Andovers

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2017 21:48:50 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I wonder how the restoration is going on the ex-Whenuapai fire training Andover.

I'd forgotten about this. It'd be great to see how it's going.

[Peter Lewis]

Where is it?

[tbf2504]

I saw it a couple of weeks ago when at Whenuapai it has been shifted from where it was by the fire station to across the airfield towards Herald Island side

[Dave Homewood]

From The Press, 30th of December 1975:

Move to buy Andovers

(N.Z.P A. Staff Crspdt) SYDNEY, December 29.

Australia and New Zealand are both negotiating with Britain to buy the Andover twin turbo-prop transport aircraft made redundant by British defence cuts, the “Australian” reported today. The paper said that the R.N.Z.A.F. wants 10 Andovers for paratroops, V.I.P. transport, and coastal surveillance.

It added that the R.A.A.F. is interested in buying two of the 13 Andovers that are for sale. The Andover is a military version of the Hawker Siddeley 748 airliner, which is flown by Mount Cook Airlines. It differs from the 748 mainly in that it has a ramp at the rear which can be lowered to the ground to admit trucks and other vehicles. The Andover can carry 44 troops or 6800 kg of freight.

[Dave Homewood]

From The Press, 31st of December 1975:

Replacement planes sought

(N.Z. Press Association,) WELLINGTON. December 30.

The Ministry of Defence is seeking a twin-engine, medium-range aircraft capable of being converted from passenger to freight carriage to replace its ageing Bristol and Dakota fleets. As part of the Ministry’s investigation into possible replacement aircraft, a small team of Royal New Zealand Air Force officers would travel to Britain early in the New Year to examine the British-made Andover C1 plane, a spokesman said today.

The R.N.Z.A.F. has in use about nine Bristol Freighters and six DC3s. No commitment to buy the Andovers had been made, although the Royal Air Force had a number of them which were surplus to its requirements. These were being offered to the R.N.Z.A.F. as potential replacements for the Bristols and Dakotas. Discussions about the prospective purchase of the Andovers took place earlier this year between the New Zealand and British Defence! Ministries. The Labour Government authorised the R.N.Z.A.F. to investigate all potential replacement planes. Other aircraft which are considered by air authorities as potential replacements include the F 27 Friendship — similar to the aircraft flown by the National Airways Corporation — and the B.A.C 111 and Douglas DC9.

The Andover aircraft is in appearance similar to the Avro 748 flown by Mount Cook Airlines but is understood to have more powerful engines and a higher cruising speed. It has "clam shell'’ rear doors for cargo loading and unloading, similar to that of the Hercules planes now used by the R.N.Z.A.F. Should the decision be made in favour of the Andover, the cost of replacing the Bristols and Dakotas might be less than if the pure jet Fokker, the B.A.C. 111 or Douglas DC9 were chosen. But the jet planes are more modern, and might be expected to have a longer life span than the Andovers.

Should the R.N.Z.A.F. decide in favour of the jets, its purchases might also be limited in numbers by a Government desire to hold down its overseas expenditure in the next 12 to 18 months. British sources say that it is believed that two of the new aircraft chosen would be used for V.I.P. purposes, replacing DC3s used is for this. The Andover, a multi-purpose, short-range transport, can take off and land on airstrips only 900 ft long, and can carry’ 44 troops, or seven tonnes of freight. When used for parachuting, it carries 26 parachutists and two dispatchers.

The Andover could also be used for coastal surveillance.

[Dave Homewood]

From The Press, 14 January 1976

Ten planes for $10m considered ‘snip’

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, January 13.

The R.N.Z.A.F. has a team in Britain investigating the prospects for buying 10 Andover aircraft, an all-purpose military transport aeroplane, from the R.A.F. If the deal is approved, the aircraft are expected to cost between $800,000 and $1 million each.

The evaluation team, led by Group Captain I. M. Gillard, left for London last week and is at present inspecting the aircraft, offered by the R.A.F. There is no commitment from the Government to buy all or any of the aircraft, but it is believed that the R.N.Z.A.F. has authority to negotiate subject to final Government approval.

