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Post by shorty on Nov 4, 2011 14:32:44 GMT 12
What's going on with the fuselages on the trucks? Disposal or repair? They look like WWII colour schemes so must be repair? and where is that hangar and what does the WE on the trucks signify? |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 4, 2011 15:34:51 GMT 12
Would WE mean Weedons? I don't know if they ever had those round hangars there though.
Masterton maybe? Rukuhia? hmm.
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 4, 2011 15:42:08 GMT 12
NZ996 22-Aug 1944 Delta Landed undercarriage up
NZ996 11-Sep 1944 Omaka Damaged in air
NZ996 9-Apr 1945 Nelson Precautionary landing
Given the history of one of those aircraft my money would be on Delta.
The WE could mean Woodbourne something.
Perhaps it was a common occurrence, - 'Wide Empennage...".
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Post by shorty on Nov 4, 2011 18:13:45 GMT 12
I thought that there were no hangars (or even a landing strip) at Delta
Fairhall had that sort of hangar and it is a fairly shonky looking trailer under the rear aircraft and maybe the trailer would make it across the airfeld to Woodbourne but surely for that kind of exercise you would tow them on their own wheels so Fairhall doesn't look likely.
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 4, 2011 19:04:15 GMT 12
It is all before my time also. I looked at the hills and what I took to be a river and then noticed the condition of the trailers. The load is not tied down for a long distance so I figured they were just going a few miles down the road. www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20Blenheim.htmThey mentioned the wheels up was at Delta so I assumed it was correct... checking Dave's post above I guessed it did all seem to fall into place. I could really do with a hangar like that now... honestly. |
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Post by lumpy on Nov 4, 2011 19:37:04 GMT 12
What's going on with the fuselages on the trucks? Disposal or repair? Given that they are both listed as "Declared surplus on SR416/58 and sold by GSB tender number 7078 to Bennett Aviation Ltd " , I would say disposal would be a good guess ( but its only a guess )  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 4, 2011 19:40:54 GMT 12
Another alternative is they are in storage and happen to be being shifted form one hangar or site to another.
Or maybe they are off to town for a Bonds display, or an ATC rally, or something.
Could WE stand for Werereoa?
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Post by NZ1009 on Nov 5, 2011 12:19:36 GMT 12
When I looked at the photo of NZ960 & NZ996 I first thought maybe it was at Ashburton. this was based on hills in the distance, the bend in the road and the fact that I knew Harvards had been stored there. However, as the following text (source unknown) states, only Mk IIAs were stored there. With the sudden end of the war in August 1945 the operational side of the RNZAF largely ground to a halt and the hundreds of aircraft then in service were withdrawn from use and stored at locations throughout the country. Of the surviving 150 or so Harvards, all of the Mk II's and a large number of the Mk III's were stored at Wigram, while the IIA's went into storage at Ashburton, which had latterly been the home of No 2 EFTS. When flying training got underway again in 1949 and with the establishment of the Compulsory Military Training scheme, Mk Ill Harvards were taken out of storage at Wigram and sent to Woodbourne, by now the RNZAF's main repair depot, for overhaul and re-issue to Wigram. The four 'l'erritorial Air Force squadrons had been formed at this time, also, and they were issued with Mk IIA's from Ashburton. From about 1953 the Mk III's were again withdrawn from service at the Flying Training School at Wigram and their place taken with Mk IIA's overhauled to IIA* standard. Some of these ex-Wigram Mk III's later saw service with the TAF squadrons following the withdrawal of their Mustangs in late 1955. But when the Territorial Air Force was disbanded in mid-1957 all of the Harvard Ill's were sent to Woodbourne for overhaul and they were issued to Wigram while the Mk IIA*'s went back into storage, except for a few kept as station hacks or with No 42 Sqn at Ohakea. The Mk II's which had gone into storage at Wigram at the end of the war were not flown again (with the exception for a short period of NZ1004); some were issued to technical training schools as instructional airframes and in 1959, 59 survivors of the original 105 plus two IIB's were sold to Bennett Aviation at Te Kuiti for scrap. The following picture showing NZ960 tucked up in a hangar at Wigram would tend to confirm the notes above.  The picture of NZ987 looks as if it was taken close to Woodbourne Airfield (under the nose of 987). |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 6, 2011 21:38:13 GMT 12
After 34 pages we may well have exhausted the RNZAF Harvard resource, so I'll now post photos of those that went on to a civil life in NZ. NZ1082 after serving as INST175 was allotted ZK-ELN while undergoing work with the Confederate Air Force, Dairy Flat. ZK-ELN in the CAF workshops In the event, it did not fly as such, moving on to becoming ZK-USM by the time of it's first civil flight 3May1997 As ZK-USM at Pauanui 2000 NZ1037 went into civil life as ZK-ENA in 1978 At Omaka April 2007 as did NZ1076, becoming ZK-ENB At Omaka April 2007 NZ1091 went to Tauranga to become ZK-ENC Pauanui October 2010 |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 7, 2011 19:51:12 GMT 12
Harvard NZ1096 went to Tauranga as ZK-END in 1978, and has lived there ever since ZK-END visiting Ardmore 2004 NZ1066 became ZK-ENE, and has moved around. Initially based at Ardmore, it moved south in 1994 and now sports a US colour scheme as 'NAVY 66' At Ardmore December 1978, soon after going civil NZ1065 went to Tauranga as ZK-ENF, then moved to Ardmore in 1984 Getting airborne at Ardmore September 2008
 NZ1078 became ZK-ENG at Blenheim, then moved north in 1982.
