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Post by avro683 on Nov 15, 2021 13:48:51 GMT 12
Beautiful job on the tail fin Lads!
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Post by kiwi285 on Nov 19, 2021 18:19:23 GMT 12
Today Cal, Dave and I finished the fin from the Canberra and have now started work on the rudder. This is in good condition with only a few corrosion patches to deal to and a couple of missing cover plates. Looking forward to getting these items back to NZ Warbirds at Ardmore some time soon. Br great to see them attached to the finished fuselage which is looking smart.  191121 2 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  191121 (1) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  191121 by Mike Feisst, on Flickr |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 19, 2021 18:52:38 GMT 12
Great work guys!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2021 18:33:16 GMT 12
Hear hear, it looks great!
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Post by planewriting on Nov 20, 2021 19:10:40 GMT 12
There are a lot of things going on at Classic Flyers right now apart from the Canberra's tail section. Panels are being repaired or replaced on the B N Islander ZK-KTR. External painting is going ahead on the B-17 mock up fuselage and the first of three sections to mount the fuselage was being painted on Friday. When completed, the entire structure and fuselage will be located in the main hangar at right angles to the Catalina fuselage. Both fuselages will be accessible by climbing a common set of steps. Vampire fuselage NZ5767 had its engine run up briefly the other day and Derek Williams was flying in his Harvard NZ1091. DC-3 ZK-AWP is due back in town about 11 December to commence it annual scenic flights along the coast.
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Post by kiwi285 on Nov 27, 2021 15:54:59 GMT 12
After a final coat of paint on the other side of the rudder the repairs are complete and ready to go to Warbirds when we can arrange transport. This has been an enjoyable exercise and the team of Cal, Dave and myself have learned something new and honed our woodworking skills ready for the next job. And that has already appeared with some repairs needed to the elevator of one of our gliders on display in the main hangar. Tjhe people at Warbirds are very happy with the results having only seen the photos presented here to date.  261121 (1) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  261121 (5) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr  261121 (3) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2021 15:54:29 GMT 12
Bravo team, and thank you so much Mike for keeping us posted.
My wife and I are headed to Oropi for Christmas with her parents and she'd like to visit Classic Flyers with me. We're aiming for the 23rd. It'll be great to get back and to introduce Sam to the cool stuff you guys have and are working on.
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Post by kiwi285 on Nov 29, 2021 16:19:26 GMT 12
Bravo team, and thank you so much Mike for keeping us posted. My wife and I are headed to Oropi for Christmas with her parents and she'd like to visit Classic Flyers with me. We're aiming for the 23rd. It'll be great to get back and to introduce Sam to the cool stuff you guys have and are working on. That would be great Zac, I am sure there will be plenty to see and maybe we will have some news before then that will interest you. Hoping it all comes to fruition. Not sure whether I can get there that day but we will work on it. |
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Post by kiwi285 on Jan 5, 2022 5:46:35 GMT 12
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2022 13:47:53 GMT 12
Good stuff Mike, I hope Dave and Tony had a safe trip home.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2022 9:44:17 GMT 12
Mike Feisst of Classic Flyers NZ Museum has sent rhough the following update" "I am currently helping Dave prepare the F-86 Sabra for a repaint and thought that some of the members might like to see a few photos of the old girl as she gets her birthday present. She will be moved into the restoration hangar next week and we can finish the preparation work. Perhaps you could put these onto the Classic Flyers thread (unless you want to start another) and I will write a few notes as we progress. The first photo was of the aircraft at USAF base Osan Cheers Mike"  What's the airframe ID of the Sabre? Geoff Goodall's Warbirds Directory (link) says it's 52-4904, but Phil Treweek's site (link) says that aircraft was exported in 1997. Aerial Visuals (link) suggests it's 51-13496. So what's the true identity of the Classic Flyers Sabre? Is it an F-86F-30? And where did it come from? |
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Post by delticman on Jan 11, 2022 18:44:24 GMT 12
Mike Feisst of Classic Flyers NZ Museum has sent rhough the following update" "I am currently helping Dave prepare the F-86 Sabra for a repaint and thought that some of the members might like to see a few photos of the old girl as she gets her birthday present. She will be moved into the restoration hangar next week and we can finish the preparation work. Perhaps you could put these onto the Classic Flyers thread (unless you want to start another) and I will write a few notes as we progress. The first photo was of the aircraft at USAF base Osan Cheers Mike" What's the airframe ID of the Sabre? Geoff Goodall's Warbirds Directory (link) says it's 52-4904, but Phil Treweek's site (link) says that aircraft was exported in 1997. Aerial Visuals (link) suggests it's 51-13496. So what's the true identity of the Classic Flyers Sabre? Is it an F-86F-30? And where did it come from? |
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Post by delticman on Jan 11, 2022 19:01:26 GMT 12
This aircraft was one six ex Ethiopian F-86F's to come to New Zealand. With the help of WD and a website (that i cant find now) that had a complete production list of F-86 aircraft. The aircraft pictured is really 51-13496 #176-427. Was with USAF in 1953 and then stored in 1956, it may have been service with Korean Air Force but was with Iranian Air Force before Ethiopa where it became 277. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2022 7:55:20 GMT 12
This aircraft was one six ex Ethiopian F-86F's to come to New Zealand. With the help of WD and a website (that i cant find now) that had a complete production list of F-86 aircraft. The aircraft pictured is really 51-13496 #176-427. Was with USAF in 1953 and then stored in 1956, it may have been service with Korean Air Force but was with Iranian Air Force before Ethiopa where it became 277. Thanks Ray, that lines up with Aerial Visuals and a poster at Britmodeller (link). Much appreciated! So what's the missing link/s between Ethiopia and Tauranga? |
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Post by Brett on Jan 12, 2022 9:00:29 GMT 12
Stored in South Africa from 1996 until imported in 2004 by AvSpecs.
