Nelson Centenary of Aviation

[ARTESH]

That all sounds terrible and it makes me realise how fortunate I am to live where I do. Good luck with your new threads, Artesh. The subjects are worth perusing to get the truth out there.

Personally, I paid heaviest toll, because I was the only active military person in group, back then.

And we were not writing anything political or against regime ... We were writing about Army History, biography of Its Generals and notable Personnel, and things like that ...

To give it a more accurate example, it is like someone in West being charged with supporting Nazism, because he was writing biographies of German Pilots!!! Completely nonsense, isn't it???

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Some may say the Fox Moth is rather garish in her two tone green scheme but I think she is brilliant..... green being my favourite colour helps to form my opinion. This is a super post and if we had a post of the year contest I would think this one would be in the running!

Cheers,

jeff

 

[ARTESH]

This is a super post and if we had a post of the year contest I would think this one would be in the running!

Cheers,

jeff

Strongly agree with you, Jeff.

I have no info / knowledge about first part of your message, so no idea about that. My apologies.

 

[nuuumannn]

This is a super post and if we had a post of the year contest I would think this one would be in the running!

wow! Thanks Jeff! Especially coming after your Oshkosh thread!

 

[nuuumannn]

So, to wind up this wee commemoration, my colleagues went home last Thursday in the Dragon. It's a beautiful aeroplane and was a privilege to see it here. The presence of the Dragon at the fuel bowser brought a few rubberneckers, it was good to see interest from the normal airport patronage though. The interior, and saying goodbye to the old fella up the front.

DSC_2880

The heart-shaped instrument panel on the forward bulkhead.

DSC_2881

Time for a few photos of aeroplanes before leaving. This is my friend the editor of the magazine I write for copping some last minute shots for the record.

DSC_2884

Start-up is done the traditional way using the Armstrong method.

DSC_2892

Departure imminent.

DSC_2893

They don't make 'em like this any more - wood panelling and fabric covering evident in this view.

DSC_2898

Holding at the taxiway entrance for permission to cross airside.

DSC_2900

"Clear to cross taxiway Alpha, hold at Alpha Five..."

DSC_2902

"Holding at Alpha Five..."

DSC_2904

"Clear take-off Runway Two Zero..."

DSC_2908

It took them an hour to reach Kapiti in the North Island, which was good timing; on the way down it took the Dragon an hour and a half to get to NSN from Kapiti. Following that, the next stop was New Plymouth for refueling the self-loading cargo...

DSC_2910

I can't see the old fella making that journey again in a hurry, so it was a treasure to see the old girl here as it frequently visited NSN as a scheduled passenger liner. Perhaps I have captured the last departure of the Taniwha from NSN? I suspect so, but I hope not.

Thanks for looking.

 

[SaparotRob]

It's nice seeing a classic like that taking to the skies again. Thanks for the interior look.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Great shots Grant. I didn't know that the Fox Moth and Dragon had folding wings til now.

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Grant, thanks for the marvelous pics.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely shots Grant!

 

[nuuumannn]

I didn't know that the Fox Moth and Dragon had folding wings til now.

Thanks Andy. The de Havilland folding wing method is the same on the majority of their light aircraft, including the Puss Moth, and it is quite simple. Here is a piccie of the Dragon's wing with folding mechanisms. They are located at the innermost interplane struts outboard of the engine nacelles.

DSC_2886

To begin with, the hinged trailing edge piece behind the aft strut is unlatched using the two little knobs that protrude below the surface at its edge, one is visible next to the strut, and the section folds down to lie flat against the strut, the strut's after edge fitting into the triangular cut-out in the folding section. The curved handle on the wing leading edge is pulled outwards to unlock the forward wing mounting point, through which the handle locates, this is spring loaded in the locked position. Then the jury strut, folded flush with the top wing underside folds down and engages with the lower wing surface and then, with some stability, the wing can then be folded back. It doesn't sit against the fuselage, but exactly 90 degrees perpendicular to the wing's normal span, which enables access to the fuselage and engine nacelles to the rear.

I hope that explains it.

 

[Crimea_River]

It does indeed, thank-you.