Air Combat Force items at Wigram.

[corsair67]

Took a few snaps of some of the exhibits in the Air Combat Force display at the RNZAF Museum, Wigram for those of you who haven't had a chance to see it.


Murray Abel Trophy - last holder - Flt Lt Phil Barnes!






Nose cover from a Mosquito.

[phil]

So that's where our maverick load trainer went to. It used to live in the armament joe room at Ohakea and was very useful for recruiting.

Never mind that it would still be very useful for recruiting as we are using them again on the Sprites.

Some people just get carried away with donating things.

I wonder whos armament overalls they are, I can just make out the red on the nametag!

They've done something pretty random with the straps on that escapac?

[corsair67]

Phil, I just checked my other photos, but I didn't get a clear shot of the overalls. From memory they didn't have a real name on them, just a nickname of some sort.

Next time I'm in Christchurch I'll see if I can sneak the Maverick load trainer out of the museum for you. ;D

[Dave Homewood]

I reckon it's quite a good display, and must be popular as its still there after how many years in the 'temporary' display room.

The ejection seat is one that people can sit on and strap themselves into, so maybe the public have messed up the straps.

I wonder if that Mosquito nose cap flew with that emblem on, or if it was added after retirement for display purposes in a Joe Room?

[phil82]

Flt Lt Murray Able "Mable", was one of the first A4 pilots, and trained on them in the US, but sadly died one day at Ohakea as a result of an air embolism. A super guy!

RIP Mabe

[FlyNavy]

Do you know if the 'air embolism' was caused directly by flying in a Skyhawk - if that connection can be made OR if the cause was known to be something else? What was the year if known please. Thanks for any details you might have. (I guess the event happened when the pilot was on the ground.)
Phil.

[phil82]

I don't recall it having anything to do with his flying at all; he always passed fit, and he was fit, playing a number of sports including squash. He collapsed and died one morning in the Mess, just after breakfast. It would have been 1972. He had no previous indications, but I gather that would be true of an air embolism in that time.

[FlyNavy]

Thanks for the info. Often 'flying medical' fit fast jet pilots die from sudden catastrophic heart attacks when posted to desk duty. A lot of research has gone into why this happens. Don't know result.

[phil82]

I know of one very well-known A4 pilot who lost his medical as a result of some pretty serious injuries sustained in a car accident which killed two other people, and he not only regained flight status, but went to Medical School at Otago and qualified as Dr.

No names you lot!

[corsair67]

I'd say making the transition from flying around all day at 600kts to suddenly being locked in an office behind a desk would be enough to induce a heart attack in most ex-pilots.

[Craig Sargent]

The Mosquito "nose cap" - not sure what part of the nose it comes from. The nose cap is in the photo above that

[Dave Homewood]

Hey that's a very good point Talon. Well spotted.

[corsair67]

Could it be off a trainer? The trainers didn't have nose guns, did they?

I'm sure the sign underneath it said it was a nose cap, but I could be wrong of course.

[Bruce]

I think it is one of the acess panels somewhere near the access door - It is flat and has Dzus fasteners, whereas the nose is obviously convex. A mate of mine has recently started working at Mosquito Aircraft restorations - I'll see if he can find out where abouts it would go.

[flyjoe180]

In scale proportions to the panel on which it is mounted (the size of the stripes etc), it appears very small. If you take a look at the nose of NZ2328 from this picture (from Phil Treweek's site), you can see a small panel (nose cap) on the very front of the nose with a corresponding number of screws or fasteners.



Question is, is this the correct size for that panel? I think it might be given the size of the stripes on the panel upon which it is mounted.