More Video questions,,,

[turboNZ]

After watching the video...(it was a real education, thanks) I have a couple of questions.

Is the Lodestar still able to run up it's engines?

Can you still look through the Solent?
Can the Solent run it's engines?

Is the Avenger the same one that left our shores for (I think) Aussie?

Cheers
Chris

[Dave Homewood]

The Lodestar is hardly capable of standing, it's absolutely shot to hell. That, I'm afriad, is a total disgrace on Motat's part when you compare it to that 1987 video of it running. I don't think it actually taxied in that shot by the way, careful use of a camera dolly gives that impression, but no. The thing is, in that shot it's in beautiful Fieldair colours. When Motat was gifted the plane it didn't wear those colours at all, it was painted in Airland NZ Ltd colours, white with a red (?) stripe. So in their ownership they've painted it into Fieldair colors and then let that entire coat of beautiful paint wear off in the Auckland weather till today where it's been stripped bare and rotting away to dust.

So to answer your question, I'd doubt it hugely that the engines would turn over. I'd say they'd be stuck solid.

I do not believe the Solent's engines are ever going to run again though they were restored by experts and may be capable of running according to press talk. Being inside for good, I doubt they'll ever wind the engines over, and especially not the props as they'd blow half the exhibits away.

You cannot, as general public, go inside the Solent but they have a brilliant two tiered viewing platform that allows you to see into all the compartments, and they've added a concave blister so you can lean in to view too. The team that restored the Solent (like the team who restored the Lanc) were hugely deicated to it, and to it alone. So they put their hearts and souls into it, whilst around them other things decayed. It's not like a normal museum where everything is done by one team, there's loads of splinter groups, the Bomber Command Assoc., the FAA Assoc., the Solent Society, etc. That's why some exhibits are fantastic and other not so popular ones are sorely neglected. A terriblt way to run a museum, but excelelnt for the Solent and Lanc as they were saved in the end.

If you refer to the Avenger flying at the No. 30 Sqn Reunion, yes, that's Sir Tim Wallis's one that went to Aussie and is now with Randall Macfarlane.

[Bruce]

Yeah, time has moved on since the video clips were made, Unfortunately I think if the Lodestar ran up its engines all the corrosion atoms might stop holding hands! unfortunately although huge progress has been made on the bigger Motat airframes, during all that time the lodestar has been a bit neglected. I guess the loss of "Mr Lockheed" Barry East meant a lot of the expertise and enthusiasm for it was lost/ It is currently getting a bit of a tidy up, but until it gets under cover I cant see a lot of forward progress being made. It will take quite a bit of work as a combination of salt air, bird deposits and traces of fertiliser from its topdressing career has caused a lot of intergranular (weetbix like) corrosion in the 1940s alloy. it is recoverable, just it needs to wait its turn I guess.
You can no longer walk thru the Solent Cabin, but with nice new window glass there is an extensive scaffold walkway down one side of the aircraft. inside it is immacultely presented, complete with little touches such as TEAL match books, flight bags in the overhead trays, and a wonderful collection of TEAL cutlery, cups, plates etc. It really gives an impression of the sheer romance of the Coral route. You can see the cockpit through the emergency hatch, but the flight deck is so huge you cant quite see some crew stations.
Obviously inside a large hangar the engines are no longer runable, but they are inhibited so they will be unlikely to deteriorate. The Lancaster also used to have regular engine runs, but unfortunately cannot any longer, but that is a small price to pay for getting these machines under cover.
Finally, yes the Avenger in the Gisborne reunion has sadly left for Aussie, part of the reshuffle of the Alpine collection. hopefully we can tempt another back here in the future.

[turboNZ]

Ah thanks Dave.
Yes I thought the Lodey wasn't taxiing,...I had a chuckle at that too !!

I remember seeing the Lanc when I was a boy and it was outside. Boy was it in poor shape !!.

Yes I forgot the Solent was totally enclosed. Imagine hearing the 4 Hercules radials idling though...make a grown man cry with joy.....

[Bruce]

duh, Dave bet me to it.....

[turboNZ]

Also, thanks Bruce !!!

Great to hear a little more info from the video which really is great !!!

[corsair67]

Here's the TBM Avenger ZK-TBM, as it is now VH-TBM ans seen here at Avalon in March:





Still reckon it looked better as "Plonky"!

[turboNZ]

Still a nice looking aircraft IMO

[Dave Homewood]

Hey, that's our ex-Sea Fury too, isn't it?

Bruce, that's twice we've done that tonight. Great minds thinking alike again???

[corsair67]

Yep, that's Robbie's Sea Fury in the background. The Sea Fury and Avenger are owned by Flying Fighters in QLD.

Did Sir Tim's Yak 3 also come across the Tasman too?

[Dave Homewood]

I believe it did. As did the Zero replica which also went to Randall Macfarlane, but has since moved on to another owner. Does he own the Sea Fury now too then? Or what? He was looking for a name for his collection only about a month ago, so is Flying Fighters the new name?

[corsair67]

Mr MacFarlane is involved with Flying Fighters, but I'm not sure in what capacity. I have been looking at the website ( www.flyingfighters.com.au/ ) but can't see much about the names behind it all, apart from Nigel Arnot.

I saw the 'Zero' at Avalon and was wondering if it was Sir Tim's one, so thanks for confirming that.

[turboNZ]

Is that particular 'Zero' an authentic Tora Tora Tora model?

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, it was from the film. Been through some famous hands and collections, Sir Tim's, Ray Hanna's, and the film crew.

Randall claims the TBM as his own, the nickname Georgia Peach was named for his American wife. He has also just bought a B26 and owns a Spitfire.

[DragonflyDH90]

Nigel Arnot owns the Fury from what I understand and pretty sure the Yak also, Randal has the TBM, Spitfire (to be restored), Cessna O2, and his newly acquired A26 (B26), thought he still had the Zero replica (Im probably wrong there.
Not sure in what Randal has to do with Flying Fighters other than operating of the same field but he has been involved with Warbirds for a long time, and if Im not mistaken was a founding member of the Aussie Warbirds Assn.

[corsair67]

Ah, Randall's American wife must have been the very attractive woman sitting next to the Avenger during the Avalon airshow!!!!

[turboNZ]

Well the Avenger has big turrets doesn't it......

[DragonflyDH90]

"two at once" dont yah hate it when that happens....