# Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre - Stage 2



## gumbyk (Oct 30, 2016)

We had the official opening of stage 2 of the AHC on Friday, here's a couple of teaser photos.
Sorry for the quality - only had my phone with me, and it is pretty low-light.













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__ gumbyk
__ Oct 30, 2016


















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__ gumbyk
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__ gumbyk
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__ gumbyk
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Reactions: Like Like:
1 | Like List reactions


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## Gnomey (Oct 30, 2016)

Good shots all the same though. Looks like they've added some good exhibits.


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## Wurger (Oct 30, 2016)




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## Wildcat (Oct 31, 2016)

Looks good!


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## Thorlifter (Oct 31, 2016)

Nice photos. Thanks for sharing


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 31, 2016)

very nice stuff, thank for sharing.

Jeff


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## fubar57 (Oct 31, 2016)

Beauty


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## Airframes (Oct 31, 2016)

Great stuff.


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## Capt. Vick (Oct 31, 2016)

Wow! Would love to hear the story behind some of those pics. That's not a real Stuka is it?


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## Old Wizard (Oct 31, 2016)




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## Micdrow (Oct 31, 2016)

Great stuff!!!


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## gumbyk (Oct 31, 2016)

Capt. Vick said:


> Wow! Would love to hear the story behind some of those pics. That's not a real Stuka is it?


No, there's Stuka and Hurricane replicas hanging from the ceiling. Hurri is hanging upside-down as if going down in flames as part of a diorama.

Will take a camera next time I go out to get some decent photos.

Some more photos: 
_View: https://www.facebook.com/ClassicWingsMagazine/posts/1262763340431667_


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## Thorlifter (Nov 1, 2016)

Is the Stuka a full size replica?

Looking forward to more shots of the museum.


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## gumbyk (Nov 1, 2016)

Thorlifter said:


> Is the Stuka a full size replica?
> 
> Looking forward to more shots of the museum.


Yep - 1:1 model. It used to sit outside the museum before this was built. It, and the Hurricane were both dis-assembled and completely rebuilt for the new displays. The job turned into basically replacing everything except the steel sub-frame that they were built around.

I should have got photos of the build...


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## Gnomey (Nov 1, 2016)

Good stuff!


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## nuuumannn (Nov 2, 2016)

Great stuff Aaron. Looks great and looking forward to seeing how the Stuka and Hurri turned out. Will go when I get back to NZ in two weeks time.


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## gumbyk (Nov 2, 2016)

nuuumannn said:


> Great stuff Aaron. Looks great and looking forward to seeing how the Stuka and Hurri turned out. Will go when I get back to NZ in two weeks time.


Give me a call.
There's an aerobatic competition on the 18-20 Nov as well.


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## nuuumannn (Nov 2, 2016)

Will do, Aaron. Whose running the aerobatic competition, is it the aero club?


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## gumbyk (Nov 2, 2016)

No, there was one run last year for 70 years of the Pitts special, and they've continued it this year. Not sure who is running it though.
Definitely worth coming to see Noel Kruse doing aeros in the Ryan!


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## nuuumannn (Nov 2, 2016)

Saw that Ryan flying recently - it's a real beaut.


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## Old Wizard (Nov 3, 2016)




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## nuuumannn (Nov 21, 2016)

I'm going to muscle in on your thread, Aaron, since I went recently. Here are some pictures.

The burning Hurricane.







Bill Reid's Anson I






Ernle Clark and his fascinating story.
















Nice Me 262 night fighter model.






The time capsule Curtiss P-40; this aircraft has not been restored, but kept in this condition since its owners acquired it shortly after the war.











Lester's Stuka mock-up looks the part now.











Lydia Litvak and the Yak open up a section on the Great Patriotic War. There's an audio visual presentation of the battle of Stalingrad that offers facts and figures about the losses suffered by the Soviets during the war.











Hawk 75 fin. This aircraft has a fascinating past, originally being bought by the Norwegians, then being captured by the Germans (hence the Nazi swastika) and then seeing combat with the Finns. It's undergoing long term restoration at Omaka.






Vickers Vincent exhaust ring.






Fairey Gordon serial.






Spitfire F.XIVe NH799 in its bamboo revetment. The Spit, Yak and Anson are flyers and will be rolled out for flying days.






Very impressive display.


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## gumbyk (Nov 21, 2016)

No worries Grant - I haven't been out there since the opening, unfortunately.

You've probably got better photos than I would have been able to!

That Hawk 75 fin was originally slated for use for the restored aircraft, but the owner made the decision, given the story associated with the aircraft, and evidence on the fin to leave it as is, and have it on display.

I've got to admit, that I knew the Soviet losses were high, but didn't appreciate how high they were until seeing the AV presentation.


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## nuuumannn (Nov 21, 2016)

Yep, it's rather sobering sitting through that presentation. Very well done though. I haven't seen Mike Nicholls for awhile, so I have no idea how the Hawk's coming along. As for the photos, I'd like to go back and take some more; I literally whizzed through and snapped away quite quickly in between working on the house and minding my daughter, so they aren't brilliant. Mind you, the contrasting lighting is pretty hard on the sensor.


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## Gnomey (Nov 21, 2016)

Great shots!


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## Old Wizard (Nov 21, 2016)




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## Wurger (Nov 22, 2016)




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## Airframes (Nov 22, 2016)

Great pics, and a nicely presented museum. The 'settings' are excellent - perhaps the RAFM (Hendon) should look at this museum, and think "_That's_ the way to do it - none of the arty farty, poorly lit [email protected] we've been using lately " !


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## gumbyk (Nov 22, 2016)

Airframes said:


> Great pics, and a nicely presented museum. The 'settings' are excellent - perhaps the RAFM (Hendon) should look at this museum, and think "_That's_ the way to do it - none of the arty farty, poorly lit [email protected] we've been using lately " !


We'll see how it goes.
The Anson flies regularly, and the Yak is available for joy rides, and that 'snow' around the yaks wheels will need to be constantly groomed....


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## Crimea_River (Nov 23, 2016)

Great stuff here guys.


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