Aircraft General Discussion

Neil, I looked up the RAF museum web site, they have, some time ago taken a sample of the aircraft, and treated it with the citric acid solution, another use for citric acid, its proberbly the most talked about chemical on this, and other model engineering sites. I wish them luck, one or two ME 110 fighters were rebuilt in NZ a few years back, think they went to the States, I think they had been in a Russian swamp, as was the Hurricane that is resident in NZ. The theory here (well not quite), is if you can find the name plate, you can rebuild the plane as the RNZAF museum is doing with a Vickers Vildebeeste, of which the Rnzaf had quite a few along with the Vickers Vincents, something over70 all up, our front line bombers, and coastal defence, Dad helped rig one with anti shipping radar. Ian S C

I heard the RNZAF rebuilt a Spruce Goose from a pinecone that floated into Wellington harbour

Neil

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 06/05/2013 16:39:13

No Neil, Auckland harbour, and plastic , not wood. Today was the first time many New Zealanders, me included heard of the company "Composite Helicopters" their prototype machine seems to have had a turbine failure, and their aircraft landed in the harbour under autorotation. The helicopter is designed and built in NZ, fuselage, main and tail rotors are all carbon-fibre and Kevlar, a first for a civilian chopper. The engine is a RR 250 series rated up to 450shp. The machine has been to Oshcos(I know the spellings wrong), and they were getting ready to go to the Moscow airshow.

It took the Navy 10 miniutes to pick up the two on board. I hope its only a bit of a set back, they have about 41 orders in so far, this could be big. Ian S C

A bit of a let-down to have your plastic chopper fail because of an engine fault!

Neil

Oskosh IIRC - you mean where they have all the mustangs pylon racing etc.?

Oskosh IIRC - you mean where they have all the mustangs pylon racing etc.?

No, pylon racing is at Stead Field, Reno, Nevada.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the EAA Airventure fly-in - the largest airshow in the world.

I'm fortunate enough to have been to both, though my first visit to Reno coincided with the September 11 attack & the races didn't happen (everything grounded because of the attacks) & the second visit was marred by fatalities. Oshkosh is simply amazing - so much to see & a fanatastic atmosphere. Well worth the effort to attand if you have an interest in aviation.

Couldn't persuade my wife to delay a trip to NZ to visit my brother & family when they lived there to coincide with the Wings over Wanaka show, though. Can't win 'em all, I suppose !

Airpower 2013 in Zeltweg is the fous of this year's holidays - another great event, and free to enter as well.

Thats it Neil Oskosh, Thwe chopper is registered as experimental at the moment. They fished it out of the harbour today, and the veiw we got on TV showed very little damage despite a fairly heavy water landing, the spokesman for Composite Helicopters was very pleased with the peformance of his machine in an emergency landing. Oh well the saying goes, any landing you can walk away from is a good one, I suppose that includes swimming.

The use of carbon-fibre/ kevlar is an advanced technoligy in the Auckland area due to the Americas Cup yatchs being built there, and input from that also helped in the build of other projects such as the Mosquito. Ian S C

Hi all,
I have just noticed that there is a video clip of the crash on Yahoo's home page. I think this should take you to it.

Les

Aircraft enthusiasts might find this interesting.

Just the other week the remaining New Zealand aircrew of bomber command received a clasp to their service medal, 6000 Kiwis flew in bomber command, 1851 died, last June 32 went to the reunion in London , some would say better late than never, I would say it should have happened in 1945/46.

Ian S C

In 1946, most people would have fel;t that the war was a national/Commonwealth effort, so I can see why so many contributions weren't individually recognised at the time - where do you draw the line, especially when 'they also serve who only stand and wait'?

On the other hand, with the benefit of a detached view, contributions like theirs and that of miners, merchant seamen etc. etc. etc. should have been recognised and commemorated much sooner, perhaps in the 50s or 60s.

On a lighter note 'they' raised a Dornier from the bottom of the North Sea today. The BBC were unable to get a barnacle spokesman to comment. Alledgedly enough bits for the Kiwis to reconstruct and entire bomber flight

Neil

When dad came home from the UK at the end of the war, they (the airforce) told him if he wanted his medals he'd have to apply for them, his idea was ,if they appreciate me that much, they can keep the b****y things. I have thought of applying for them, I think his grandchildren would like them, I think something similar happened with mum, she was a Corperal in the WAAF. Ian S C

I heard my first sonic boom today! I was in the workshop this morning, just finishing cutting a gear, when there were two loud booms and the garage door visibly moved in and out. That's got to be some pressure wave! I went outside to have a look, but no obvious damage to any surrounding houses. Several other neighbours were also outside looking around. I did mention that I'd heard a jet go overhead, and may be it was breaking the sound barrier. One of my neighbours was rather dismissive, she'd heard a sonic boom in the past, and it definitely wasn't like the boom we'd just heard. That put me in my place.

This afternoon the story appeared on the BBC website, and on the BBC local news on the television, it was indeed a sonic boom. A Typhoon had been scrambled from Lincolnshire to intercept an airliner that had lost communication with Heathrow. Obviously he was in a bit of hurry, so he broke the sound barrier on the way to London.

Despite the double boom, my greenhouse did survive.

Regards,

Andrew

These Typhoon 'interceptions' are becoming more frequent. I have to ask, apart from allowing the fast jet brigade free rein to 'boom' over the mainland, just what purpose are they supposed to serve? I'm sure it's all very impressive, but useful ... ??? Even as a means of waking up the sleeping drivers they have obvious limitations. Was once intercepted by a Thai Air Force Trojan - appeared without warning alongside us - concentrates the mind wonderfully - but we weren't doing anything out of order and we were both awake!! 'Tiffie' options seem rather limited ... and limiting!

Rgds

Bill

I agree with Bill, what are they going to do, shoot down a straying airliner, could understand it when they sent Lightenings off after Russian recco planes. Ian S C

Maybe he holds a sign up saying " tune into the BBC for landing instructions"

Oh, that wont work if they are asleep, maybe knock on the door?

Dave

Ian,

Dad got his medals 3 years ago at 90 yrs old.

His story is on Page 213 of "Without Reserve"

by Alan Paisey.

Dave

If it posed athreat to a population centre or other aircraft I am sure it would be shot down.

Mike

My uncle George Johnson Now deceased, served two "tours" of of approximately 30 missions each as a Bombardier air gunner in the battle of Britain, an Australian defending England and world peace. While he survived and was highly successful  in his civilian life, he paid a heavy price, his health was affected by the stress. Lest we forget.

Edited By John McNamara on 17/06/2013 15:17:52

When I was a kid Concorde was still allowed to go supersonic over the Bristol Channel and we would await they bangs (3pm I think) with great anticipation and excitement.

Yesterday evening a Hercules turned over the house, well it was probably the front garden actually. It can have been no more than 250 feet up, far less than half the altitude the private planes and microlites go over at. - I promise this is not an exaggeration!

Neil