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Post by Mark Griffin on May 18, 2014 14:17:43 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2014 14:24:22 GMT 12
Nice!
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Post by baz62 on May 18, 2014 14:36:50 GMT 12
Can't say i noticed this before but she has the mountings for the drop tanks. Has she always had them, is there plans to fit them giving a bit more range when needed?
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Post by Ian Warren on May 18, 2014 15:09:16 GMT 12
Wigram 1985, the mountings riveted and glued   |
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Post by baz62 on May 18, 2014 17:26:10 GMT 12
Thanks Ian, wow couple of mysteries solved in one day, the Forum is working well!
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Post by Radialicious on May 19, 2014 2:14:34 GMT 12
When ZK-TAF started flying in NZ in the summer of 1984-85, she had a fairly useful suite of avionics that allowed her operation under Single Pilot IFR. I doubt that she was operated under those rules very often but there is evidence of that ability if you look closely at her. In the fin flash is a pair of VOR antenna, amongst the undercarriage are a couple of VHF blades and a pitot tube/pressure head hangs from either wing.
By fluke, I was at Wigram visiting Dad at Tech Wing when the container arrived and I spent as much time as I could at at Wigram from then until she flew for the first time. Dakota NZ3551 was the first aeroplane I ever flew in but NZ2415 was the first aeroplane that I 'cared about'. It's a tribute to her owners, pilots and maintainers, that she has operated for so long without incident.
It certainly was nice in the days after Easter, that she was seen several times in the skies over Christchurch.
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Post by baz62 on May 19, 2014 12:52:04 GMT 12
Thats neat Al getting to fly in NZ3551. Was that when you were just a nipper? I was working for Bob McGarry in 1984 and he told me to nip down to Wigram and check out the Mustang. She was in the Tech Squadron hangar, on jacks having all her connections all ummmm connected.
I was lucky to meet Ray Mulqueen there who must have noticed the drooling young chap peering in the hangar. When I told him I was putting an Auster back in the air he treated it as though it was a Spitfire or something I owned! Very nice chap.
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Post by flyjoe180 on May 19, 2014 16:00:57 GMT 12
Great photos Mark
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 19, 2014 19:06:51 GMT 12
It was Technical Squadron, Baz, known as Tech Squadron. Only the bigger bases, Whenuapai and Ohakea, had Technical Wings. Yes, Ray is a great chap.
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Post by Mark Griffin on May 19, 2014 19:27:15 GMT 12
Has the aircraft only had one color scheme? I have only personally seen two pilots fly her, Trevor Bland and Graham Bethell, Trevor being the more aggressive and of the two when he was flying years ago but that being said is just my opinion, Are other rated to fly her?
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 20, 2014 9:47:44 GMT 12
It has only had this colour scheme permanently in New Zealand although it had a full repaint to spruce it up a few years back. It also wore a temporary colour scheme for a few weeks in 1992 for the Tiger Beer commercial in overall yellow, with blue and white striped tail fin, and big tigers on the roundel points and TIG8 markings.
It's also been in a couple of temporary markings for Omaka airshows, the RAF Mustang IV "Dooleybird", and at least one USAAF scheme.
As well as Trevor and Graham, other pilots who've flown it at public displays or for rides include Brett Emeny and John Denton. John flew it during the Tiger Beer advert filming too, and he used to do the wonderful tailchase display with Trevor Bland in the Venom.
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Post by Ian Warren on May 20, 2014 14:28:37 GMT 12
It also wore a temporary colour scheme for a few weeks in 1992 for the Tiger Beer commercial in overall yellow I was playing indoor netball down Sonter Rd nextdoor to Wigram when this Tiger beer scheme had done its job, the paint was peeling off, it was doing circuits pre the Wings and Wheels - come to think I was surprised they got me inside to play the game so close was I ... but I had to show up I was the captain ... In saying that, all four girls on the team were stewardess from Ansett  ..  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 20, 2014 14:33:27 GMT 12
The paint did not start to peel till the actual airshow, and it was because of the low cloud, the pilot had to fly through and it moistened the paint and it began to peel. It was fine up till the airshow.
I was on the paint team.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 20, 2014 14:35:16 GMT 12
It went to Queenstown after that airshow and down there the peeling got really bad. Parts of it was being patched with a bright yellow, well matched, Danco duct tape. Sadly flakes were ingested and the engine problems occurred.
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Post by Ian Warren on May 21, 2014 16:21:41 GMT 12
I may have thought it was pre show, you just jogged my memory and yes.. it coughing, sputtering and that was at the show on landing, it may have been Tuesday after a week so later, that was day we played so may have, it was in one hell off a mess.
Not only did 2415 have issues then and I cant place the dates but it was at Harewood around the same time and the Concorde did a visit and was an open day, but on flying out the wheel door would not retract.
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Post by Ian Warren on May 21, 2014 16:28:06 GMT 12
Not only did 2415 have issues then and I cant place the dates but it was at Harewood around the same time and the Concorde did a visit and was an open day, but on flying out the wheel doors would not retract. I do have photo's here somewhere, was one gorgeous day, I do wonder if some of the or residue peeling paint or tape was caught in the retraction rods? , I no with hydraulic arms on light equipment especial machining plastics and nylon caused all sorts of problems. |
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