HARS - The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society

[Dave Homewood]

The Wings Over New Zealand Show Episode 125 is now online. It is "Wings Over Australia - The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society".

James Kightly and I visit the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, or HARS, at Albion Park in Illawarra, New South Wales. We talk first with Jim Thurstan, who is one of the volunteer engineers restoring the Fokker F-VII Trimotor “Southern Cross” replica VH-USU.

And then we joined HARS chairman Bob Delahunty in the cockpit of the collection’s flagship, the Lockheed Super Constellation, to talk about the history of HARS. Bob tells how it all started with an ex-RNZAF Harvard, and the rescue of the Lockheed Neptunes, which led on then to the recovery and restoration of the Super Constellation, and more.

Click below for the episode and loads of photos:
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2016/11/hars/


Myself interviewing Jim Thurstan with the Southern Cross wing


Interviewing Bob Delahunty in the cockpit of the Lockheed Super Constellation


The "Connie"


The Black Cat Catalina is one of the 40 aircraft in the HARS collection

[Ian Warren]

I hope Bob gave you the DVD "An affair with CONNIE" , simply an amazing hours watch, course add to that, the book "BRINGING CONNIE HOME" by 'Gary R Squire', a perfect set on the shelf

[ZacYates]

I loved hearing about the Southern Cross restoration, what a worthy project. I had no idea of the size of the job HARS took on.

I quite enjoyed Bob's story about the Neptunes and Connie...although I confess to struggling with his accent at first: I was wondering what on earth a "Nipjin bomber" was!

[Dave Homewood]

I just received the following email from Jim Thurstan, one of the interviewees in this episode. Really nice to hear from him, and it's nice that he gives an update on the Southern Cross project. I hope he won't mind me sharing this:

Hi David,
Very pleased to receive the link to your visit to HARS last year. Episode 125. What an excellent production !
Great work David. Thank you.
Best wishes to James who was with you at the time please.

Work continues on the Southern Cross Replica. Work on the wing has stopped while we wait for the aileron to be repaired. That work was contracted out. We need it before we can install the last little bits of top ply skin.
After that, we move to structural testing of our repair followed hopefully by fabric covering. Our work at the moment is making fabric repairs to the fuselage and other minor items.

Best regards,

Jim Thurstan

[nuuumannn]

Excellent interviews. HARS is great and the guys and girls who work there are top notch; really friendly and good for a chat. Nice aircraft too.

Neptune start up.



Longreach VH-OJA. That's the little hatchback I was tootling about in for scale.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Grant!

[Ian Warren]

Something about the Neptune, It really has that attack get down to business look and obviously really proved its shelf and still kept going putting fires out rather than making them ... albeit then the target was surrounded by the wet stuff.

[nuuumannn]

The Neptune is a great aircraft, Ian. I got to crawl through the one they have that's open for display - they have three!