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Post by Bruce on Sept 13, 2010 21:56:32 GMT 12
Those are stunning pictures! The site is definitely in the area of the current terminal - the Control tower and the Aero club hangar on the far side of the field (in the first pic) provide a positive location. Airport Rd would now go through about where the photographer is standing. I'm impressed with the stack of R2800 engines and cowls - they almost look like modern wrapped hay bales! The junk in the foreground includes Ventura under wing tanks and P40 Rubber tanks and lots of the stainless steel baffles Tony found in his dump site. Note also the crane is from Jack Tidd's Fleet....
Now where did I put those time machine plans......
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Post by hairy on Sept 13, 2010 22:17:13 GMT 12
LOVING the coloured pics.  I thought that I would add my 2 cents worth of Leo White pictures from my collection, starting with ones that have been posted before (to make this a sort of unifying thread for pictures)................................ Hudsons.  NZ2032  NZ2058  NZ2068  NZ2072  NZ2090  Avenger, NZ2519  Still to come are P-40s, Venturas, Corsairs and general views.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 13, 2010 22:21:18 GMT 12
Am I right in thinking that Jack Tidd is the little old guy who gets around Cambridge on a mobility scooter, who used to have something to do with Ross Todd Motors? I know he's Mr Tidd, and have a feeling his name is Jack.
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Post by kb on Sept 13, 2010 22:23:44 GMT 12
Great photos.After lurking for a long time I have been spending time reading the very interesting threads and I have just caught up with this one. I notice that comment has been made with respect to Korea and Allison V-1710 engines. These were used in Korea on F-82G Twin Mustangs. Although Merlins were used in P-51's from the B model onwards apparently licencing difficulties caused North American to go back to Allisons for the twin model.
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Post by Bruce on Sept 13, 2010 22:30:48 GMT 12
Jack Tidd was the Trucking magnate who brought out all the US Army trucks in Caesar Roose's Landing ship Rawhiti postwar. His business and Ross Todds formed a company called TRT which my dad used to work for (It assembled cranes etc) and still operates in Te Rapa.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 13, 2010 22:40:30 GMT 12
So it must be him then. I used to see him driving round in a Tidd Ross Todd ute. He seems to be in his 80's now I'd guess.
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Post by hairy on Sept 13, 2010 23:16:09 GMT 12
P-40s  NZ3082  NZ3136  NZ3210 (notice the polished bare metal finish.)  NZ3246  NZ3253  NZ3256  NZ3259  NZ3264  PV-1s and Corsairs etc. tomorrow...................
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 13, 2010 23:29:08 GMT 12
Brilliant stuff Marcus.
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Post by classicman on Sept 14, 2010 1:14:42 GMT 12
Fantastic photos. The sight of Mt Pirongia in the background makes me a little homesick!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2010 10:33:16 GMT 12
And this was turned into ingots? Just. Plain. Madness. What amazing photographs!
So was NZ3210 the "Silver Barge", then?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 14, 2010 11:03:32 GMT 12
Zac, both NZ3110 and NZ3210 wore the silver colour scheme in WWII. We have discussed this before on the forum somewhere. NZ3110 was the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader Doug St George, CO of No. 17 Squadron, before the squadron converted to Corsairs, and he had gotten it stripped back to bare polished metal.
A lot of people don't realise that the New Zealand Government never actually owned the Corsairs, Kittyhawks, Venturas, Avengers, Dauntless and other US Lend Lease deal types. They were owned by the USA, which is why when our squadrons were equipped and trained they were taken over by the US command in the Pacific. When the war ended the NZ Govt had the option, either buy the aircraft outright (which they didn't want), give them back to the USA (which the USA didn't want), or sell them for scrap and give the money made to the USA. Hence the reason why they had to be scrapped.
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Post by damon808 on Sept 14, 2010 17:21:10 GMT 12
Hey guys, im very interested in going to have a look in the mystery creek guly. Does anybody know who to contact with regard to property access?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 14, 2010 19:32:49 GMT 12
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Post by damon808 on Sept 14, 2010 19:36:51 GMT 12
Thanks for that. This is amazing, i never even knew that planes were scraped at rukahia until recently when my father told me, what a shame they didnt slip a few intact p40's and corsair's over the side of the guly! ;D
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Post by hairy on Sept 14, 2010 20:27:50 GMT 12
Ventura time............................ PV-1 NZ4528  B-34 NZ4583  B-34 NZ4590  B-34 NZ4605  PV-1 NZ4622  PV-1 NZ4633  Corsairs next. |
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Post by fwx on Sept 14, 2010 21:12:57 GMT 12
Thanks Marcus, these photos are fantastic, and its great seeing so many together in one place - appreciate your efforts! It's amazing that someone took so much trouble to photograph individual aircraft back at a time when the general opinion was obviously that it was just a paddock full of scrapmetal. Even more amazing that so many photos have survived! I was living just down the road from this (in Matangi) as a kid, and can remember seeing them on at least one occasion. My Dad was interested in planes as well, but he's gone now, so I will never know why we didn't made the effort to go and have a proper look. If only, if only .... P.S. Corsairs, yes please!!
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Post by 43willys on Sept 14, 2010 21:17:18 GMT 12
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Post by classicman on Sept 14, 2010 21:53:24 GMT 12
And now a photo of Mt Kakepuku in the background of the middle slide above!! You really are making me homesick for the Waikato!
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Post by hairy on Sept 14, 2010 22:11:23 GMT 12
Corsairs! ;D...............................    F4U-1 NZ5286  F4U-1 NZ5296  F4U-1D NZ5469  F4U-1 NZ5501  F4U-1 NZ5511  F4U-1 NZ5531 (note bare metal finish)  F4U-1D NZ5561  FG-1D NZ5610  FG-1D NZ5623  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 14, 2010 22:43:53 GMT 12
Brilliant photos. I note someone mustn't have stirred the paint enough when remarking a few of the Corsairs as the Kiwi markings have totally washed off.
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