The 10 aircraft have been described as “half-alive” or “used” Andovers, but as they have no definite life-span before metal fatigue they will be operationally as good as new after servicing and overhauls. The Andover is in most respects an ideal aircraft for the R.N.Z.A.F. It can carry passengers, freight, and paratroops, is suitable for casualty evacuation, its weather radar mode gives it search and rescue capacity, and it would be suitable for V.I.P. transport.

"Half-life”
Andovers have an international value at present of between $US500,000 and $US800,000, and it is unlikely that any of the 10 would cost more than $1m after any work needed, as well as the cost of flying them out. They were manufactured by Hawker Siddeley's Avro Whitworth division between 1964 and 1967 and went into squadron service with the R.A.F. in the mid-1960s.

Their individual cost will depend on their individual state of repair. At less than $1m they might well be considered a “snip” if the R.N.Z.A.F. buys them. Two new planes of roughly similar specifications are available internationally — the De Havilland Canada Buffalo and the Air Italia G 222. The fly-away cost of the Buffaloes would be $45m, with a further $10m-$15m required for support costs.

It is believed that if the R.N.Z.A.F. buys the Andovers, they will replace six DC3s and nine Bristol Freighters at present in service. The Andover C1 was first conceived in 1961, when the R.A.F.’s planners needed a replacement for the ageing Valetta and Hastings shortrange transports working in deep jungle during the Malaysian-Indonesian confrontation.

The Andover was a derivative of the commercial HS 748 and the first of the twin turbo-prop aircraft was commissioned in February, 1965, fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart 12 engines. Extensive wind tunnel tests were needed to evolve its rear fuselage because, as a rear-loader, it was subject to high tail-drag.

[tbf2504]

Hi Dave,
very interesting and the cost was a "Steal". Sir Richard Bolt told me when I interviewed him for the air force museum audio archives, that he considered it one of the highlights of his career securing that deal with CAS RAF
2. A group of us from the AHSNZ are collecting and collating material for an indepth series of articles on the Andover in RNZAF service for the TAH

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, definitely a real bargain, the RAF and the British Government of the time did the RNZAF a huge favour. Amazing the comparison with the cost of the Buffalo. The Andover was a great asset in my opinion. The RNZAF lost a lot of its capability when that fleet retired.

[Dave Homewood]

Ten Andovers to be bought for $l3m

PA Wellington

The Government has approved the purchase of 10 Andover aircraft from Britain at a cost of $13 million. They will replace the ageing Bristol Freighters and Dakotas which have been the mainstay of the Air Force’s medium-range transport fleet since World War II. The Minister of Defence (Mr McCready) said yesterday that the Andovers represented a unique opportunity for New Zealand to replace long-serving aircraft. The nine Bristol Freighters and six Dakotas which the Andovers will replace and which will be declared for disposal in the next 12 months were becoming uneconomic to maintain, said the Minister.

The first of the aircraft will probably arrive in about six months. Air and ground crews will be trained in Britain before ferrying the aircraft to New Zealand.

Mr McCready said the Andovers were among aircraft surplus to the requirements of the Royal Air Force. With the new aircraft the Air Force would be able to carry more passengers and freight over longer distances and at less cost than with the Dakotas, in service since 1943, and the Bristols, bought in 1951.

The Andover, said the Minister, because it was equipped with suitable radar, would be a valuable asset to the country in the resources protection role. Its use for such tasks as fishery patrols would give the country additional surveillance capacity at a lower cost than that provided by the more sophisticated Orions.

Mr McCready said the aircraft would be used extensively in safeguarding New Zealand’s zone of interest in the event of an expansion to 200 miles.

Although the Andover had been in service for nine years with the Royal Air Force, construction of the airframe was such that it had no finite life span. In terms of hours flown the aircraft chosen for the R.N.Z.A.F. were all relatively young, and at the present rate of operations New Zealand could look forward to many years of service from them.

Their performance, in terms of New Zealand’s requirements, was generally better than that of comparable new aircraft. The Andover is a military version of the highly successful Hawker Siddeley 748 already in use in New Zealand. It is powered by a Rolls-Royce Dart engine similar to that used both by Mount Cook Airlines and in the Friendship fleet of N.A.C.

Mr McCready said servicing and overhaul facilities for the engine were already well established in New Zealand and the same facilities would be used for the maintenance of the Andover engines. Comparable new aircraft, on a conservative estimate, would cost at least four times more than the Andovers, said Mr McCready.

