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Post by vs on Jun 8, 2018 9:21:21 GMT 12
I saw some great pictures of the Air Force Museums Seasprite on facebook yesterday. Looks brilliant! Someone asked what was their next restoration project and they replied the PBY was next. Wonder what paint scheme they have in mind? Do they have the wings? The fuse looks very complete.
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Post by ZacYates on Jun 8, 2018 10:25:16 GMT 12
Fantastic news, I'm excited to see them tackle the PBY.
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Post by vs on Jun 8, 2018 14:50:11 GMT 12
I am guessing after the PBY maybe the Canberra will be next? They will be running out of projects! Be time for a PV1, Corsair or SBD?
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Post by jp on Jun 8, 2018 15:05:50 GMT 12
They have a SBD in a "as found" diorama, and there is a Ventura in the Islands that the Air Force apparently offered to salvage years ago, but the offer wasn't taken up. They still have a Vildebeest to complete, and a stash of Mosquito bits somewhere? perhaps the original fuselage for TV959 which was still in storage in Auckland last time I was up there could be acquired to help build a 75 Sqn Mosquito....
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Post by saratoga on Jun 8, 2018 16:17:02 GMT 12
They'll have to find some room for a C-130 ,when the replacement is announced....
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Post by 30sqnatc on Jun 8, 2018 16:24:21 GMT 12
Air Force need to retire smaller aircraft.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 8, 2018 17:52:30 GMT 12
I saw some great pictures of the Air Force Museums Seasprite on facebook yesterday. NZ3442 ?
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Post by gibbo on Jun 8, 2018 23:19:18 GMT 12
I saw some great pictures of the Air Force Museums Seasprite on facebook yesterday. Looks brilliant! Someone asked what was their next restoration project and they replied the PBY was next. Wonder what paint scheme they have in mind? Do they have the wings? The fuse looks very complete. IIRC there's been chatter (probably on this forum to be honest) that the PBY could be a 'fuselage only' restoration however AIUI there's been no actual decision or confirmation of this. The PBY was due to have some work done to halt some very visible deterioration to the fuselage that I noted last time I toured the storage hangar / workshop - I seem to remember the rivets showing oxidation. So when they say the PBY is next they may actually just be talking about getting the fuselage back up to scratch. I for one would love to see the full PBY air-frame on display.
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Post by vs on Jun 9, 2018 15:16:09 GMT 12
Would be a shame not to complete the aeroplane. I am sure a wing would be reasonably easy to acquire (there was a PBY written off last year while being used for filming.....wing looked ok )
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jun 17, 2018 20:45:42 GMT 12
The Seasprite looks great. It is just missing the correct tailwheel and the four tail rotor blades, apart from that she is now complete.
Work has been underway on the PBY fuselage for a few months. It is just an assessment of the parts they already have and preservation of them. The corrosion in the fuselage/rivets is being addressed. After a coat of primer I understand it is going back into storage. Sadly the Museum Board has made the decision that there will be no more large restorations done in the immediate future. The focus will be on maintenance of the existing collection (which has been ongoing now for a couple of years) and preparation of displays for the new hangar, which the museum hopes to take over from the City Council at the end of this year. I agree, now is the time to do a Mossie while the difficult to do wooden bits are available at Ardmore (either unairworthy bits from the recent and current restorations or new manufacture). That would be a very welcome and worthwhile project for the Museum to get behind.
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Post by l29 on Jun 17, 2018 23:07:51 GMT 12
But who is going to restore/build said mossie? There's only 2 or 3 capable people left there? I personally would like to see the Canberra brought in after many years outside.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jun 18, 2018 7:38:16 GMT 12
Another good reason to do a Mossie sooner rather than later... the B8 Canberra is stuffed and the Museum already has a good example on display.
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Post by Richard Wesley on Jun 19, 2018 12:53:16 GMT 12
Hear what you are saying on the Mosquito, there is a lot of parts and experience around right now, however there is also great progress being made in Christchurch on another Mosquito, so not top of my list.
The Canberra currently on display looks in first class condition and so can't really see a completed B8 added a lot to the collection on display.
Museum collections need a lot of upkeep so I understand the board's direction to ensure current aircraft are up to scratch before taking on more work.
However, my vote would certainly go to completing (at least the exterior) fuselage of the Catalina. Even as an incomplete aircraft, it really is an interesting and important link to the RNZAF's operation of flying boats, and compliments and supports the Sunderland on display at Motat, and the flying Catalina at Ardmore. The effort to complete the exterior would be small, display area used is limited, and it fills a big gap in the current collection.
In the future of course a Catalina wing, complete Canberra B8, Corsair, Vilderbeest, Herc, Orion, all on display undercover, are all a must.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2018 13:50:39 GMT 12
A thought just occurred to me, that Catalina came from MOTAT's collection - if things had gone differently, looking at the magnificent work that MOTAT has done on the Sunderland and is doing on the Solent, it's possible the Catalina may have been fully restored by now had it stayed up in Auckland too.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jun 19, 2018 13:52:17 GMT 12
I would personally like to see the Ferrymead Mossies and RNZAF Museum examples being restored together in a joint project, utilising the combined parts, expertise and facilities of both organisations. I think there are probably enough parts held between them to build two complete static Mossies (with a bit of help from Avspecs on the missing parts). I'm sure there are also some bits held by both Ferrymead and the RNZAF Museum that Avspecs would like. It would be a great example of cooperation and collaboration for the greater good of all.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 19, 2018 14:09:48 GMT 12
Ferrymead and Avspecs have been cooperating for several years with parts trading, Don.
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Post by jp on Jun 19, 2018 15:12:22 GMT 12
A thought just occurred to me, that Catalina came from MOTAT's collection - if things had gone differently, looking at the magnificent work that MOTAT has done on the Sunderland and is doing on the Solent, it's possible the Catalina may have been fully restored by now had it stayed up in Auckland too. MoTaT still have a Ventura, Lodestar, DC-3 and a Solent to work on, plus some remedial work on the Lancaster (I think?). The Catalina looks like it would have required as much work as the Avenger, but is twice as big in every direction, and the Avenger was hardly a short-term project. Also, the Display Hall would probably have needed to be significantly bigger.... If MoTaT are getting to the bottom of the list of things to do, could I suggest a re-paint of the Hudson and P-40 in a Satin or Matt finish?
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Post by jp on Jun 19, 2018 15:17:05 GMT 12
I don't think the fact Ferrymead are rebuilding a Mosquito is a valid reason for the Wigram not to restore one - there could be an argument made that Ferrymead's Mosquito would actually be better placed at Wigram, leaving Ferrymead to concentrate mainly on civil aviation, which make up the bulk of their collection.....
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Post by madmac on Jun 19, 2018 18:57:02 GMT 12
I don't think the fact Ferrymead are rebuilding a Mosquito is a valid reason for the Wigram not to restore one - there could be an argument made that Ferrymead's Mosquito would actually be better placed at Wigram, leaving Ferrymead to concentrate mainly on civil aviation, which make up the bulk of their collection..... Ferrymead also have the LC47, Vampire, Havard, Hudson, Sunderland cockpit, Wessex so there military component isn't insignificant in the collection.
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Post by jp on Jun 19, 2018 19:09:21 GMT 12
Knew they had a Hudson, LC-47 and Sunderland - didn't know they had a Harvard and Vampire.....
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