Warbirds (Historical, Veteran & Vintage Military Aircraft)

ngatimozart

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Warbirds Over Wanaka - Easter 2022.

Hey everyone first time poster so if this isn't the right place, mods go ahead and do your thing!

Thought I'd let people that check in here know that a RAAF F-35A has been confirmed for warbirds over Wanaka 2022! It'll be a very nice addition to the lineup especially considering it'll be the first one in NZ ever.
Yep, it's going to be awesome. Already have my tickets for it and really looking forward to it. Last time I was at it was in 2008 which was the final F-111 dump and burn in NZ.
 

At lakes

Well-Known Member
Soviet WWII fighter plane flies again nearly 80 years after crashing in lake

Pioneer restorations in Ardmore (Auckland) are doing fantastic work, getting an ex Russian P40 back in the air after it sat in a Russian lake for 80 years. The pilot survived but spent some time in hospital afterwards. Unfortunately the Germans bombed the hospital and the pilot lost a foot so it is most unlikely he went back to flying again. In saying that the RAF had a pilot with no legs so I suppose anything is possible, even for the Russians.
 

Flying Goose

New Member
Hello all,

We're raising funds to help finance a documentary film on the crash of the Royal Canadian Air Force Halifax NP711 on February 21, 1945, following a bombing raid over Worms, Germany. All seven crew members perished after the aircraft was shot down by enemy night fighters. This documentary focuses on the crew's final hours and efforts between 2018 and 2022 to excavate and recover the remains of the aircraft at the crash site on a hillside near Leistadt, Germany. The documentary features interviews including living witnesses to the crash, and Erik Wieman, his excavation team, and the successful efforts to designate the crash area as a gravesite. Donations over $200 earn the individual an on-screen producer's credit, and all donations over $500 earn the donator an on-screen executive producer's credit. Funds will help pay for travel to Canada and Germany, video recording equipment, if necessary, general expenses, and salaries for the production crew. Funds will also help pay for post-production work. The project will make the documentary film festival circuit in the United States, Canada and perhaps Europe. The project is currently in pre-production with filming beginning and April in California and continuing through August in Germany. This is a worthwhile effort to document the lives of seven men who died for their country.

Here are some links:

Go Fund Me: Searching for Halifax NP711, organized by Rob Wagner

Halifax NP711 Website: Home | Flying Goose Product

Internet Movie Database Page: Searching for Halifax NP711 (Short 2023) - IMDb

Your interest is greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Rob Wagner, director
 

ngatimozart

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Warbirds Over Wanaka - Easter 2022.

Hey everyone first time poster so if this isn't the right place, mods go ahead and do your thing!

Thought I'd let people that check in here know that a RAAF F-35A has been confirmed for warbirds over Wanaka 2022! It'll be a very nice addition to the lineup especially considering it'll be the first one in NZ ever.
Just a reminder that Warbirds Over Wanaka has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 uncertainty in NZ. Bugger.
 

At lakes

Well-Known Member
Mosquito first engine runs over half a century

NZ2336 De Havilland Mosquito reg number TE910

This aircraft is part of the collection from the late John Smith from his farm near Nelson New Zealand. After restoration at Omaka at the Aviation Heritage Centre had its first engine run recently.

I am unsure if its their intention to get it back into the air. Perhaps NG you could enlighten me on that one
 

ngatimozart

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Mosquito first engine runs over half a century

NZ2336 De Havilland Mosquito reg number TE910

This aircraft is part of the collection from the late John Smith from his farm near Nelson New Zealand. After restoration at Omaka at the Aviation Heritage Centre had its first engine run recently.

I am unsure if its their intention to get it back into the air. Perhaps NG you could enlighten me on that one
Nope she'll never fly which is a bugger because she's only got 80 hours on her. But that's the arrangement with the family, from memory. Today, there's engine runs again. They've done a really good job on here restoration as well. The Mustang, NZ2423, that John Smith had is at Ohakea and is being restored to flying condition by Brendon Deere (nephew of Al Deere WW2 NZ fighter ace with RAF) and his team. The engine recently came back from the US fully reconditioned they're in the process of rebuilding the aircraft. Not sure at what stage they are at yet. Brendon has a Spitfire and the TBF Avenger "Plonky". John Smith also had P-40 Kittyhawk NZ3220 "Gloria Lyons" which is also now at Omaka.
 

At lakes

Well-Known Member

A Steam-Powered Airplane, Anyone? - FLYING Magazine
And now just for giggles I was looking though You Tube and I came across a short video of the first successful steam powered flight made by an aircraft. At first I thought it was BS. But it occurred in the early 30's made by the Besler Brothers. It was not the first attempt at steam powered flight, there was a steam powered airship in France in the mid 1800's and this is the first recorded flight powered by steam. Another attempt was made in 1874 and the aircraft thundered down paddock in an attempt to take off, unfortunately when came to the end of the paddock the story is it kept on going, it did not fly. The Besler Bros appear to have mastered the technique and made a successful flight in the early 30's and the engine was so quiet witness said they could hear the pilot calling to them whilst he was flying. The aircraft could even had the ability to reverse I would imagine the very first to be able to do so.
 

