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Post by steveh on Jul 20, 2017 19:52:03 GMT 12
What a beaut thread, thanks Dave for the email heads up, I don't get over here as often as I'd like or should, life is so inconvenient at times.  Those last photos of Daves with the TBF being towed on the skids gave me a "Flight of the Phoenix" moment, hopefully like the Phoenix it will be reborn from its (almost) ashes. I know its not my place to comment but I do hope that the guys at Classic Flyers will make haste slowly, there'll only be one chance to see the underlying layers before they're blasted away & the info they can gice us will be precious. I can see a trip to the BoP in my future, I'll tell the other half she can go shopping in Tauranga.  Steve. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 20, 2017 20:29:40 GMT 12
It's great to see you back here Steve, long time no see. Ha, Flight of the Phoenix, two great films, that. Those photos are Mike Feisst's (kiwi285), I just posted them for him.
If it's still outdoors and the Mount is getting the same weather we're getting right now, you won't need to do any more waterblasting, Mother Nature will be taking care of it. It's thrashing down out there!
I know I have said this for ages, but we're definitely going to have to have a forum gathering at Classic Flyers someday soon. We have so many members here who are involved in the museum too. And it would be a really great place for a meet up.
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Post by emron on Jul 20, 2017 20:58:28 GMT 12
Noticed that none of the Avengers in NZ have the lower/ventral gun position re-installed.... why not? NZ2527 at MOTAT had the sting put back in it's tail some years ago. New perspex fairings were moulded for the enclosure and replica gun on mount and armour plate installed. All it needs is an ammo box and chute to complete the fitout. |
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Post by planewriting on Jul 20, 2017 23:05:45 GMT 12
It's great to see you back here Steve, long time no see. Ha, Flight of the Phoenix, two great films, that. Those photos are Mike Feisst's (kiwi285), I just posted them for him. If it's still outdoors and the Mount is getting the same weather we're getting right now, you won't need to do any more waterblasting, Mother Nature will be taking care of it. It's thrashing down out there! I know I have said this for ages, but we're definitely going to have to have a forum gathering at Classic Flyers someday soon. We have so many members here who are involved in the museum too. And it would be a really great place for a meet up. Yes it is still raining and yes 2539 is still outside. As I mentioned earlier, there is a queue beating a path to go through the hangar doorway once the Ministry of Education bus is repainted and refurbished. In the queue is the Sabre in for similar treatment as the bus. Devon NZ1812 (ZK-UCO) is being tidied up for its new role as a fire drill aircraft. It is not planned to set it on fire - just use it for evacuation purposes. Heron ZK-BBM was borrowed recently for a similar purpose. I think a forum meet up at Classic Flyers would be a great idea. There is so much to see. At the moment, the Archives section, in the same hangar, is going through a major revamp and I suggest we hold off such a meet up till a bit later in the year. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 20, 2017 23:32:23 GMT 12
I agree later in the year. Maybe in the springtime?
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Post by mumbles on Jul 20, 2017 23:32:52 GMT 12
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere, but earlier coverage of this aircraft suggested it was very unlikely to ever leave the Riverhead location. What changed?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 21, 2017 1:02:41 GMT 12
That is something I hope to find out when I have Andrew Gormlie on as a panel guest on an upcoming WONZ Show very soon.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 13:50:59 GMT 12
I'm so, so grateful to be able to watch this project unfold. Many thanks to everyone contributing.
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Post by steveh on Jul 22, 2017 20:54:00 GMT 12
I agree later in the year. Maybe in the springtime? As much warning as possible please Dave, depending on my shift roster, this could take some co-ordinating. Steve. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2017 22:05:18 GMT 12
Yes, maybe in the summer then, February-ish.
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Post by planewriting on Jul 22, 2017 22:31:31 GMT 12
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Post by dazz on Jul 22, 2017 22:58:27 GMT 12
How complete is the whole 'kit set' ? Obviously most of the interior fit out and equipment are long gone, but are all the major airframe/engine/cowl/ prop parts there?
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Post by planewriting on Jul 22, 2017 23:22:13 GMT 12
I'm not sure Dazz of the full inventory of parts on hand but, as I say, there is more stuff to come and I will endeavour to find out what it includes and report back to the forum. I did spot an engine cowling. Watch this space. As mentioned before, NZ2505 is right there on hand facilitating the production of templates for missing parts. It really is exciting watching the air frame gradually retrieve its dignity.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2017 23:29:41 GMT 12
I have just added Peter Layne's photos to his post above.
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Post by baz62 on Jul 23, 2017 15:09:32 GMT 12
I think I'll have to try and come up for this forum meet, be fascinating to see NZ2505 again and also check out 39. I'll dig out my photos of NZ2504 when I worked on her as it would be great to compare them. In the last photo the rectangular hole under the rear cockpit is where the dinghy lived. Im impressed in how good (relatively speaking) the cockpits look and even the rudder pedals are still in place. Even the left and right hand sides of the main instrument panel are still there. Is the main electrical box on the right hand side of the cockpit there?
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Jul 23, 2017 18:28:20 GMT 12
...In the last photo the rectangular hole under the rear cockpit is where the dingy lived... I think this one had quite a large bit of dingy living in it too... (oh, did you mean dinghy?...silly me) |
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Post by emron on Jul 23, 2017 22:17:31 GMT 12
I couldn't spot the rudder yet but if it's in the same condition as the elevators, stabilizers and fin then they all should be quick to fix. The elevator crank and pushrod were still fitted in the tail so it mightn't take too much effort to reconnect the tailplane if all the hinges are present. Unfortunately the same can't be said about up front. The rudder pedals look intact but the control stick has been trashed. I guess you may have a spare. The main control torque tube can probably be salvaged and the end bearings and blocks will need to be replaced. But I see that the cockpit floor has collapsed alongside it. So that will mean heavy repairs to the top surface of the centresection across all three fuel tank bays (and the structure below) before the cockpit fittings can be reinstalled.
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Post by baz62 on Jul 24, 2017 7:45:09 GMT 12
...In the last photo the rectangular hole under the rear cockpit is where the dingy lived... I think this one had quite a large bit of dingy living in it too... (oh, did you mean dinghy?...silly me) I've corrected it.......you have to help me Saturday now .......painting ha ha. |
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Post by chbessexboy on Jul 24, 2017 19:02:49 GMT 12
"Havelock North's Avenger" - not my photo (hence low resolution) but posted with permission:  I was told it did have bomb bay doors when it arrived, but they were removed and scrapped by the council workmen so that access could be gained from underneath. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 27, 2017 22:07:58 GMT 12
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