Tauranga Air Show - New Zealand

[Naki]

The air show season is in full swing at this end of the world. One of the bigger shows this year was in my home city; Tauranga. It maybe set to rival the famous Warbirds over Wanaka Show in future shows - with some refinements.

Heres some pics from the show which may interest you since you are probably starved of shows at the moement and the aircaft mixture is a bit different.

I must apologise for the quality of the photos as:
1. I am a crap phtographer.
2. Couldn't get a good vantage point at times
3. My normal camera broke the day before and had to use a borrowed camera with a dodgy zoom

Percival Provost

C-47/DC-3 - operated by the NZ Warbirds in RNZAF VIP colours

One of my favourites - ex RNZAF P-40E currently in Flying Tigers colours

Catalina

Harvard (Texan) ex RNZAF Harvard just freshly painted in US Navy colours

 

[Naki]

Another Harvard - this time in RNZAF colours

What I came to see --- Mk IX Spitfire - owned by Berndon Deere whom is the nephew of famous NZ spitfire pilot - Al Deere - his Spitfie is in his Uncle's Spitfire original colours.

T-28 Trojan

Miles Messenger - painyted Monty's colours

 

[Naki]

BF-108 ..actually I think this is a French version built by Nord. Its reengined with a Lycoing or Continental ..this aircfat usally acts as the "enemy" aircaft at shows in NZ complete with loud hailer gun fire

Extra 300

PiperSport - had a sit in this very nice!

One of many Titan Mustangs - scale Mustang various engines in them including a Holden (Buick) V6

A bit of Americana

Can't remember what these are?

 

[Naki]

A jet powered (!!!) Long Eze - engine from Vietnam era drone with 2000lbs thrust - weight of Long Eze 2000 lbs - 1:1 thrust to weight ratio! This did have a 600hp rotary engine in it (very noisey) - yet to be flown with jet and no doubt wil be noisier.

Bede -5 - apparently about to be re-engined with a jet as well

Barber Snark - a NZ designed microlight

Cri- Cris

Sukhoi SU-29

 

[Naki]

P-40E again

ex RNZAF Corsair (the only ex RNZAF one flying in the world) currently in US Navy colours

One of many Tiger Moths

ex Vietnamese Cessna A-37 ( a local warbird)

L-39

Vampire

 

[Naki]

NZ designed and very sleek Furio - a composite aircraft based on the Falco F-8

Pyros..

Stearman

Fletcher - wouldnt normally photograph this as they dime a dozen here - although most of them are now turboprop powered - the PAC 750 XSTOL is based on the Fletcher

P-40N - ex RAAF

 

[demorier]

Looks like pretty good weather on the day....that helps.

 

[Snuffy]

Nice Lot of Pics ... Many thanks for sharing!

 

[TomSteber]

Great pictures! Looks like a good time and even better weather.

 

[PeteHam]

Thanks for posting the pics Naki

I was too busy organising the parking etc on the flightline for the display aircraft to have time for taking photos.

We certainly had great weather and a good time.

Pete.

 

[Wing_Z]

...and I managed a little video of the Corsair on the Saturday
EDIT: (Double-posted in FS9 forum! as embedding doesn't seem to work...)

[YOUTUBE]M_G4I3Tj6rk[/YOUTUBE]

Bizarre that Youtube picks a frame containing the Kittyhawk!
Anyway, sound UP and HD on...