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This is an item I wrote about a pleasant day at one of our small aero club annual fly-ins. It may interest Kiwis abroad and folk who enjoy light aircraft activities. In New Zealand we have only approx. 3,000 aircraft on our Civil Register. But do bear in mind that our population is a tiny 4.1 million on a land area about the same as the United Kingdom. Just imagine half the population of London (I think?) over all that land! And we are rich in airspace for fun-flyers.
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This is a lengthy essay on this significant post-WWII pressurised airline type which will be recalled by many UK and Canadian readers. The use of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine is interesting given that the use of liquid-cooled powerplants in post-war civil air transport types was rare, unusual and controversial.
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Recently, I interviewed Ray Misson who, 39 years ago, experienced a major flap assymetry when on final approach to Napier airport. In this re-look at the aircraft type and the ditching, Ray relived the struggle he had to regain some semblance of control.
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A slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the General Aircraft and Airspeed attempt to meet an Air Ministry Spec. for a slow-speed machine to support the Royal Navy.
There are many WWII aircraft which I would have loved to have flown; but I am not sure these two would have been amongst them!
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This is part two and includes my attempt to 'create' a typical escort mission profile from the UK to a target east of Berlin. My trusty old Jepp. CR-2 'whiz-wheel' was working overtime on this one! I spent so many hours on it, that it rather reminded me of the tortured hours spent in exam. rooms during the 1960s to gain an eventual pass in the Australian ATPL Flightplanning examination. No electronic calculators permitted to be used in those days; just our Jepp. manual thingys and a set of Log. tables...which I still have in my office today. It was written for my Email chums, so is a tad meandering here and there.
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During the 1950s, I was a teenage lad who lived near the aerodrome where New Zealand's first civil helicopter operations began. This tale outlines the Hiller 12 story and the events that began our country's deep involvement with helicopters.
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Whilst I do realise that this item will almost certainly result in my never being invited to a Royal Garden Party, and any faint hope of a 'Gong' has flown away forever, the truth must out! I owe at least that to the Empire that nurtured me and from which I learned to always play a sraight bat, put one's best foot forward, place one's nose to the grindstone, one's shoulder to the wheel, and, at the same time, maintain one's jolly crease...not so easy when one ecktually attempts to execute all those noble functions at the same time, I tell 'ee. There is an Autumnal preface which I penned for those on my aviation Email Contact list...but feel free to meander through it should you find time hanging heavy on your hands. And please forgive me, fans of Blackburn products. Cheers all, from a humble Colonial peasant.
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Greetings again merrie troops. Have been busy scribing other stuff for a NZ aviation magazine, but now have some time to post this meandering essay which explores the P-51D's range-flying ability. I do not doubt that the Mustang experts will probably 'shoot me down', but this may interest some of you.