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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 29, 2006 9:45:16 GMT 12
Given the fact that after retirement from the RNZAf so many Vampires were retained as instructional airframes and sold into private hands (rather than wholesale scrapping), I find it quite amazing how few of the type are active now in NZ.
I believe the two two-seaters flying in NZ are bother ex-foreign air foirces, not RNZAF (one is certainly ex-RAAF, I think the other is ex-Swiss?)
So why is it with so many of the types around, more people are not getting them flying? Is it problems with the wood being too streesed by the time the RNZAF ones retired? Or scarcity of the engine parts? The expense? Or CAA regulations?
I think the two that fly todat when they do their formation routine are superb, and I'd much rather see four of the replicating the teams of the 1950's than any number of Nanchangs and Yaks as the Vampire has huge historical value in the country. Yaks and Nanchangs are cool of course, that's just an example.
Since the RNZAF retired its fleet of Vampires, have any flown anywhere in the world? I know a few went offshore - one to the USA I think. Have any ex-RNZAf examples flown here?
If you have any good photos of either RNZAf Vampires or the Warbids ones, I'd love to see them on this thread please.
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Post by phil82 on Aug 29, 2006 11:29:10 GMT 12
Dave, the technology in the Vampire was really ancient, not that far from Icarus himself! There was an awful lot of wood in the construction, both plywood and err....wood, and the engines were very primitive indeed. The Ghost engine was, virtually, one of the first production jet engines in the world! So, unless you have an organistion with money to burn, then it's unlikely you'll see a genuine vintage Vampire in the air. I've flown in an RNZAF T11 by the way.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 29, 2006 12:12:47 GMT 12
Thanks Colin. I thought that may be the case but I'd have thought with NZ's DH experts and restoration expertise, and what must be a fair few engines around as there are lots of airframes in museums, there must be a chance of at least one RNZAF example being put back into the air. But as you say it also takes a lot of money and I guess the two flying were better options having been bought as serviceable aircraft and not types that had sat for 30-40 years that would probably require new woodworking.
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Post by corsair67 on Aug 29, 2006 13:12:31 GMT 12
I think that by the time the Vampires were retired they had been well and truly worn out by the RNZAF.
Also those wooden frames didn't stand up to the demands of all the years of flying too well either, so I guess a lot of time and money would have been required to get them airborne again.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 29, 2006 15:04:53 GMT 12
I guess it may be cheaper and easier to scratchbuild new ones (like the Mossie project) and put them onto the experimental category?
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Post by Bruce on Aug 29, 2006 15:11:43 GMT 12
Vamps shouldnt be too difficult to rebuild, its just that most of ours have been in storage so long it is a big exercise. they are also hideously expensive to operate (not just fuel, they are maintenance and spares hungry) so that doesnt encourage the owners to get them up and running. Nothing is impossible though, as the mossie projects prove!. Aparently our vampires were indeed very tired towards the end of their life, while waiting for the Strikemasters to arrive. They were restricted to firing only two of the guns at any time as the floorboards would separate!
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Post by turboNZ on Aug 29, 2006 15:12:44 GMT 12
It is great even to see just those two in the air,...could be worse, we could have no airworthy ones at all. We should count ourselves lucky IMHO....being nice here BTW
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 29, 2006 17:37:09 GMT 12
You're completely right Chris, we are lucky. I recall the days before any were flying here and it was just a wish back then.
I just thought it interesting how so many Harvards still fly but so few Vampires despite so many being extint still.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Aug 29, 2006 19:20:56 GMT 12
Yeah, I also had a flight in a Vampire trainer way back. Like being in a VW beetle doing 100mph. The two currently flying in NZ: ZK-RVM ex U-1225 (Swiss AF) HB-RVM: ZK-VAM ex A79-649 (RAAF) VH-ICP:
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 29, 2006 21:22:14 GMT 12
"a VW beetle doing 100mph."
Is that actually possible???
A VW Beetle at 30km/h is uncomfortable and noisy enough! My mate has a great name for the beetle, Hitler's Revenge!
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Post by stu on Aug 29, 2006 21:48:01 GMT 12
"a VW beetle doing 100mph." Is that actually possible??? A VW Beetle at 30km/h is uncomfortable and noisy enough! My mate has a great name for the beetle, Hitler's Revenge! Add the Bird Dance playing on the Beetle's radio and you'd have Hitler's uber-weapon !!
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Post by turboNZ on Aug 29, 2006 21:57:24 GMT 12
And what is there not to like about the Vampire !! (From Masterton Airshow 2005)
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Post by Bruce on Aug 29, 2006 22:13:07 GMT 12
yes it is possible - when you drive it off a cliff! ;D how dare anyone compare such a British Beastie as the Vampire to a VW beetle... sacreledge! nice Vampire pics.....
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Post by Kereru on Sept 8, 2006 21:36:12 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 8, 2006 22:40:42 GMT 12
Superb shots Colin, I love the first one and the third one.
The two flying here in NZ are just superb, but I'd very much like to see a single seater fly one day. They look nicer.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Oct 7, 2006 20:39:12 GMT 12
The two flying here in NZ are just superb, but I'd very much like to see a single seater fly one day. They look nicer. The late Sir Ken Hayr had imported a single seater for restoration in NZ to full airworth condition, including a live ejection seat which Glen Turner was working on when Ken was tragically killed flying a 2 seat Vampire in the UK. I wonder what happened to Sir Ken's single seater? Hopefully someone else here picks it up and continues the restoration. The original Ardmore based Venom was a real beautiful sight and sound. I'll never forget the amazing display of formation aerobatics it did with the Mustang at the first Warbirds on Parade airshow at Wanaka in 1988. I think the pilots were Trevor Bland and John Denton. Is the second Venom (the red/white one) still flying? I haven't seen it at Wanaka for a few years now.
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Post by Simonjg on Oct 8, 2006 23:04:02 GMT 12
Labor weekend at new Plymouth and see Brett make his vampire sing..
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