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I’m pleased to say there’s loads to report on our progress since April.  

Ali and Garry have just about put themselves out of work. Apart from one pesky leading edge panel the wing is not only structurally complete but has been paint stripped too.

The problematic leading edge panel is curved and we’re on version three of trying to get the right material that is strong enough but won’t work harden when shaped on the English Wheel. Hopefully the aluminium inbound from the U.S. will do the trick.

With the cowl supports built and the front cowl ring in place we can get the airframe over to Richard in Richmond to have new engine cowls built.

Paint Stripping  

The paint stripping was completed in just two days by the hardworking blokes at Aquamax using high pressure water. They’ve done an awesome job and the wing is pretty much ready for preparation for painting when the weather improves. Marty and I might be drawing pistols at dawn over the underside colour. We took the chance to strip the tail plane, fuselage side panels and the top cowl too so only the rear fuselage will need a rub back for repainting-a job for Graeme I’m informed

Magic at Classic Aero Machining  

To stave off unemployment Ali and Garry have turned their attention to repairing and fitting the upper and lower gear doors and once the undercarriage legs have had some welding done we will be ready for them to be finally assembled. Classic Aero Machining has done a great job of making the new one. It required many processes such as machining, heat treating, chroming, finish grinding and welding and is in ‘better than new’ condition.

Vintage V-12s

Our recent journey to England to help with the Barnstormer UK launch went via California where we met up with Jose of Vintage V-12s to check on progress on our new engine. The visit coincided with the guys from Avspecs who were enjoying a rare day off from reassembling the Mosquito at Chino. It is always impressive seeing the mountain of spares available at such places and to talk with such knowledgeable people. We even discovered the blue colour of our engine was to match the colour of a previous owners Bugatti! Thankfully it is now back to Allison grey and all the shiny bits are being reassembled. 

August to do list and goodbye to some warbirds.

August is an important month as we need a few things to come together that might otherwise cause a glitch in the matrix required to keep Full Noise on track. We need the 2.0 version of the spinner (using thicker material) completed so Marty can finish the cowl supports and that pesky leading edge manufactured and nailed into place.

It’ll be a full court press but I’m still confident the good people at JEM Aviation under the stewardship of Jay are on track to have Full Noise up and running for summer flying fun.

The number of Warbirds in NZ waxes and wanes, maybe driven by the exchange rate with the U.S. dollar. There’s been a significant movement of Warbirds out of the country in the last while and they’ve all had a long history delighting their fans at airshows around the country and sharing the thrill of flight via their second seats.

The ex RAAF P-40 owned by Liz Needham and Frank Parker has moved on to a new home in the U.S. It was rebuilt by Pioneer and made its debut at Warbirds over Wanaka back in 2000. 

The Mk IX Spitfire two seater is off to join the hugely popular rides market in the U.K. having delighted fans of the marque in NZ since 2008.

It’s also sad to see the Graham Bethel owned P-51 Mustang head offshore. Graham hung up his spurs after the Warbirds over Wanaka Airshow this year and after forty years in New Zealand this iconic WW II fighter is off to Aussie.

B y my reckoning that means the good people at Jay’s Yak Shack will be busier than ever getting the next tranche of fighters ready to go. 

Omaka Wings and Wheels Open Day

Join us at the Omaka Wings and Wheels Open Day on Father's Day, September 1st! While it's a little early for Full Noise to be flying on the day, we'll be there to talk about all things Full Noise and showcase our aviation-inspired clothing line Barnstormer NZ-AUS. Discover our exclusive range of Barnstormer apparel, including the full collection of Full Noise gear.

We would love to see you all for a catch-up, as it’s been a while! Don't miss out on this exciting event – mark your calendars and come have a chat 😎