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Post by planewriting on Aug 24, 2020 18:13:13 GMT 12
Considering New Zealand never ever had any DC-3's in airline service before the war, had the airline referred to their ex-No. 40 Squadron aircraft by their real designation, C-47, from 1946 the public would have called them that. So someone in the airline clearly decided they were to receive a civilianised designation, for whatever reason. They will always be Dakotas to me. I am not sure if any actual DC-3's have served in New Zealand? David, it wasn't just in New Zealand, it was a world wide trend and not some NAC employee's decision. We who follow aviation history know the bulk of them were C-47s but that is not generally known by the general public and accordingly they were marketed as DC-3s, which makes perfect sense. It's absolutely fine for us to identify them how we want but that has nothing to do with marketing a popular brand to the general public. Regards part two, NAC's ZK-BKE was actually built as a DC-3 but designated as a C-50. Ironically it did not wear the name DC-3 Skyliner because it served solely as a freight aircraft having been imported from Australia along with ZK-BKD.
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Post by ZacYates on Aug 24, 2020 21:33:06 GMT 12
NZ 1099 currently based in Hobart. Also for sale. There's one I'd love to see in person one day. Sure would be nice to see her some back.
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Post by planecrazy on Aug 24, 2020 22:09:04 GMT 12
Yeah she was nice to see up close and personal, wondering how many RNZAF Harvards had the stow-able rear canopy, can't say I have seen many pictures with the rear canopy as it is in the below image? The first and last image show this quite well in the below Platinum fighters for sale ad. www.platinumfighters.com/vhnzx
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Post by vultee43 on Aug 24, 2020 22:38:19 GMT 12
I'd love to see it stay here as it is Tasmania's only resident Warbird but it would be great to see her back over the ditch.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 24, 2020 23:19:22 GMT 12
wondering how many RNZAF Harvards had the stow-able rear canopy I have heard all the IIA's had that rear seat configuration, till their IIA* upgrade in the 1950's, but I would be interested in someone confirming this. As well as NZ1099, another that was in that configuration was NZ1082, the CAF one that's now no longer seen.
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Post by kevsmith on Aug 25, 2020 2:43:59 GMT 12
Bruce and Peter re the DC3/C47 names. The FAA Type Certification Data Sheet (TCDS) number A-669 dictates what military C41, C47, C48, C52, C53, C68 , C117 and R4 etc versions became when they were civilianised as a DC3. Hence the example given by Errol of ZK-DAK as a DC3C-S1C3G. Generally the serial number of the aircraft gives the answer as to what version it became. The suffix usually indicates the version of the engine required to be fitted. For some absorbing entertainment, down load the TCDS A-669, then try to stay awake interpreting it!!
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Post by planewriting on Aug 25, 2020 9:04:34 GMT 12
Thanks Kevin. I see you stayed awake at least till the small hours today. CAA here in NZ recorded, I think, all of them with the extended description like that for ZK-DAK. Reverting to several recent posts. SPANZ Viewmaster ZK-CAW had Wright Cyclones. Look at www.ruudleeuw.com/dc3-zkcaw-history.htm The other Viewmasters ZK-BYD and ZK-BYE were also fitted with Wright Cyclones but these were swapped for P & Ws prior to delivery to New Zealand in 1961. Similarly, NAC's ZK-BKD and ZK-BKE had Wright Cyclones and were delivered from Australia with them still fitted. Soon after, Fieldair took delivery of two P & W powered Lodestars, ZK-BJM and ZK-BMC, for topdressing. NAC gave Fieldair the four Wright Cyclones in exchange for the P & Ws. DC-3 ZK-BKE was unique in that being a true DC-3 the main (large) single door was fitted on the starboard side. We included a picture of it on 94 of the NAC book.
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Post by Bruce on Aug 25, 2020 12:48:49 GMT 12
wondering how many RNZAF Harvards had the stow-able rear canopy I have heard all the IIA's had that rear seat configuration, till their IIA* upgrade in the 1950's, but I would be interested in someone confirming this. As well as NZ1099, another that was in that configuration was NZ1082, the CAF one that's now no longer seen. NZ1099 was one I used to work on when I was at Gulf Aeronautics. As far as Canopy structure goes, all the IIAs had that provision - you can tell by the shape of the side windows on the rear canopy section. Mk IIs had a vertical frame in the middle, whereas the roll over type had the roughly triangular panel. Most seem to have been fixed in place with a couple of metal tabs to the rear fuselage coaming. The bottom corner where they pivoted over is a solid alloy casting. On aircraft with the flipover secion, there is an arm on this casting which links up with a rod underneath the canopy rail, which links it to the sliding entry section, and flips the rear section over as it slides forward. when the rear section was fixed in place, the arm section of the casting was sawn off (sometimes quite roughly). This is why the flipover sections arent very common - reconverting back to that config will require new canopy frame corner castings to reinstate the mechanism.