The purchase price includes spares and other equipment, and under a credit arrangement payment will be spread over the next five years.

PRESS, 28 JUNE 1976

[Dave Homewood]

A good bargain in aircraft

Some critics of economies the Government has imposed in recent months have demanded to know why the country’s armed forces have been spared the economic axe. These critics are not likely to have been pleased to learn that the Government has approved the spending of $13 million to buyv 10 aircraft from Britain for the R.N.Z.A.F.

But cavilling at the spending of that sum, over five years under the arrangement for credit, would be foolish. A good deal was made and the servicing and overhauling of the aircraft and their engines will be assisted because civilian versions of the aircraft are already employed in New Zealand. Apart from their military role, the vehicles, equipment, and trained members of the armed forces serve many civilian purposes.

No-one who has seen the difference made to search and rescue operations by the Air Force’s Iroquois helicopters could seriously begrudge the money spent on them. The Andover aircraft should prove particularly useful for airborne surveillance of the country’s territorial waters. They will be particularly useful if, as is almost certain, the zone for New Zealand’s management of its surrounding ocean is extended.

Although the aircraft were bought cheaply, the armed forces have not been required to settle for inferior machines. Alternative aircraft were considered. including pure jets. More up-to-date aircraft would have had a somewhat longer life, but their cost would have been forbidding; so much so that the Air Force might have had to make do for considerably longer with its ageing Dakotas and Bristol Freighters. The Andovers appear to be quite adequate for New Zealand’s purposes and, at the price, a bargain which it would have been most unwise to pass up, even in times of financial stringency.

PRESS, 2 JULY 1976

[Dave Homewood]

First Andover arrives

PA Wellington The first of the R.N.Z.A.F. new Andover aircraft have arrived at Whenuapai, and was met by the Minister of Defence (Mr McCready). The service has bought 10 Andovers, a military version of the HS748 run by Mount Cook Airlines. These will replace the old Bristol freighters, carry out maritime coastal patrolling, and will also be used for V.I.P. work. The aircraft which arrived will fly to Woodbourne today, where engineers will measure it for V.I.P. conversion.

PRESS, 15 DECEMBER 1976

[camtech]

Can't recall NZ7624 going to Woodbourne the day after arrival - George Oldfield and crew would have been on crew rest. NZ7624 and NZ7628 flew to Woodbourne early March, '24 to SAFE and '28 to 1RD for VIP upgrade.

[Dave Homewood]

V.I.P. Andover ready

PA Auckland

The first of two Andover aircraft has been fully refurbished and is ready for use in carrying important visitors and local dignataries in New Zealand. “Royal New Zealand Air Force people at Woodbourne have done a magnificent job on the plane,” said the Minister of Defence (Mr McCready) in Auckland.

It had three cabins, one of which would accommodate eight passengers, and the others two passengers each.

“I can pick up a telephone while flying in the plane and speak to my office in Wellington.”

Bookings have been made already for the new Governor-General (Sir Keith Holyoake) to use the plane, which replaces the old DC3 V.I.P. aircraft.

Mr McCready said he still took strong exception to the remark of the chief executive of N.A.C. (Mr D. A. Patterson) that the R.N.Z.A.F. had not been allowed to take part in the recent aviation exhibition at Hamilton, except for a “clapped-out old Andover.” The reference was sure to do more harm to recruitment and retention of R.N.Z.A.F. people than nonparticipation in the flying display. Mr Patterson was well aware that the 10 Andover aircraft bought from the Royal Air Force were well preserved and had been little used.

They were the military version of the Hawker Siddeley 748 which was flying in many countries.

The aviation field days committee had used every means at its disposal to press its case for R.N.Z.A.F. participation. It had caused many representations to be made by prominent persons and organisations. Every one of them, including Mr Patterson, had been given a full reply. In Mr Patterson’s case, the Minister had seen him with the Chief of Air Staff present.


PRESS, 14 NOVEMBER 1977

[delticman]

Aug 27, 2022 16:27:59 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

V.I.P. Andover ready

PA Auckland

The first of two Andover aircraft has been fully refurbished and is ready for use in carrying important visitors and local dignataries in New Zealand. “Royal New Zealand Air Force people at Woodbourne have done a magnificent job on the plane,” said the Minister of Defence (Mr McCready) in Auckland.

