Anything Aviation

[Rural53]

Yeap, definitely shouts John Thorp. What I didn't say was in 1966 when Fletcher Aviation got out of building aeroplanes PAC bought the rights and the Fletcher became a truly NZ plane.

A real one way strip. When this was posted on FB a year or so ago there was plenty of "Oh he's unsafe, landing downwind" 

In cockpit view of a one way strip, note the ASI at 0:55

Edit: $1,500,000 aeroplane and they still use a piece of rope to open the hopper.

[Rural53]

1978 New Zealand Frigate HMNZS Waikato after rescuing a US Navy Sea King helicopter that was dangerously low on fuel and the only alternative was to ditch at sea. The Commander of Waikato Captain Ian Bradley was applauded by the US Navy and condemned by the heirachy in New Zealand. It was the first ever time a Sea King helicopter had ever landed on a Leander Class frigate although a similar situation during the Falklands war in 1982 saw a Sea King have to make an emergency landing aboard HMS Minerva which was a sister ship to Waikato (Batch 2 Leander)

Photo Colourised

[jabberwoki]

B-17/5

[Rural53]

The famous "Four Feathered" photo. The engine in the nose is the prototype Wright XT-35 Typhoon turboprop. Jet development overtook this engine and the next long range bomber was swept wing and jet powered.

Assuming that is late 40's that is still less that $4k in today's money, a good price for a Allison.

[Rural53]

"I need new underwear!"

DC3 dropping sky divers. Large group exit causing Centre of Gravity (GoG) to move aft probably passed aft limit. The pilot would have run out of elevator authority, the nose came up and the aircraft stalled. The nose dropped and the aircraft spun. The pilot recovered and landed.

[DeadNutz]

A member of our warbird forum was on this B-25 and they almost made it to Stockton Airport in CA where his shop and facility is. Those irrigation ditches are rough on airplanes.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=72077&sid=bc8e5f2192d06d8257233e02b5163879

[Rural53]

An Ambush of Tigers at Taumarunui this last week end. Annual Tigermoth fly-in. BAL, mid line up, is the one I've flown. Thanks to my mate Paddy for the photo.

[DeadNutz]

Pretty impressive lineup of Tigermoths. Never flown one but have never been around one.

[Rural53]

"Air to air view of No. 14 Squadron Aermacchi NZ6463 with the erupting volcano, Mt. Ruapehu in the background." 1996.

[Rural53]

Andover beat up over the Blunty flight line. [Blunty = BAC 167 Strikemaster]
Ohakea 1984

[Rural53]

A great morning yesterday at Pacific Aerospace as Cresco 40 made its first flight.  This is the first new Cresco in almost 20 years and will be going to long time Pacific Aerospace customer Rural Air Work Ltd from Hawke’s Bay where it will join a sister pink aircraft. 
Changes on this aircraft from the earlier models include improved cockpit sealing and air conditioning, more use of P-750 components, a carbon fibre engine cowl, and an EFIS avionics fitout.  Several other improvements are in development and will be rolled out on new aircraft and as retrofits to existing aircraft.
Pacific Aerospace is enjoying strong interest from operators so expect to see more new Crescos next year.

[DeadNutz]

Always nice to see companies putting out new production. How is the situation in NZ on numbers of Airframe and Powerplant mechanics or your equivalent? At our Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter we try to help any aspiring A & P mechanics any way possible. Our latest success story is a young man that one of our members took under his wing several years ago to gain his practical experience as a mechanic. Our members all chipped in and came up with a rolling box set full of tools he needed.
The only thing lacking from the boxes was adjustable wrenches as those aren't allowed anywhere near an airplane.

[coolmercury]

This wrench brings back memories of 1956.  I was just out of flight school and assigned to Forbes AFB to fly RB-47H's.  More on that if anyone is interested.  As I needed lots of ground school before they would let me in a 47 I had to try and get flight time from base flight so I could get my flight pay ($100.00 per month).  I was on a list and one day they called me and said I could get a flight in the right seat of a C-47 if I could get there in 10 minutes.  The flight was just from Forbes to Offett and back but I logged four hours which is my total C-47 time.

This wrench is a Wright 82750 (also stamped Armstrong) and is a jug wrench for the cylinders / jugs of a C-47.  This was recently given to my by a 97 year old WW-2 C-47 pilot.

[Rural53]

As a serious A&P, you should always keep your tools well organized.

[Rural53]

Royal Navy Hunter GA 11 XF297 jumps the wheel chocks at full power run.