ngatimozart

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A Steam-Powered Airplane, Anyone? - FLYING Magazine
And now just for giggles I was looking though You Tube and I came across a short video of the first successful steam powered flight made by an aircraft. At first I thought it was BS. But it occurred in the early 30's made by the Besler Brothers. It was not the first attempt at steam powered flight, there was a steam powered airship in France in the mid 1800's and this is the first recorded flight powered by steam. Another attempt was made in 1874 and the aircraft thundered down paddock in an attempt to take off, unfortunately when came to the end of the paddock the story is it kept on going, it did not fly. The Besler Bros appear to have mastered the technique and made a successful flight in the early 30's and the engine was so quiet witness said they could hear the pilot calling to them whilst he was flying. The aircraft could even had the ability to reverse I would imagine the very first to be able to do so.
Almost as bad as steam powered submarines and yes they were real.

The mighty Bristol Frightner - 20,000 rivets flying in very lose formation with a built in headwind and rained insided.

RNZAF TBF Avenger bombing IJN Yamato at Warbirds over Wanaka 1998. Gets jumped by a Zero.

Warbirds Tuesday, Oshkosh 2021
 

At lakes

Well-Known Member
NZ3511 Lockheed C60 Lodestar arrived in New Zealand on the vessel Fort George on December 1943. Assembled at RNZAF Base Hobsonville in December 1943 then spent the next two years in RNZAF colours. In October 1945 the aircraft was to be passed to Union Airways, the national airline in NZ at the time, the hand over being at Palmerston North airport near Ohakea. But on approach to the airport at Palmerston North the aircraft ended up in a farmers paddock. The left undercarriage collapsed and it ended up in a ditch in the paddock.
Understandably Union Airways were no longer interested in the aircraft and asked the Air Force to remove it. My Father was on the team that recovered the aircraft and the attached photos show how they did it. So armed with two Queen Mary's (that's Air Force talk for bloody big trucks in 1945)the wings were removed with the engines and tail they were recovered to Ohakea. The fuselage presented a different problem, so the collapsed undercarriage was pumped down by hand and it was towed back to Ohakea.

The photos are from my late fathers photo collection
 

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ngatimozart

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NZ3511 Lockheed C60 Lodestar arrived in New Zealand on the vessel Fort George on December 1943. Assembled at RNZAF Base Hobsonville in December 1943 then spent the next two years in RNZAF colours. In October 1945 the aircraft was to be passed to Union Airways, the national airline in NZ at the time, the hand over being at Palmerston North airport near Ohakea. But on approach to the airport at Palmerston North the aircraft ended up in a farmers paddock. The left undercarriage collapsed and it ended up in a ditch in the paddock.
Understandably Union Airways were no longer interested in the aircraft and asked the Air Force to remove it. My Father was on the team that recovered the aircraft and the attached photos show how they did it. So armed with two Queen Mary's (that's Air Force talk for bloody big trucks in 1945)the wings were removed with the engines and tail they were recovered to Ohakea. The fuselage presented a different problem, so the collapsed undercarriage was pumped down by hand and it was towed back to Ohakea.

The photos are from my late fathers photo collection
Very interesting. I see it's got the Pacific roundels on it so that suggests that it was with either 40 Sqn or 41 Sqn who did the runs up to Emirau, Green Island (Nissan Island) etc., using the C-60 Lodestars and C-47 Dakotas. My dad was on Green Island at the time.
 

DDG38

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Aircraft collide at US air show

This clip has most likely been aired on a lot of TV News Programs, but its sad to see the demise and loss of life of the crew of what appears to be a B17. Unsure what sort of aircraft collided with it, someone may know what it was.
Bell Cobra collided with the B-17. Tragic accident. Gotta love the Today show : "It is not sure yet whether anyone was killed" as the clip is being played. Seriously did they think anyone walked away from that fireball ?
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
Indeed a tragic accident, with the losses of human lives and two historic aeroplanes.
Here some more details.

And on this website links to several videos from different angles.
 
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ngatimozart

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This is video of the accident. Be advised offensive language and shows the subsequent fireball.


Another video this time a news one with a witness and a lawyer.

 
Last edited:
This is video of the accident. Be advised offensive language and shows the subsequent fireball.


Another video this time a news one with a witness and a lawyer.

I had just returned home from the Wings over Illawarra air show at Shellharbour and this was a big shock and its hard to understand how it happened. These thigs are usually so carefully choreographed
The pre-F35 flypast of 8 aircraft, led by the Lockheed Hudson and tailed by the only FW190 in Australia, was a sight and sound to behold
The F35 display was wonderful, better than last year and fortunately I had better earplugs this year.
 

swerve

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Re the air show crash, it's extraordinary that such a collision could occur. The P-63 pilot must have assumed there was nothing ahead of & below him. Either he or the B-17 was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone cocked up catastrophically.

Very sad.
 

Rob c

The Bunker Group
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Re the air show crash, it's extraordinary that such a collision could occur. The P-63 pilot must have assumed there was nothing ahead of & below him. Either he or the B-17 was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone cocked up catastrophically.

Very sad.
This is an interesting UTUBE video by an ex USAF display pilot on the crash. He brings a professional insight as to what should have been happening and what may have gone wrong, without coming to a definitive conclusion.


 
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