Taxiing at Whenuapai November 2010 |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 7, 2011 20:42:23 GMT 12
Great photos there Peter. I had forgotten that ZK-USM was in US Marine Corps colours and always imagined it was US Navy. Cool.
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Post by Damon on Nov 7, 2011 20:56:55 GMT 12
One of the CAF guys told me that some parts of USM were actually SNJ components.Possible I guess .Perhaps we got some surplus items during or after the war.I think I was a little sceptical at the time.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 7, 2011 21:18:52 GMT 12
Maybe purchased during the restoration of course. The CAF network is huge.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 8, 2011 19:53:17 GMT 12
NZ1061 was purchased directly from the GSB by an Australian buyer, and was registered to him as ZK-ENH in August 1978 to permit preparation for export as VH-PEM
ZK-ENH at Ardmore September 1978
 NZ1075 became ZK-ENI in 1978 based in Auckland. Sold to an Australian buyer in 1981, it departed in 1982 to become VH-HVD
ZK-ENI at Ardmore September 1978
 NZ1098 became ZK-ENJ and has been based in Auckland for all of its civil life At Ardmore March 2010 Painted up in pseudo-Japanese colours for a movie promotion, Ardmore April 2010 NZ1099 metamorphosed into ZK-ENK, which was Auckland-based from 1978 to late 2003. It then departed to Australia and became VH-NZX ZK-ENK at Ardmore November 1978 Repainted into French colours at Omaka 2003 |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 8, 2011 20:34:03 GMT 12
Great stuff. I love that Japanese scheme from the promotion of The Pacific.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 9, 2011 17:13:52 GMT 12
NZ1056 was another Harvard that was bought from the GSB by Airferry International with the intention of resale overseas. It became ZK-ENL in October 1978, and flew away to Australia on 12May1979 to become VH-NAH ZK-ENL at Ardmore April 1979 in ferry markings The next Airferry Harvard was NZ1085 which became ZK-ENM and left NZ on the same date as ZK-ENL. It became VH-SNJ and later joined the Zuccoli collection ZK-ENM at Ardmore April 1979 NZ1025 was a Harvard IIa and became ZK-ENN initially at Pleasant Point. It moved to Auckland in 1987 and crashed after mid-air collision with Harvard ZK-ENE over Ardmore 25Feb90. Pilot John Greenstreet. ZK-ENN at Ardmore 1989 NZ1053 was sold @ 1600hrs in June 1978 to Don Subritzky & Ken Jacobs, Auckland and stored. Restored under the ownership of Jim Pavitt it is now active at Ardmore as ZK-JJA
ZK-JJA at Ohakea March 2008 |
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Post by Damon on Nov 9, 2011 19:43:34 GMT 12
Great to see those pictures Peter, Harvard 25 looks good .Thank you.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 10, 2011 14:23:18 GMT 12
Thanks for the response.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 10, 2011 17:10:31 GMT 12
The next civil conversion was Harvard IIa NZ1052. This was sold incomplete in 1978 to MoTAT in Auckland. Passed on to Phil Burns and later to Mike Nicholls, it was rebuilt to airworthy and I flew again in July 1992. As ZK-MJN it is based at Ardmore ZK-MJN at Ardmore 19May2007 NZ1040 was similarly sold incomplete. There was an intention to rebuild it in Christchurch for the Confederate Air Force, so the registration ZK-REB was reserved. The rebuild was not completed in New Zealand, and the project was sold into Australia where it eventually flew as VH-XXH in 2001
ZK-REB in the CAF workshops 1994 NZ1033 had last flown in October 1957, and was sold in 1978 to the SVAS. After restoration work, it flew again on 5Sep1982 as ZK-SGQ (in honour of Stan Quill) and has remained based at Masterton ZK-SGQ at Hood airfield 2002. 'SGQ' in yellow is just visible under the tailplane NZ1057 was sold by the GSB in 1978 and became a static display item at the Silverstream Museum. Passing to Auckland-based ownership, it was then restored to flying condition. It's first civil flight as ZK-TVI was at Rotorua on 23Dec1997. At Ohakea March 2008 ZK-TVI in pseudo-Japanese colours for film promotion work, Ardmore 12Apr2010 |
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Post by baz62 on Nov 11, 2011 18:21:00 GMT 12
Sad seeing 1040 again knowing all the work put into her (eh Shorty.) Love to see her one day and check out my rivetting on the rear fuse! ;D
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