)Ok this photo is probably my most important one to me. I used to be a volunteer at the Air Force Museum from 1979 to 1988. Myself and my brother plus a few friends from the local ATC Squadron we belonged to, started out helping paintstrip the Museum's rare Grumman TBF-1 Avenger NZ2504. Last flown as a target tug in 1959 she was brought back to running and taxying condition. As the turret was missing she was put back in the target tug markings she retired in. Every Sunday we would turn up and by 1980 found myself taught by the Air Force Sergeant who supervised us, to ground run the Avenger. I was barely 18 so you can imagine how bloody scared I was the first time!!! But after a few weeks it became second nature.
In the pictures of this groundrun you can also see the Museum's Dakota NZ3551. She was a VIP configured Dakota and actually flew the Queen on her tour here in 1952.
Oh but first here's the photos of my first groundrun. Standing on the wing is Sergeant George Jaunzemiz who is forever in my debt for allowing me (a civilian!) to do this. I cocked it up a little as there was a backfire when she first fired as I had the throttle set a little bit too far forward. (Yes I cringed too!) As you can see the hydraulics all worked as I unfolded the wings.
Man check out the date...........1980! 30 years ago!!!
Ok here we go.
Here I am climbing into the cockpit. The Avenger isn't an easy aircraft to board. The trailing edge of the wing is about level with your head!! But various hand holds and steps help!
Battery cart plugged in and ready to fire her up. She was fitted with an inertia starter which means you hold the start switch to the left to energise the starter(basically spinning up a little flywheel to several thousand RPM) for approx 15 seconds then flick right to engage. The prop turned about two complete revolutions so if the engine didn't start it was back to the beginning! Oh and the last 5 seconds of counting involved flicking the fuel priming switch on so your fingers were a bit busy.
Ok post start shot, I've closed the cowling and oil cooler flaps to help the engine warmup.
Basically we did a fairly standard engine runup , check the Mags at 1200 RPM turn them to left, then right then briefly(!) to off then on again. For those going huh? Aircraft have two magnetoes for the ignition and each cylinder has two sparkplugs. So if one magneto or plug lead fails the engine keeps running (although a bit less smoothly. Turning the Mags off (known as Dead cut) is to make sure when the ignition is set to off the magnetos are off! When the engine is running and you flick the mag switch to off then to both again you hear a slight hesitation from the engine as the spark goes away then comes back.
The reason for my (!) after briefly was a certain officer did this dead cut.......................at 2000RPM!!!!!!!!!!! There was almighty backfire when he flicked the mags back to both!!
After the mag check I opened her up to 1800 RPM and put the prop through its range from full fine to full coarse pitch. The folded and spread the wings a few times ,operated the flaps and bomb bay doors.
The reason my head is not visible in this shot is I'm leaning forward operating the wingfold lever. For the eagle eyed amongst you, you may notice some small red lettering just forward and above the exhaust on the prot side. This says "The Lone Avenger". NZ2504 was the last one operated by the Air Force. Two others survive here. NZ2527 up at the Museum of Transport and Technology being restored and NZ2539 in rather sad condition outside!!
See these sad photos!! http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo ... read=10839
And a shot of the Dakota firing up the starboard engine.
A few years later the Avenger was refurbished again, fitted with a turret and put in the markings of a RNZAF Avenger shot down during a raid on Rabaul in the Pacific in 1944. (NZ2521)
That will be all for now, I shall post some more later.
Cheers
Baz
Oh its ok someone saw my need for a photo! 
