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Post by markrogers on Dec 2, 2021 18:40:35 GMT 12
People were protected by common sense now its orange dayglo vests and a book of rules. and orange cones all over the place |
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Post by tbf2504 on Dec 3, 2021 8:32:49 GMT 12
NZ2504 did indeed have super inside the fuselage. I can remember chipping compacted super from inside the tail area of the aircraft. The saving grace for this and the other Avenger airframes were
that being naval aircraft that had anodised aluminum skins which protected their integrity from the corrosive super
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 3, 2021 10:04:05 GMT 12
I remember about 10 years or so back when the Avenger at MOTAT was being restored the team leader, who's name escapes me now, showed me over it and all the areas of corrosion from the superphosphate. He told me all about the plan to replace rivets and remove the corrosion. It seemed like a huge task, but they repaired it all over time and hopefully it will be a lasting exhibit too.
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Post by Antonio on Dec 8, 2021 16:48:23 GMT 12
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Post by emron on Dec 9, 2021 10:20:01 GMT 12
I remember about 10 years or so back when the Avenger at MOTAT was being restored the team leader, who's name escapes me now, showed me over it and all the areas of corrosion from the superphosphate. He told me all about the plan to replace rivets and remove the corrosion. It seemed like a huge task, but they repaired it all over time and hopefully it will be a lasting exhibit too. NZ2527 wasn’t used during the RNZAF topdressing trials and didn’t make it to operational use by Barr Brothers later either, so I don’t think super was to blame. It’s severest corrosion was in fuel tank bays in the wing centre section. When the fuel tanks were removed before it went to the playground that left holes open in the top of the wings and cockpit floor. During it’s stay at Kuirau Park rainwater together with the mud and grit, lolly wrappers and TT2 sticks carried aboard by a generation of kids, settled in the bottom of the wing and only partly drained out. That festered away for more than forty years before it was properly treated. While it was in the playground the engine cowls were swapped for the rejects from NZ2505 which had been exposed to the salt spray on the beach front at Opunake. It didn’t help that 2527 was stored and displayed outdoors for a further twenty years after MOTAT acquired it, during which only superficial repairs could be made. It was only in the late 1990’s when it was inside that permanent repairs were commenced. MOTAT has had plenty of experience with dealing to soiling and corrosion caused by superphosphate on other exhibits though, including the Airtruck, Agwagon and Ceres. They are looking forward to tackling the Lodestar which has sustained the worst damage of all. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 9, 2021 10:35:46 GMT 12
Hmmm, strange, it as a long time ago but I am sure he was talking about superphosphate when he was pointing out the major corrosion that needed to be tackled. He was ex-Air New Zealand and that was back when there were 20 or more volunteers working away here on the Avenger, the Mossie, the Tui Sport replica, and other projects. I think his name may have been Jim.
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Post by emron on Dec 9, 2021 14:42:40 GMT 12
As far as I’ve read it was only 2503, ‘04 and ‘06 that were re-commissioned specially for the 1949 trials. Over the years I’ve delved into most of the hard to reach spaces on 2527, to make repairs or re-attach parts and haven’t noticed any fertiliser residue. I’m sure you were shown heaps of corrosion at the time and though it makes for a more interesting story they must have been mistaken about the cause. Being exposed to too many decades of falling and rising damp did most of the harm along with the help of wind and child borne dust and dirt.
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Post by baz62 on Dec 9, 2021 16:38:03 GMT 12
As far as I’ve read it was only 2503, ‘04 and ‘06 that were re-commissioned specially for the 1949 trials. Over the years I’ve delved into most of the hard to reach spaces on 2527, to make repairs or re-attach parts and haven’t noticed any fertiliser residue. I’m sure you were shown heaps of corrosion at the time and though it makes for a more interesting story they must have been mistaken about the cause. Being exposed to too many decades of falling and rising damp did most of the harm along with the help of wind and child borne dust and dirt. I believe you are correct. It was old age and being stored in the elements as you would have definitly found super in her otherwise. |
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