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The Bearcat is from the Planes Of Fame Air Museum.'Morning Reno! Because the media peeps had our briefing at 7 am, we made an effort to get to the races early every day. Our mornings usually began with arrival at Stead at around 6 am, which gave us the opportunity to have a coffee in the RARA hangar before sauntering over to the ramp to see if there was an early morning photo shoot on. This was Thursday's, a couple of Formula 1 racers.
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At the morning briefings we found out the running order for the day and what time busses were leaving for the pylon photographic opportunities. I went on two of these. We also got the opportunity to spend time out on the ramp while aircraft were being moved about before races. Today was an introduction to the site for me, and I spent the entire day getting the lie of the land. The site is big and I overdid it a bit, not stopping for regular breaks as often as I should have. By the end of the day, I was sore all over. First thing, though, a walk around the pits to see people busying themselves with their aircraft before it gets too busy in there. Photo opportunities galore...
"Swamp Fox"
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Race 64 "Plum Crazy", flown by Vicky Benzing.
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T-6 chase aircraft.
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Race 69 "Eros" flown by Lee Oman.
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Race 5 "Big Red" flown by Joey "Gordo" Sanders has some pedigree.
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Race 90 flown by Greg McNeely.
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Race 55 "Man O' War" flown by Ken Gottschall, with its impressive tally of swastikas.
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Race 62 "Bunny" flown by Tom Nightingale.
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This one was one to watch purely out of novelty, Race 63 "Pretty Polly" flown by Patrick Nightingale.
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"Pretty Polly" being helped out to the ramp.
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Race 924 flown by Dennis Sanders is a Bristol Centaurus-powered Fury. There were two others...
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...Including Race 8 "Dreadnought" Flown by Joel Swager. Note the big cowl housing a 4360.
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Race 114 "Argonaut" flown by Mark Watt and powered by a 2800.
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One of the surprises for me was seeing this guy, Race 43, "51" flown by Steven Coutches.
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One of the stars of the races, the much celebrated "Thunderbird" formerly owned by Jimmy Stewart.
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Before the races even began, everyone was picking Race 3 "Bardahl Special" flown by Steve Hinton Jr to take Gold.
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In the absence of "Rare Bear", which couldn't make it, this guy was waiting in the wings. I got a good look at her out on the ramp. What a beauty.
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Finally for now, the Bonanza posing in front of the iconic finish line pylon. This guy is famous for his aerobatic routine. We'll see it soon.
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Next, Heritage Row and some warbird gems.
44-81645/82769 North American AT-6F-NT TexanHaneda AFB, Tokyo 1948- my sister Kathy and me.
Thank you. Amazing knowledge on this forum!44-81645/82769 North American AT-6F-NT Texan
82527 (MSN 121-43249) 317th Transport Group, Fifth Air Force, Tachikawa AB, Tokyo, Japan. Damaged landing at Tachikawa AB 23Oct46. 13th Air Service Group, Fifth Air Force,
Tachikawa AB, Tokyo, Japan. Damaged landing at Itami AB 17Jan48. To Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).
Dad after 1st solo on this type. Sometime October-November, 1941.Haneda AFB, Tokyo 1948- my sister Kathy and me.
Dad liked the Harvard. It was the principal trainer on which pilots trained at Service Flying Training School (SFTS).Dad after 1st solo on this type. Sometime October-November, 1941.
Nice to see all the good stuff under cover instead of out in the rain at Meola Rd.Thanks for following along, guys. Continuing on at MoTaT, we begin with the museum's other jewel, the Short Solent 4, formally operated by Tasman Empire Airways Ltd, the predecessor to Air New Zealand. A unique aircraft, it is one of only two Solents to survive, there is a Solent 3 at Oakland, California. This Solent, the only Mk.4 in existence, ZK-AMO flew the last flying boat service operated by TEAL in 1960, and it was laid up at Hobsonville, from where it was towed across the Waitemata Harbour to the Meola Road site via the estuary. Like the Sunderland, it sat outside for years but underwent a long-term restoration, which included refurbishing the interior. In doing so, the original pattern materials that TEAL had applied to its seats were sourced and the seats were recovered. Unique TEAL crockery and cutlery sit at tables dotted around the seating berths aboard the aircraft for that authentic feel.
