Post by Dave Homewood on May 22, 2007 18:26:54 GMT 12
Warbirds and museum aircraft are generally painted in a particular colour scheme to commemorate a particular aircraft and in some cases their pilots.
I thought it would be interesting to have a thread about the personal side of the commemorations, who were the people that flew the original warbird?
Some, like the Harvards were of course flown by thousands of Kiwis in their service career so don't have that personal touch. Others do.
For example P-51D Mustang ZK-TAF is painted in the colour scheme of Sqn Ldr Ray Archibald's personal Mustang NZ2415. He was a wartime fighter pilot in the RNZAF and in the 1950's he lead No. 3 (Territorial) Squadron at Wigram flying '15. his was the only P-51D in the RNZAF to have the distinctive red and black spinner.
The Warbirds Dakota's old D-Day scheme was also based on a genuine aircraft flown by an RNZAF pilot, Squadron Leader Rex Daniell who flew the real aircraft in paradropping missions on D-Day and at Arnhem. When the scheme was chosen he was a member of the NZ Warbirds so it was fitting.
The Avenger at Wigram is painted to represnt NZ2521 which was lost with all three crew in 1944 on their first mission. One of the crewmembers was Malcolm Harsant, the navigator, from Cambridge. The others were pilot Sergeant William Trolove and airgunner F/Sgt Frank Brown.
What other colour schemes have this personal connection? Do we know who the crews were of the two schemes painted on the Motat Lancaster? Or the crew members of the Wigram Hudson in it's No. 4 Squadron markings?
I thought it would be interesting to have a thread about the personal side of the commemorations, who were the people that flew the original warbird?
Some, like the Harvards were of course flown by thousands of Kiwis in their service career so don't have that personal touch. Others do.
For example P-51D Mustang ZK-TAF is painted in the colour scheme of Sqn Ldr Ray Archibald's personal Mustang NZ2415. He was a wartime fighter pilot in the RNZAF and in the 1950's he lead No. 3 (Territorial) Squadron at Wigram flying '15. his was the only P-51D in the RNZAF to have the distinctive red and black spinner.
The Warbirds Dakota's old D-Day scheme was also based on a genuine aircraft flown by an RNZAF pilot, Squadron Leader Rex Daniell who flew the real aircraft in paradropping missions on D-Day and at Arnhem. When the scheme was chosen he was a member of the NZ Warbirds so it was fitting.
The Avenger at Wigram is painted to represnt NZ2521 which was lost with all three crew in 1944 on their first mission. One of the crewmembers was Malcolm Harsant, the navigator, from Cambridge. The others were pilot Sergeant William Trolove and airgunner F/Sgt Frank Brown.
What other colour schemes have this personal connection? Do we know who the crews were of the two schemes painted on the Motat Lancaster? Or the crew members of the Wigram Hudson in it's No. 4 Squadron markings?
