Aircraft General Discussion

Just home from a wonderful week end, we had a 50th anniversary reunion of joining up with the RNZAF Boy Entrant School at RNZAF Woodbourne. I think all of us were surprised at the changes, and shocked at some of them. In the 1940s there were 4500 personal on station, when we got there in 1964 there were 800, and the place was quite busy, now there are 80 airforce staff, and maybe more than that as civvies. The only work of note is the refurbishment of three C-130s (complete rebuilds of the airframes), the thing that shocked us about them was the shocking "quality" of the original build of the aircraft by the manufacturer in USA, from what I saw, the aircraft should not have flown, although they have since 1965, and all 5 aircraft went back to the states in1972-73 for wing centre section mods that seem to be about as poor as the original build.

The grub in the Airmans Mess was about the same as always, the steak was something like rubber, and the spuds like bullets. 81511 B/E Clark I S. Ian S C

@Ian S C:

It's not for nothing that a/c built by Lockheed during that time were known as "the world's only bio-degradable aircaft"!

But the grub in the apprentice's mess at RAF Halton during that period was excellent - as one would of course expect !!!

Thanks for the post (and all the others, always interesting).

AES (ex Trenchard Brat, 98th Entry, May 1961- April 1964)

I've eaten both (UK) Army and Royal Air Force grub, and by my recollection it was excellent.

Neil

Actually the food in the mess was good in 64, and it was only the steak, and spuds this time, made a wrong pick with the meat. The meal was cooked for us by the cadets.

I think the worst Airforce meal was breakfast on an over night stop over at RNZAF Wigram/Christchurch, when I flew from Dunedin to RNZAF Woodbourne/ Blenhiem, in a Hastings C3, the year before I joined up. Bacon, and egg, it was about 2 mm thick, hard and tough, could be used as roof shingles, and the bacon wasn't much better. The airman that got the job of cooking it wasn't a cook, think he was an engine fitter. We didn't actually mind, it was part of an adventure, and we thought the Hastings was the main part of it, probably the fastest transport aircraft in the country at the time, unless NAC had their Viscounts by then(can't remember), but they where about 15/20 mph faster. Think we all were impressed by the seating in the aircraft, it was reversed, and proved as successful in a couple of accidents. love the sound of the Bristol Hercules engines.

Edited By Ian S C on 25/03/2014 12:11:01

Haven't seen a Viscount for years. They were always flying over home when I was a boy.

Neil

I remember making quite a few UK internal flights on Vanguards in the early 1970s, thought they were quite a nice plane, never travelled on a Viscount though.

Edited By V8Eng on 25/03/2014 18:15:14

One of NAC's Viscounts is being restored (non flying) at Ferry - Mede museum in Christchurch, it sat outside for many years. The other 4 aircraft went over seas, I think at least one was flying in Africa.

On looking at Google, there are a number of people who would like to have one restored to flying in UK. but I doubt if they realise the complexity of the Redux bonding of the fuselage, and wings, they weren't just riveted together.

Ian S C

Hi Ian,

That word Redux rings a bell. Is that where they bond a honeycomb material between two sheets of aluminium using a steam heated press? I remember working on a similar process at BAe in the 80's, I think that was called Redux.

Regards,
Ed.

Ed, I seem to remember that the skins were bonded instead of/or as well as rivits, I think that in parts the skin was doubled, and bonded, and required shaped moulds. Long time ago, and I hade no direct contact with the maintainance. Still if a Mosquito can be built, who knows. More likely than Concorde. Ian S C

oops

Edited By Ian S C on 26/03/2014 14:33:12

At Saunders Roe/BHC in the 60s they used the Redux process for a lot of the panels on hovercraft. The process was used to "stick" stringers (like a witches hat in section) onto flat panels. A rivet at each end was used as an anti peel measure. I understand that its an epoxy based adhesive, which is cured under pressure and at an elevated temperature just elevated not really hot.Try Googling "Redux".

cheers

Bill

I see that Sir Peter Jackson(Lord of the Rings director), has chartered out his new Gulfstream G650, This is a long range aircraft, 7000 nml, and is to be a communication centre for the search for MH 370, at a cost of $US10,000 per hr, it cost around $80million, so you got to pay for it somehow. Nice toys some people have. Ian S C

Bit more info: Max speed Mach 0,925    982km/h

                       Cruise        Mach 0.85 to 0.90

                       Service ceiling    51000 ft

It's b****y fast.

Edited By Ian S C on 03/04/2014 15:05:18

I see that our "Air Force" is fully occupied Prince & Princess & little George using the Boing 757, Orion looking for MH 370, and a Hercules / C 130 on a mercy flight to the Solomon Islands. Normal flying hours these days is about 4 per month, so the boys will be loving the extras. Oh yes and they had a search and rescue on last week with another of the Orions, and a chopper. Ian S C

Just have to hope nobody attacks us then won't we. Oh hang on, none of those are armed anyway. Give Peter Jackson a ring, see if he can lend us a Fokker triplane or maybe an Albatros, should the need arise.

Or maybe we should lay in a stock of large white handkerchiefs.

John

John,

You may be able to sign up a few from WARBIRDS next weekend, perhaps?

Dave

See the Royals are going to Omaka ? Friday.

The Warbirds had to give up helping the navy with ship to air practice with some of their jet aircraft, Hunter, Vampire, Venom etc.  Aircraft not available for hire or reward, the navy was paying for the service.    Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 09/04/2014 14:19:07

Our local Wings and Wheels show is over, and here's some of it. First a replica Nieuport 24 with a Rotec R 3600, 150hp, 9 cylinder radial engine, made in Australia(the plane was made in USA). After that a model A 10 Thunder bolt, it's about 2 metres long, and gives a good flying display Ian S C

The first of Air New Zealand's 787-9 's arrived on Friday evening, ordered 10 years ago, and only 4 years late, still another 9 to go. This is the first of this model of the production line, it's 6 metres longer than previous versions.

Ian S C

We took our daughter to Bruntingthorpe today to do a 'teenage drivers' course that was a late birthday present. She had a great time, and I also got to see some nice aircraft. The gate guardians are a Jaguar, a Westland Scout and (I think) a D'assault Mirage. didn't get to go round the museum but caught a few pics:

I had to look up number 2, does anyone know what they are without cheating?

Neil

Beech C-45 Expediter the others are obvious!