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Post by slackie on Feb 7, 2011 10:26:31 GMT 12
Being the last chairperson of the now dissolved Great Stunt Company (the old MAD syndicate), thanks for the photos (and memories). "G withdrawal" has certainly taken hold, and although enjoying other family activities (primarily waterski racing), not a day goes by that I don't think about and miss the aeros. The old girl was a barrel of fun, and a welcomed challenge from the time you opened the hangar until it was closed again post flight.
Re: the whiteboards - if you still have them I can take them off your hands if you wish, no drama if they've gone or been reused already.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 7, 2011 10:55:56 GMT 12
Did you guys not get a new aircraft in the end, Mike? I thought you were looking at getting one a while back?
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Post by slackie on Feb 7, 2011 17:36:56 GMT 12
Same old story... everyone is keen right up to the point where they are required to actually part with $$$. Got a bit dissolutioned with it all but might have another crack at getting some together early next summer (end of US summer).
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 7, 2011 21:28:04 GMT 12
Sorry to hear that mate.
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Post by Medic1nz on Feb 11, 2011 21:23:52 GMT 12
Just found this one that I took at the Masterton Airshow in 1991  ZK-MAD by 111 Emergency, on Flickr |
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Post by alias on Feb 12, 2011 8:35:57 GMT 12
How much of MAD required replacing after 'the strainer post incident'?
I worked at the maintenance facility involved and while at the time it was rather embarrassing and no doubt painful for the syndicate,
it is a story worth retelling..
Not long after MAD's immaculate recovering it was in the hangar for minor engine adjustments ( or a check? I can't recall, no matter ).
The Chief Engineer had given it a few runs and it seemed ok but needed a full power run.
Being dubious of the brakes he quite rightly wanted to tie it down, no tie down points handy so he thought of the next best thing and tied it to the towbar of his Fiat Uno.
Smoko time!
CE's missus urgently needed to go to the bank, so whilst the lads are having their cuppa she leaps into the Fiat and staggers off, Pitts in tow!
Thankfully she only made it to the first sturdy post into which the wing crunched, drawing attention to the fact there was an aeroplane close
behind and her natural reaction was to hit the picks! Kerrunch!
As I say, painful, but I still laugh when I envisage her trying to figure out why the Uno seems to be lacking in oomph, and wonder what the consequences would have been if she'd made it out the gates to BNZ Papakura!
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Post by slackie on Feb 16, 2011 7:05:07 GMT 12
Hey Medic, thanks for the photo... funny thing... I was at the very same airshow, and took a very similar photo... even has that same guy in the red shirt in the background, only he is standing slightly further back nearer the tail!!!!
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Post by rbwannabe on Feb 16, 2011 13:13:05 GMT 12
Alias
Absolutely correct with your story.
It is standard practice to tie the tailwheel to\ something when doing a run up in the Pitts, it has no handbrake and it is almost impossible to hold on the brakes at power.
The parts replaced where, the entire fuselage from the firewall back (it came from the factory with all the seats, control rods cables etc) the bottom right wing/aileron, rudder and right hand elevator and stab.
Then there was the new canopy that needed to be replaced when the Nav/Com smashed it when it came out half way through an outside loop! because it wasn't fastened properly
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Post by alias on Feb 16, 2011 16:51:31 GMT 12
Bloody engineers eh?
Nice to see a pic of Wal Denholm and Steve Taylor back in the day, my how time flies.
My partner Kaye Nairn says hi, figures you wont remember her though, reckons you owe her a ride in a Pitts!
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Post by rbwannabe on Feb 17, 2011 15:53:58 GMT 12
And they haven't changed a bit!
I'm sure I remember Kaye, but so many girls and such little memory space :-)
Was she from New Plymouth?
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Post by slackie on Feb 25, 2013 19:03:00 GMT 12
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