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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 19, 2007 19:10:14 GMT 12
You could mention that the Lancaster used to be situated at the original Motat site and would run its engines, all four, on special occassions. A neat site that was!
The restoration came after many years of sitting outdoors, at both sites, literally sinking into the ground a little and it's wings almost developing a droop before funds were raised to build it a hangar. The New Zealand branch of the Bomber Command Association and the RNZAF did a magnificent job on the restoration, I recall well the sorry days of it outside and my Dad cursing them for what they'd done to it. It was seriously nearly removed in the late 1980's and taken to a museum that could care for it. Wigram was suggested, as was Air New Zealand at Mangere.I'm glad it all worked out ok.
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Post by planeimages on Mar 20, 2007 20:25:06 GMT 12
Thanks Dave.
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Post by planeimages on May 14, 2007 19:49:50 GMT 12
Hi Colin, Any chance that you have shot the MoTaT Lancaster yet please? I am off to the UK at the end of the month and will be returning on 18 June. If you could arrange to let me obtain a DVD/CD of a suitable image that will be wonderful. Best wishes Peter |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 14, 2007 22:13:23 GMT 12
Gosh, I thought you were already in the UK Peter. You've been awfully quiet lately.
Have a great trip anyway, and we look forward to some photos when you get back.
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Post by planeimages on May 14, 2007 22:32:49 GMT 12
Not gone yet, Just working madly and saving up. I missed not being able to go to NZ at Easter. The images have been wonderful.
I hope to have plenty of photos from the trip.
PS. The current issue of Aero Australia has my article on W.E.Hart who flew in 1911/12 in Sydney.
The Avalon programme carried my story on Chuck Yeager and Supersonic flight. Apparently he was after my guts for garters over the contention that Bell were given the clue on the variable-incidence tailplane. The good General denies this. Stewart concurred with my view.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 14, 2007 23:03:18 GMT 12
I thought the Bell X-1 was almost completely ripped off from the Miles M-52 anyway. This is what the Brits will have you believe. My late friend Pat Monk worked on the M-52 project when he worked at Miles.
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Post by planeimages on May 14, 2007 23:11:17 GMT 12
Funny you should say that. A British journo/photographer at Avalon told me that "Tiny", the M.52's intended test pilot said that Miles gave the Yanks everything about the M.52 except the VIT.
I get the impression that Bell were well on the way with the XS-1 design when they visited Miles and that they were surprised to see that Miles were so far advanced. The straight, thin, biconvex wing and the bullet shape of the fuselage were remarkably similar.
What a pity your dear late friend cannot shed some light on the subject.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 14, 2007 23:17:35 GMT 12
Indeed. When he told me about working on it this was about 15 years ago and I didn't really know the significance of the aircraft then, I just knew it was the ultimate Miles design as he said it was, and he showed me a photo in his Putnam's Miles Aircraft book. I wish like hell I'd interviewed him on film about his long and varied career now. He began at Miles at Reading in about 1942 or so, as an apprentice. On his first day he was shown over a Gladiator that happened to be on their airfield. He climbed onto the wing and stuck his foot right through it. Not a great start in the industry. However in the repair they found it had a structural defect and he may have saved the pilot with his error. He also told me during bombing raids he had to sit on top of the Miles factory with a bucket of sand and a stirrup pump in case of incendiaries landing on the roof. Often the bombers came over low and strafed them. Bugger that!
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Post by planeimages on May 14, 2007 23:23:35 GMT 12
I'd have thrown the bucket at them.
I plan to slip into the Berkshire Museum at Woodley while I am in the area. Most of the streets near the museum are named after aircraft or aviation personalities... Douglas Bader Way, Spitfire Way and so on. the curator, Jean Fostesque, was very helpful to me when I was researching my original article on Supersonic Flight in Aero. I owe her 20 quid.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 17, 2007 9:43:54 GMT 12
The New Zealand Lancaster is indeed ex-French. WU-13 at Mascot, NSW, just before its final flight to NZ and new home at MoTAT:  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 17, 2007 16:14:23 GMT 12
Wow, lovely shot of the Lanc in its final days of service. thanks Peter.
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Post by John L on Jun 19, 2007 19:05:32 GMT 12
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