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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2015 10:04:06 GMT 12
Does anyone here have any knowledge of the B-47 Stratojets of the USAF ever visiting New Zealand?
If any did, do you have photos of them here please?
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Post by davidd on Oct 5, 2015 11:20:23 GMT 12
Only one I know of was the one which was a specially modified aircraft which accompanied the first U-2 to visit NZ in 1966; a C-135 was also a member of this special unit which remained in NZ (at Christchurch International Airport) for several months, and was (naturally) located near the Deep Freeze headquarters. Should be articles in the newspapers of the time, was also covered (with serial numbers, etc) in AHSNZ Journal. The U-2 was photographed in flight (by Vic Browne I think) in formation with ZK-CGG (John McDonald in the Mustang).
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2015 11:55:14 GMT 12
Thanks David
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2015 12:27:02 GMT 12
I'd love to see the photo/s of the Mustang and U-2 together.
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Post by angelsonefive on Oct 5, 2015 13:09:32 GMT 12
RNZAF 21st birthday airshow at Ohakea.
I attended as a cadet in the Wgton Town Sqdn ATC.
There were B-47s there that day.
I recall, when waiting for our bus to clear the post-airshow traffic jam, watching a Stratojet flying around and around overhead with its drag 'chute deployed.
a15
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2015 13:24:02 GMT 12
Thanks, I'd forgotten that one.
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Post by The Red Baron on Oct 5, 2015 13:26:48 GMT 12
Video of the day with the B-47.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Oct 5, 2015 14:00:00 GMT 12
Hi Dave,
presumably you are following the TV3 story on the "spyplane" bits. Sorry to disappoint everyone, but the researcher forwarded me the photographs of the items and I identified
them as aircraft electrical balusters (Limiter Current) in aircraft spares talk. The reference on the box to B47 probably refers to the model number of the baluster.
Other information gleaned from the photographs forwarded was that the box was certified by the AN-P-13A stamp for carrying electrical spares. Of interest the date of delivery
on the box is 4-47 with an expiry date of 2-52. As these balusters were commonly used in ground generating plants then they may have an agricultural history. aircraft operating
in the country at the time that may have used those balusters include the Lodestars, DC3s TBFs and the Mustangs
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Post by tbf25o4 on Oct 5, 2015 14:03:16 GMT 12
Further to the 1966 visit. the RB-47 was 52-0514 and the U2 was 66-7722 (the US is on display at the Wright Patterson Museum) As a radio operator at Wigram during Project Hi-CAT we were responsible
for maintaining an HF watch with the RB-47 and obtaining clearances for the high altitude flights of the US. Always amused me as they would required clearance for above FL60 from the Chathams to around
Fiji. As we had no aircraft capable of operating to that height always seemed funny, although I guess they were just following protocol.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Oct 5, 2015 15:58:04 GMT 12
OOps! correct the serial number for the U2 to read 56-6722 callsign when in NZ was "APEX 22" and the B47 callsign was just "20514"
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Post by sailorsid on Oct 5, 2015 21:01:26 GMT 12
I can remember seeing the U2 in the hangar at Harewood. I wandered in off the street and was even allowed to look into the cockpit. The memory is a bit hazey on details but not many people have been able to do that.
I can also remember seeing the vapour trail of the U2 as it climbed away on a flight, seemed to up on a 45 degree angle then turned and continued its climb zig zagging several times till the trail stopped.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 5, 2015 21:25:46 GMT 12
Yes Paul, the reason for this thread was Emma Brannam of TV3 rang me this morning asking for help regarding B-47's in New Zealand. She later rang back after I'd supplied some info from here (I actually had the right AHSNZ Journal that David referred to too), and she said she'd been in touch with you and with Avspecs and now realised it wasn't anything as special as the finder had hoped.
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Post by rayo on Oct 6, 2015 6:20:58 GMT 12
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Post by davidd on Oct 6, 2015 12:50:59 GMT 12
Dave H,
Forgot about that 1958 visit, but note that just one B-47 was involved that time. However there was an earlier planned visit too, to be known as HANDCLASP IV, involving one B-47 and an accompanying KC-97 in November 1956. However this was cancelled for unspecified reasons, so never happened. Incidentally HANDCLASP III comprised a visit to the USA by an RNZAF party travelling by 40 Sqdn Hastings in May 1956, which ended up in Washington DC (photos of this deployment in Geoffrey Bentley's book "RNZAF - A short History" 1969, page 170, with brief mention on page 169). Source of the HANDCLASP IV deployment? RNZAF News Bulletin, January 1957, page 10.
David D
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Post by nzav8a on Oct 7, 2015 19:02:16 GMT 12
52-0514 at Christchurch. R.F Killick  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 7, 2015 21:26:27 GMT 12
Great photo, thanks Glen!!
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Post by isc on Jul 21, 2016 1:19:38 GMT 12
I remember the U-2, and the RB-47 at Chch in 1966, I was at NAC for a block course at the engineering school. Didn't get very close to them, spent quite a bit of time at the deep Freeze hangar, there was a Globemaster in having some major engine work done, including one engine change (I think that was rather frequent). isc
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Post by avenger on Mar 4, 2019 15:36:19 GMT 12
Ohakea at the RNZAF 21st.  
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2019 17:04:38 GMT 12
Cracker photos Roger, thanks for sharing!!
A look at the survivors list on Wikipedia suggests 1851 is no longer with us (neither is 52-0514).
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Post by hunterfan on Nov 7, 2021 5:24:57 GMT 12
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