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A mixture of aircraft from l to r, Fletcher Fu-24 nose, Short Solent bow, Grunau Baby glider, Miles Magister, Lockheed Electra, de Havilland Fox Moth, Gere Sport, Miles Gemini, Short Sunderland wing, de Havilland Dragon Rapide, Tui Sport and a microlight of some sort...
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The New Zealand Aero Club trophy, featuring a Percival Gull, probably the Gull Six flown by New Zealand aviatrix Jean Batten, which we'll see soon.
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The Sunderland from the balcony. MoTaT is the only place in the world where two big Short flying boats can be seen together.
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An overview of the original aircraft hall as completed in the mid-1980s, which was built around housing the Lancaster and the Solent indoors. The newer section dwarfs the original building and enables many more aircraft to be placed undercover.
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Next, Aermacchi MB-339CB NZ6466. This was ordered by the RNZAF to replace its venerable BAC Strikemasters, but the fleet was retired in 2001 with the disbandment of the RNZAF's Strike Wing. There was a hope that the fleet would be bought by Malaysia but that didn't happen and a number were allocated to museums around the country.
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Now, the Lancaster. NX655 was a Mk.VII that was modified to serve with the French Aeronavale, who operated a total of 58 Lancs, half Mk.Is and the other Mk.VIIs. All its aircraft were modified to the same maritime reconnaissance standard by Avro, the aircraft receiving two 50 cal armed rear turrets, a winch in the bomb bay, which exited through a small slot in each door, a US-made surface search radar and the removal of the mid-upper turret, the Nash & Thompson turret on the Mk.Is and a Martin turret in the Mk.VIIs. This was located further forward compared to the Nash & Thompson turret because it was heavier, but this aircraft has been modified back to a condition that closely resembles a wartime Bomber Command aircraft, although the twin 50 armed rear turret remains. A new scanner resembling the original H2S radar unit has also replaced the unit installed in the French aircraft.
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When the Aeronavale retired its last Lancs in early 1964, NX655 was gifted to New Zealand by the French government "in memory of the many New Zealander crews who took part in the liberation of France in this type of aircraft". Flown to RNZAF Base Whenuapai to the north of Auckland, it was dismantled and taken by road to MoTaT's Western Springs site in May 1964. Its engines were regularly run, but the cost of maintaining four Merlins in a running condition became a bit much for the fledgling museum and it was moved to the Meola Road site in June 1976 to join the Sunderland and Solent outside. When the new building was built, the Lancaster was the first to be placed undercover, the steel beams being raised around the Lancaster sitting on the hangar's concrete pad.
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As a memorial to New Zealanders who served in Bomber Command, the aircraft wears the markings of two different aircraft. On the right-hand side, it wears the markings of ND752 AA*O of 75 (New Zealand) Sqn, RAF, and on the left-hand side it wears the markings of NE181 JN*M "The Captain's Fancy" also of 75 (New Zealand) Sqn. The original NE181 was one of only a few Lancasters that survived the war that reached the amazing milestone of flying over 100 operations during the war. Owing to its significance, it was allocated for preservation and shipping to New Zealand, but for some inexplicable reason, it was scrapped after the war's end.
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Outside the hangar at MoTaT 2 is a mixed media construction reproduction of a Hawker Hurricane in the markings of Air Vice Marshal Keith Park's OK*1, in which he darted about 11 Group airfields in the summer of 1940. Originally, a wooden replica was acquired that had been built for the Battle of Britain film and that was placed up the pole for years. back in 2006 the replica was taken down and the model made, the replica then travelled south to Omaka in Blenheim, where it remains to this day, restored as an aircraft flown by a Blenheim-born fella James Hayter in 1940.
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Lastly for today, a car that looks a bit like a bog-standard Mazda MX-5 Miata, but on closer inspection is not what it seems. Note the three seats across the front and centrally located steering wheel, for example...
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This is an example of the Gibbs Aquada, an amphibious car designed and built by former politician Alan Gibbs. Powered by a 2.5 L Rover Vee 6 engine, the Aquada was put into limited production in 2003 and demonstrated remarkable usability, being quite fast both on land and at sea. It was capable of 160 kph (99 mph) on land and 50 kph (33 mph, 27 kts) at sea. Sadly, it is no longer in production and there are none for sale, which is a shame.
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That's it for today. Next, we arrive at LAX...