It had three cabins, one of which would accommodate eight passengers, and the others two passengers each.

“I can pick up a telephone while flying in the plane and speak to my office in Wellington.”

Bookings have been made already for the new Governor-General (Sir Keith Holyoake) to use the plane, which replaces the old DC3 V.I.P. aircraft.

Mr McCready said he still took strong exception to the remark of the chief executive of N.A.C. (Mr D. A. Patterson) that the R.N.Z.A.F. had not been allowed to take part in the recent aviation exhibition at Hamilton, except for a “clapped-out old Andover.” The reference was sure to do more harm to recruitment and retention of R.N.Z.A.F. people than nonparticipation in the flying display. Mr Patterson was well aware that the 10 Andover aircraft bought from the Royal Air Force were well preserved and had been little used.

They were the military version of the Hawker Siddeley 748 which was flying in many countries.

The aviation field days committee had used every means at its disposal to press its case for R.N.Z.A.F. participation. It had caused many representations to be made by prominent persons and organisations. Every one of them, including Mr Patterson, had been given a full reply. In Mr Patterson’s case, the Minister had seen him with the Chief of Air Staff present.

Aviation Field Days +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now on that day, it was wet in the morning at Hamilton and in the covered exhibition building, I was talking to my friend, the late Norman Eastaff at the NZ Aerospace display when this Landrover bowled in the door and a little guy got out, it was Keith Holyoake, he shook my hand and asked, "What have we here?" I introduced him to Norman. After he had gone, I said one thing, "You can say you have shaken the hand of the man shook the hand of the President." (Johnston).

[tbf2504]

Minister McCready was a bit a head of himself when he first told reporters about the "ET phone home facility" While the handset was in place, the HF radio system was not connected and the ground radio station facilities to do a phone
patch were still being configured. However, it made a good story for a politician!

[Dave Homewood]

Andover NZ7621 has shifted hangars at Wigram. They have put the following post on the Air Force Museum of New Zealand's Facebook page:

WATCH // Andover on the move
As some of you may recall, our Andover, one of the largest aircraft in our collection, sat outside for many years after its delivery to the Museum in 1996. As a result, it requires some attention from our technical conservation team. After more than 15 years in our collection storage hangars, NZ7621 was moved into the reserve collection area in the Thérèse Angelo Wing last week.

Andover NZ7621 is a very rare aircraft, being the sole surviving RNZAF example and the only military transport configured example in preservation anywhere in the world. Having it closer to the conservation workshop and in a much kinder environment means our team can begin to address some of the problems caused by its exposure to the elements. This means that visitors on our Daily Tours may get the opportunity to see ‘conservation in action’ as our technical staff and volunteers begin to work on various parts of the aircraft in situ.

Due to the need to stabilise it and prevent further deterioration, unfortunately it won’t be available to walk through as it has in the past (although we do now have the Bristol Freighter walk-through experience as part of the Daily Tour). Our Visitor Experience team is also investigating new immersive experience options for education and public programmes groups.

[gibbo]

Good to see NZ7621 getting some TLC. Begs the question does the AF Museum have inside space to put the C130-H(NZ) & P3K2 when both descend upon them in the near future!?! I reckon a 'Lockheed Hangar' would be perfect, getting LM to provide some sponsorship to offset cost. Put the C130-H(NZ) & P3K2 + Hudson in there... the latter did after all perform both transport & maritime patrol! Anyway dreams are free...

[l29]

That's why there is another expansion planned

[Dave Homewood]

Gibbo, the plans are well in hand for the new hangar to house the bigger aircraft including the two arriving soon. Funding it in these lean times is going to be the uphill battle.

[gibbo]

Dec 13, 2022 22:13:31 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Gibbo, the plans are well in hand for the new hangar to house the bigger aircraft including the two arriving soon. Funding it in these lean times is going to be the uphill battle.

So there is a plan?...awesome, good to hear, doesn't need to be in place day #1 .  Wonder if they had ever considered asking Lockheed Martin for a contribution... naming rights perhaps...lol!  Anyway such ideas are best left to the experts eh