the impression that the original captioneer was unable to identify the G as also being a Skyhawk....  Interesting how grungy the K's look next to a fairly clean G. Well we're on the subject does anyone know out of interest: 1. When the fin flash went from straight to swept, and 2. When the radome went from just the tip being black to the whole thing being black, and why?  Arcane I know, but it is something I am idly curious about. |
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Post by planeimages on Nov 8, 2006 22:10:21 GMT 12
It looks like the radome colour change was part of the repaint during the "Project Kahu"may have been painted. Ref to the original pic, the subject of this discussion does not confirm that view.
Can't help you with the fin flash. An observation is that the ex-RAN aircraft had a swept fin flash when accepted into the RNZAF even though their colour scheme was as supplied until the Kahu upgrade.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Nov 9, 2006 11:24:34 GMT 12
Interesting how grungy the K's look next to a fairly clean G. Its called camouflage! When flying at low level and viewed from above the grey and white A-4G stood out like dogs balls compared to the A-4K.  |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Nov 9, 2006 11:34:28 GMT 12
1. When the fin flash started went from straight to swept, and 2. When the radome went from just the tip being black to the whole thing being black, and why? Both changed in the early 1980's. The nose radome was/still is made of fibreglass (so the radar can transmit through it and receive returns back). On the post Kahu radome the black colour isn't actually paint but a soft rubber type material. On the original pre Kahu aircraft the fibreglass radome was painted to match the camo of the aircraft but someone decided it would be easier to maintain if the whole thing was just painted one colour - black. At the time this made everyone think the RNZAF had fitted a new radar, which wasn't the case! |
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Post by phil on Nov 9, 2006 11:34:41 GMT 12
Re the Radome, and Don should be able to confirm this, a new Radome was fitted to cover the APG66(NZ) radar that was installed as part of Kahu.
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Post by mumbles on Nov 9, 2006 16:31:54 GMT 12
Re the Radome, and Don should be able to confirm this, a new Radome was fitted to cover the APG66(NZ) radar that was installed as part of Kahu. Understood, should have made it a bit clearer that I was referring to the pre-Kahu change! |
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Post by beagle on Nov 9, 2006 18:56:40 GMT 12
I have got images somewhere of '18' in the hangar at woodbourne with it's bent fin.
Pretty sure a whole new tail was put on from an ex Blue Angels model.
Being S&S , pretty sure the slanted fin flash was first done in around 83/84. Thenn again I was more or less an aucklander.
We found over time that painting of antennas was ok and did not interfere with the job they did.
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