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Post by planecrazy on Aug 26, 2020 14:07:58 GMT 12
Enjoying the titbits on these jobs, here's a few more from the stash. Copies off prints so poor in quality, one of a few for the Thai Air Force that came through. Interesting this parachute jump ship is a Cresco 750, I was lead to believe the Cresco was a different beast to the XL 750? Can’t remember when but went to Oz and back from NZ.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 26, 2020 15:53:26 GMT 12
I did not know that the Thai Air Force had bought CT-4E's.
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Post by mit on Aug 26, 2020 16:26:24 GMT 12
I did not know that the Thai Air Force had bought CT-4E's. They brought 24 on top of the 30 CT-4A/B The Thai King was given the second prototype and only single control CT4 ever built, which was in turned given to the Thai police
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 26, 2020 16:30:57 GMT 12
Interesting, thanks.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Aug 26, 2020 20:13:59 GMT 12
Interesting this parachute jump ship is a Cresco 750, I was lead to believe the Cresco was a different beast to the XL 750? Certainly the XL750 is a different beast. Some Crescos have been modified as jump-ships. Did the pink (submarine) PAC 750XL ZK-SDT which crashed in Lake Taupo after engine failure, replace the pink Cresco ZK-JOH pictured above? www.taic.org.nz/sites/default/files/page/hero/15-001.JPG
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Post by planecrazy on Aug 27, 2020 14:17:57 GMT 12
Few more from my stash some military transports. The RAAF Caribou’s used to come through every year or maybe biannually and go to NZ for operation Target.(I’m sure it was called, happy to be corrected) They used to compete with the RNZAF Andovers and later Herc’s in a target dropping competition. Again I may be wrong I vaguely remember the Canadians’s may have competed as well? One of only two occasions I can remember a RAN HS748 visiting, I do remember she used all of the 3,000ft airstrip to get off. [/url] Some time in the 1990’s, this RAAF C130E had all it’s engines removed then refitted as a field exercise. This was early 2000’s this was the first C130J to visit and the port inner ingested a bird, end up being on the ground for over a week having an engine replaced. Her earlier model cousin flew in the replacement engine.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Aug 27, 2020 14:30:15 GMT 12
The annual Caribou/Andover exercise in NZ was called "Exercise Shorthaul" and involved tactical flying and supply dropping at various venues around NZ
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Post by starr on Aug 27, 2020 16:09:04 GMT 12
I remember the Carbous coming into Kaipara Flats. Noisy animals.
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Post by norwegianflyer on Sept 23, 2020 1:39:24 GMT 12
Thanks to a contact I find myself reporting some more sad news, the F registered Mooney that visited last November crashed a couple of days ago, thoughts with the family and friends. aviation-safety.net/wikibase/231914Here’s an oldie, 1996 Mooney sneaked in this arvo, she’s over-nighting so will try and get the drum? Only the second 'F' registered aeroplane I can remember going through in 28 years!
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Post by daqqy152 on Sept 23, 2020 12:57:51 GMT 12
Enjoying the titbits on these jobs, here's a few more from the stash. Copies off prints so poor in quality, one of a few for the Thai Air Force that came through. Interesting this parachute jump ship is a Cresco 750, I was lead to believe the Cresco was a different beast to the XL 750? Can’t remember when but went to Oz and back from NZ. John Bolton-Riley was the first to fly a microlight across the Tasman, in Skyarrow EBR and the flight was conducted in 1997
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Post by planecrazy on Oct 12, 2020 7:56:27 GMT 12
Thanks for the updates everyone, need to get myself up to speed a 172 VH IGF went through yesterday imported into NZ, sorry no photo. Been told there is a bit of a que of NZ imports in the wings so watch this space for some trans Tasman activity! Here's a couple of beauties to get the juices flowing, we actually had two of these come through in 2008 from memory? AMU I believe still resides in Australia? This one was restored in the south island and end up in the US, The pilots surname was Windsock!
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Post by planecrazy on Oct 14, 2020 18:06:16 GMT 12
Yahoo we are back with a something a little different, an Eagle 150, an unusual Australian design showed up today landed around 2.30pm local after flying for around 7.5 hours from Auckland New Zealand to Lord Howe Island. She has flaps on the canard and the main wing, can land at around 60knots, notable feature really small tailplane. As I type she is in the air on her way to Coolangatta on Australia’s east coast.
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