51-13240 – Ethiopian AF 275 painted as 52-4460 / FU-460 for a museum in Russia
51-13496 – Ethiopian AF 277 painted as 12910 / FU-910 with Classic Flyers, Tauranga
52-4650 – Ethopian AF 278
52-5219 – Ethiopian AF 269
52-5520 – Ethiopian AF 284
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Post by delticman on Jan 12, 2022 9:50:06 GMT 12
Stored in South Africa from 1996 until imported in 2004 by AvSpecs. 51-13240 – Ethiopian AF 275 painted as 52-4460 / FU-460 for a museum in Russia 51-13496 – Ethiopian AF 277 painted as 12910 / FU-910 with Classic Flyers, Tauranga 52-4650 – Ethopian AF 278 52-5219 – Ethiopian AF 269 52-5520 – Ethiopian AF 284 Correct, there was five plus the CL13B. At the time of enquires, FU-460 did not go to Russia but back in the container and stored with the others in Dwen Airmotive yard I wonder where hose containers are now? |
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Post by delticman on Jan 12, 2022 9:52:18 GMT 12
This aircraft was one six ex Ethiopian F-86F's to come to New Zealand. With the help of WD and a website (that i cant find now) that had a complete production list of F-86 aircraft. The aircraft pictured is really 51-13496 #176-427. Was with USAF in 1953 and then stored in 1956, it may have been service with Korean Air Force but was with Iranian Air Force before Ethiopa where it became 277. Thanks Ray, that lines up with Aerial Visuals and a poster at Britmodeller (link). Much appreciated! So what's the missing link/s between Ethiopia and Tauranga? South Africa |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 12, 2022 10:27:53 GMT 12
I am not 100% sure if this but I think the ex-RAAF CAC Sabre arrived at the same time as the five ex-Ethiopian ones, and also the two Fairey Firefly Mk. 1's. I think they all belonged to Jerry Yagen? I may be wrong.
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Post by Brett on Jan 12, 2022 11:18:07 GMT 12
Just to expand on the South African connection...
Ethiopia was supported and sanctioned at various times by both American and Russian aligned governments. This resulted in a mix of US, European, Swedish and Soviet equipment. In 1991 the civil war that had been underway since 1974 within Ethiopia ended, with the dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam being replaced with a Tigray People’s Liberation Front led group and Eritrea becoming a separate country in 1993 under the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front. This lead to a short period of peace until 1998 when Eritrea and Ethiopia went to war with each other.
During this short window of peace, Canadian government interests were able to negotiate with Eritrea for the recovery of two former Ethiopian AF ex-Royal Canadian Navy Fairey Fireflys back to Canada in exchange for food and medical supplies (DK545 & PP462). This deal lead the Ethiopian government to look at unloading some of it's own derelict airframes, and it went looking for international buyers. John Sayers, a South African, was successful in his bid for a number of airframes. This haul included two Fireflys (MB694 now in France & ex Ethiopian AF 612 with Jerry Yagen), some SAAB B-17s, and the F-86s that we are interested in. They were all recovered to Lanseria in South Africa and stored pending sale.
Jerry Yagen had his Firefly shipped to AvSpecs in 2004. The F-86s were shipped at the same time, so may have been part of the deal, or maybe an AvSpecs rep bought them while in South Africa to collect the Firefly.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 12, 2022 13:22:21 GMT 12
Two Fireflies came to Ardmore, one is still there.
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