Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 13, 2019 22:46:42 GMT 12
Here is an interesting article about the Hudsons disposed of from RNZAF Station Taieri. The rumour about them becoming Territorial Air Force bombers is most interesting. From the OTAGO DAILY TIMES, 13 APRIL 1949 (exactly 70 years ago!)
Obsolete Hudson Bombers at Taieri Are Now for Sale
The old tram cars which are to be seen as seaside cribs, farm sheds and hutments in the vicinity of Dunedin are likely to have more modern, but no less obsolete, company in the near future. The six Hudson bombers which have been parked on a corner of the Taieri airport, by the RNZAF hangar, are for sale. These are the first of the vast stock of obsolete aircraft which the RNZAF has offered for disposal locally.
The Hudsons were flown down from the north about nine months ago, and there were rumours at the time that they would be used for the Territorial Air Force squadrons when they were formed. They were stripped of their instruments and other equipment which might prove useful, but otherwise they were left complete. Any assumptions that they were in storage for later training purposes have, however, been nullified by their appearance as Stores Control Board lot 3384, for which tenders are asked.
There is little chance that the planes which are being offered at the Taieri could ever be made airworthy again—not without a complete rebuilding being undertaken at tremendous cost. The engines, even if made serviceable, would be of little obvious use. They would be too heavy and too expensive to operate in, say a speedboat or launch and, in any event, suitable petrol would be unobtainable. It is unlikely that frustrating handicaps to ownership will be a deterrent to would-be purchasers once their minds are made up, and the vicarious glory to be derived from personal ownership of a massive plane which once made warlike sorties would probably be regarded as ample return by many for the expenditure of a modest sum. There is an old axiom in salemanship that a buyer can be found somewhere for any item. The Stores Control Board's offer is doubtless based on this premise. So, if anybody has been toying with the idea of buying six obsolete Hudsons, now is their opportunity.
Undoubtedly there will have been a considerable degree of deterioration in the airframes of the Hudsons during their period of idleness. Impressive from the distance, they have a more derelict appearance from close up, for the removal of equipment has permitted their bomb-bay doors to hang open and the paint is peeling from their fuselages. They have, however, been a subject of interested investigation by scores of sightseers during the months. Just what will become of the aircraft remains to be seen. The many outmoded Oxfords and similar planes which were disposed of in the Blenheim district have given cause for surprise to travellers. The appearance of a large aircraft on the front lawn or in the backyard, as is the case at many Blenheim homes, is somewhat disconcerting until the novelty wears off. Several of the garages there have an old Oxford parked alongside and the mechanics find them a useful source of scraps of metal, wire or perspex. The reason for the purchase of such aircraft for depositing in the ground of a private home is more difficult to find. Some people bought them for their children to play in, others thought they might make useful garden sheds, and there were not a few who could not resist the temptation of a bargain. Bargains they most certainly are, for aircraft which have cost up to £40,000 when new have sold for £10 or less. But there are few things as useless as an obsolete aircraft. They are, indeed, “ white elephants ” par excellence.
Obsolete Hudson Bombers at Taieri Are Now for Sale
The old tram cars which are to be seen as seaside cribs, farm sheds and hutments in the vicinity of Dunedin are likely to have more modern, but no less obsolete, company in the near future. The six Hudson bombers which have been parked on a corner of the Taieri airport, by the RNZAF hangar, are for sale. These are the first of the vast stock of obsolete aircraft which the RNZAF has offered for disposal locally.
The Hudsons were flown down from the north about nine months ago, and there were rumours at the time that they would be used for the Territorial Air Force squadrons when they were formed. They were stripped of their instruments and other equipment which might prove useful, but otherwise they were left complete. Any assumptions that they were in storage for later training purposes have, however, been nullified by their appearance as Stores Control Board lot 3384, for which tenders are asked.
There is little chance that the planes which are being offered at the Taieri could ever be made airworthy again—not without a complete rebuilding being undertaken at tremendous cost. The engines, even if made serviceable, would be of little obvious use. They would be too heavy and too expensive to operate in, say a speedboat or launch and, in any event, suitable petrol would be unobtainable. It is unlikely that frustrating handicaps to ownership will be a deterrent to would-be purchasers once their minds are made up, and the vicarious glory to be derived from personal ownership of a massive plane which once made warlike sorties would probably be regarded as ample return by many for the expenditure of a modest sum. There is an old axiom in salemanship that a buyer can be found somewhere for any item. The Stores Control Board's offer is doubtless based on this premise. So, if anybody has been toying with the idea of buying six obsolete Hudsons, now is their opportunity.
Undoubtedly there will have been a considerable degree of deterioration in the airframes of the Hudsons during their period of idleness. Impressive from the distance, they have a more derelict appearance from close up, for the removal of equipment has permitted their bomb-bay doors to hang open and the paint is peeling from their fuselages. They have, however, been a subject of interested investigation by scores of sightseers during the months. Just what will become of the aircraft remains to be seen. The many outmoded Oxfords and similar planes which were disposed of in the Blenheim district have given cause for surprise to travellers. The appearance of a large aircraft on the front lawn or in the backyard, as is the case at many Blenheim homes, is somewhat disconcerting until the novelty wears off. Several of the garages there have an old Oxford parked alongside and the mechanics find them a useful source of scraps of metal, wire or perspex. The reason for the purchase of such aircraft for depositing in the ground of a private home is more difficult to find. Some people bought them for their children to play in, others thought they might make useful garden sheds, and there were not a few who could not resist the temptation of a bargain. Bargains they most certainly are, for aircraft which have cost up to £40,000 when new have sold for £10 or less. But there are few things as useless as an obsolete aircraft. They are, indeed, “ white elephants ” par excellence.