Some Photos From My Stash

[shorty]

Now that the dust has settled I have restored the coloured shot of the Beaver on the Tasman Glacier that came from the RNZAF Museum vis kiwibeaver's web site.
With regards to my photos that I have posted here they are available for anyone (except Graeme Mills) to use for non commercial purposes but please credit them to N J Mines. My thoughts are that this is the best way to save photos is to spread them around. That way when I die the photos won't die with me.
Now on to that grand old lady, the Hastings. First shot is a RNZAF Museum photo of 41 Squadron flying one over the Whenuapai environs.
Document by Neville Mines, on Flickr
The next shot is one I took at Whenuapai in the mid 60s with a Pan Am DC 7C in the foreground.
Document (2) by Neville Mines, on Flickr
And finally (and possibly a RNZAF Photo)we have the last landing of the last Hastings ever built. 04 at Darwin on 10.9.55 after hitting a flock of birds on take off. I've heard two stories of this event, one is that the birds clogged the air intakes and the other is that they set off the inertia switches which shut down the engines.
Note that it is in 40 Sqdn markings as opposed to the earlier shot where it has 41 Sqdn titles.
NZ 5804 Darwin 10.9.55 by Neville Mines, on Flickr

[alanw]

I know this might earn me the proverbial/figurative smack up the
side of the head because I have lived there ;D

But for the life of me I cannot work out where that part of
Hobby is with the Fairey III photo?

A question (Valid one) those float type thing under the wings
any ideas?

Shorty thanks for the comment/permission to use your
photos as per your request

Regards

Alan

[skyhawkdon]

Sept 30, 2008 16:00:03 GMT 12 alanw said:

But for the life of me I cannot work out where that part of Hobby is with the Fairey III photo?

Here is a shot of the Hobby water tower(s) taken in 1985. The taller tower is the one in Shorty's photo I think? The building behind is the old Base Institute/Sunderland Lounge I think?

[Dave Homewood]

Alan, that little hangar on the left behind the IIIF became the Gym, does that help?

As for the pods under the wings, that's a very good question. I wonder if they are luggage pods.

Yes, thanks Shorty re the use of the photos.

That Tomtit article is really intriguing, when was that published, and does anyone know if anything came of it? Even if small parts were found that's something.

Wouldn't it be great if it were found in a barn?

That first Hastings shot is a classic too.

[shorty]

I wonder if those "pods" are flotation gear. Need to hunt further when I can access my references. They appear in other photos but never on the float equipped ones.

[Dave Homewood]

Possibly Shorty. The Baffin was the first type into RNZAF service fitted with inflatable flotation gear, so maybe these little pods were the predecessors? The only thing I've ever read in depth about the IIIF was Stan Quill's excellent article published in Wings just after he died, about flying the type prewar.

[alanw]

This Evening Dave wrote

Alan, that little hangar on the left behind the IIIF became the Gym, does that help?

Thanks Dave, now I know where it is ;D

It would be interesting to find about about the pods, would like
to do a Fairey IIIF one day, (would like to have all Seaplanes/
flying boats that served at HobbY)
Thanks

Alan

[shorty]

Dave, referring to the question about Tomtit "11", it is indeed NZ 52, if you go to your posting at rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=Wartime&action=display&thread=1413 you will see it in the shot of the TTS (Photo 4) and both marks are clearly visible.

[Dave Homewood]

Shorty, I guess that scuppers my hopes that it was taken during its 1938 service, this must have been when it was an instructional airframe later. Blast. Thanks though.

[lumpy]

Shorty , on page 24 of this thread you make brief mention of a mr Ruffell wrecking a Mossie for its engines to put in his boat . Was talking today to a guy that worked on Tru-gen , and it seems they MAY never have used them . He says they owned two " Packhard Merlins " and one Allison . Seems the Merlins have the main air intake to the blower on the bottom , which makes them a real mission to fit in a boat . By comparrison the Allison is on top ,and so , much easier to fit , which is what they did . He thinks the Allison was probabally from a p40 . Was a long time ago , but thats how he recalls it .

[shorty]

Thanks for that Lumpy, when I get around to scanning my slides I'll post oiccies of what I found of the Mossie (and the Oxford).

Now for some more shots, this time of a type that is a bit overlooked.
These were taken outside 42's hangar at Ohakea in the early 70's
NZ 3903 by Neville Mines, on Flickr
NZ 3903a by Neville Mines, on Flickr
NZ 3903b by Neville Mines, on Flickr

[Dave Homewood]

Nice to see a Wasp, that type is a somewhat under-rated and almost forgotten type in RNZAF service.

Are you up to the W's already or was this set of photos out of order?

[fletcherfu24]

Can't be up to W...hasn't done F...for Fletcher yet.....

[shorty]

Nah, had it under H for Helicopters (there not proper planes see)
Had a Fletcher buzzing around here all week, there's one up here with Cheviot Ag Air (plus a Agwagon)

[flyjoe180]

I like the Wasp, I used to watch them at Hobsonville when I was an ATC cadet.

[nzompilot]

It really is a small world......
Had another look at the wasp pics and realised I know the guy on the right in the middle pic quite well- popped a copy thru to him and his wife confirmed it was him. He's my second Dad - they looked out for me when I was going thru a rough patch in my teens

[Dave Homewood]

The guy in the first picture looks like Peter Sellers.

[nzompilot]

Well the person I mentioned in the second photo agress it looks like him, he doesn't remember the event but he certainly remembers you Shorty, apparently you worked on Vampires and possibly Daks together.

[shorty]

I don't recall him (from the photo) and I pretty much steered clear of Vampires, I was on Canberras with 14 then to hangar servicing on A4s and then the skin bay. Mind you there were three Shorties at ASF, the other two were a S & S and a tweet, so he may be thinking of one of those.
Want to drop me a pm with a name?

[14liney]

Oct 6, 2008 20:42:15 GMT 12 shorty said:

Nah, had it under H for Helicopters (there not proper planes see)

Hey!!! Careful with the bad language there