Trip to Avspecs and MOTAT last week.

[Gavin Conroy]

Here are a few photos from my trip to Auckland last week.

Had contacted the guys at MOTAT to see if it was possible to get up close with the Mosquito so I traded a few Classic Wings magazines for a look around.
It was great, a lot of people were working on many different types.
The visit was over shadowed by the construction of the new hangar.
It is HUGE and I cant wait to go back and have a look when everything is completed.

We visited Avspecs twice as I had a lot of photos to get and we had some flying planned but flagged it due to lack of blue sky.
The Mosquito is looking great and the P-40B is coming along nicely as well and cannot wait to fly with both of these aircraft. Have always had a real interest in the P-40B and we have a few different ideas in terms of photos of that one when the time comes.

Great day trip that's for sure, will be back every 6-8 weeks until the Mosquito flies for updates and is sure is exciting times.

[Splitpin]

Great work Gavin Its nice to see some TLC being given to those old girls at MOTAT.
Is that the mosquito that may be flying at Omaka next year?

I really wish that Avspecs or even Motat....or the Air Force museum could rescue the poor old Antarctic dak from down here........all these other things being restored while she rots

Maybe you can trade a few more mags for her release

[IslandBoy77]

Great photos. It will be awesome to have a real-live "mozzie" buzzing about the NZ skies - one of my fav wwii twin-engines...

[spongebob206]

The Mossie is looking great. What progress since my pics.

Brings a tear to my eye

[markll]

QUOTE (IslandBoy77 @ Aug 15 2010, 12:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Great photos. It will be awesome to have a real-live "mozzie" buzzing about the NZ skies - one of my fav wwii twin-engines...

Yeah, though its not going to be buzzing round in NZ for long unfortunately...owner is in the US...story I read is that it'll debut at Classic Fighters 2011 (if ready by then) then go over to the States to live...

[IslandBoy77]

Typical! A shame we're too "poor" to be able to have a good range of the "old birds"

[Naki]

QUOTE (markll @ Aug 15 2010, 11:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, though its not going to be buzzing round in NZ for long unfortunately...owner is in the US...story I read is that it'll debut at Classic Fighters 2011 (if ready by then) then go over to the States to live...

That was always the intention with that Mossie but there is another in less advanced state of restoration that will live in NZ.

[FlyingKiwi]

QUOTE (IslandBoy77 @ Aug 20 2010, 08:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Typical! A shame we're too "poor" to be able to have a good range of the "old birds"

The upshot is, with all the various organisations around the country who are so well regarded internationally for their restorations, at least there's never a shortage of variety of warbirds in NZ, even if many of them don't spend very long here.

[Naki]

I concur - we probably have more warbirds (WW1, 2 and more modern) per head of population in the world - the WW1 fleet (thanks to Peter Jackson) is probably one of the bigggest in the world full stop.

[IslandBoy77]

QUOTE (Naki @ Aug 16 2010, 12:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the WW1 fleet (thanks to Peter Jackson) is probably one of the bigggest in the world full stop.

Which is great for the string-bag lovers - not so good for us stretch-skins fanatics...

[Naki]

QUOTE (IslandBoy77 @ Aug 16 2010, 02:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which is great for the string-bag lovers - not so good for us stretch-skins fanatics...

We still hold up very well and in warbird numbers (I mean the real warbirds like Spitfires) we arent far behind Australia (although they do have a lot more Mustangs) and we have as much if not more variety than them. We are way ahead of countries with equivalent populations (i.e Norway, Finland and Denmark- who probably could only boast a Mustang or two between them).

Off the top of my head we have here in NZ 2 Kittyhawks (at least 1 more on the way), 2 Mustangs, 2 Spitfires (and another on the way), 1 Hurricane (for sale but there is a rumour that a NZ group is trying to buy it), 1 Corsair, 1 Yak-3 (at least 1 more on the way) 1 Venom, 2 Vampires, 1 Hunter, 1 A-37, 4 L-39s & 4 L-29s & 1 FW-190 replica on way..plus we have had our share of very rare WW2 aircraft flying here thanks to the likes of Tim Wallis and Ray Hanna.

[IslandBoy77]

I didn't realise we had a hunter here - where is it based? Is it in flying order? Does it ever display?

[Naki]

The Hunter is currently here in Tauranga ..unfortunatley it hasn't flown for a couple of years but it has supposedly been sold with hope that it will be flying again (hopefully the rumour is true). It has appaeared at Air Shows at Ardmore, Wanaka, Taupo and Tauranga over the years.

[IslandBoy77]

QUOTE (Naki @ Aug 17 2010, 09:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Hunter is currently here in Tauranga ..unfortunatley it hasn't flown for a couple of years but it has supposedly been sold with hope that it will be flying again (hopefully the rumour is true). It has appaeared at Air Shows at Ardmore, Wanaka, Taupo and Tauranga over the years.

What is the sound of the engine like in real life - noisy like the vampires, or quieter?

[Naki]

Louder...more like a Skyhawk IIRC

[IslandBoy77]

QUOTE (Naki @ Aug 17 2010, 11:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Louder...more like a Skyhawk IIRC

I suppose being an old aircraft, it has to wind it's rubber band up during start?

That's the thing about being an aviation enthusiast - one really has to BE where the aircraft are to enjoy them: sight, sound and smell (gotta love that AV-gas aroma... )

[h290master]

when the hunter is diving its sounds very cool

[Ian Warren]

Twin engined .. wonder who the lucky test pilot will be - .. Hells! with both the big boats out side , it would be the best time to take a few thousand d/photos .. every position/angle and detail .