BAe Eagle GR.6 NZ8001

[K5054NZ]

BAe Eagle GR.6 NZ8001, "Poster Girl"

"But the RNZAF's service aircraft are not the only aircraft of the TSR.2 series resident in New Zealand: a former RAF instructional airframe arrived in New Zealand for the RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch in exchange for the remains of a Bristol Bulldog and two de Havilland Vampires. The aircraft was externally restored to GR.6 specifications and placed on display as NZ8001, being unveiled at a ceremony on November 20 1996 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the type's entry into RNZAF service. To commemorate the occasion the "real" NZ8001, crewed by Sqn Ldr Max Hughes and Flt Lt Kevin Howells, performed a five-minute display over Wigram Air Force Base." - from this author's informal history of the BAe Eagle's RNZAF Service, 2005.



NZ8001 was the first Eagle to come onto the RNZAF's inventory, on August 8 1986. After using XR222 as a testbed for the avionics to be fitted to the GR.6 aircraft, BAe used NZ8001 as practically a prototype for the GR.6 series. Test flights were carried out from BAe Warton throughout 1986, in RNZAF camouflage but without national markings. It wasn't until the weekend before delivery to New Zealand that the national markings were applied - in fact, it was the last of the batch to have these painted on.



Upon arrival in New Zealand in November 1986 NZ8001 became the "flagship" of the fleet, featuring prominently in print and television adverts for air force recruitment. It also was the aircraft used at air shows, its first being the Royal New Zealand Aero Club pageant in February 1987. Until 1998's Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow '01 remained the display machine, being replaced by NZ8004 (lost whilst practicing for Airshow NZ in 2001) that year.



When, in 1995, the RNZAF Museum began its search overseas for a suitable display aircraft, it was decided early on that NZ8001 would be the aircraft represented. This was due to her use as a publicity machine for most of her service life, and as such was easily recognized. Instructional airframe XS947 was donated to the museum by the RAF's technical college and it was shipped to New Zealand in July of 1995. A largely cosmetic restoration then followed, with a fixed deadline of November 1996 for completion put forth. The deadline was met, and saw the three-tone camouflage as worn by the fleet (and NZ8001) upon delivery a decade before applied to the aircraft.



The rollout of the "new" NZ8001 at Wigram on November 20 was well attended by the press, former crew from No. 9 Sqn and the public. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the type's entry into RNZAF service and to celebrate the completion of the restoration project, the "old" NZ8001 (operating from RNZAF Base Ohakea in the North Island) performed several low-level flybys at Wigram, giving a real show to the assembled crowd of around 1500. Pilot for the display was Sqn Ldr Max Hughes, coincidentally the first pilot to convert onto the Eagle in New Zealand. During a "go-around" flyby, one photographer managed to snap both NZ8001s together, a sight unseen before then and since. A large print of this image is on display near NZ8001/XS947 at Air Force World.



Following this performance, NZ8001 received artwork on her nose of a blonde in a "pin-up" pose - thereafter the aircraft was known as "Poster Girl", and a tradition of giving each individual Eagle a name and associated artwork came into being.



When this article was written (May 2006) NZ8001 was undergoing maintenance and was not due to fly for another month.

These pictures were taken the day before her flybys at Wigram. Note the absence of weapons pylons - '01 never flies public displays with them attached due to fatigue risk. A fortnight after these pictures were taken the "Poster Girl" artwork and name were applied by base technicians.

[Brian da Basher]

Wow Zac-o-matic that's one sweeeet Eagle! I really really like your camo scheme on it! Those two greens and that gray look soooo right on this bird!

Those beautiful Kiwi roundels are the icing on the cake! Excellent build mate!

Brian da Basher

[Hobbes]

Very nice! I like the camo job, but am a bit disappointed that you chose to portray her without the 'poster girl' in place.
And what's with the undercarriage?  

[philp]

Zac,
She looks great in that camo.  Nice to see it finished.

[cthulhu77]

Oh CRIKEY ! It's that giant hand again!   aAAAAAAuuuughhhH!

           Nice lawn dart...never cared for the tsr2, but that scheme wins me over. But yeah, what's up with the gear?  great camo, great idea, great conclusion!

[K5054NZ]

Well, the undercarriage is the one part of the kit which let me down. First off, when I was X-Actoing the right gear leg off the sprue, I managed to cut off the attachment point for the bogie. Then, after reattaching it and getting the assemblies into the fuse, I dry-fitted the bogies and, lo and behold, they were too long.

So I hacked off what I thought was a decent amount of styrene, in the process making the right one come off again, attached the bogies and left it to dry.




Evidently the little punk wasn't dry. Since the pix were take the model's been in a special "medicinal" position in my display area to allow the cement to dry:




And as to the whereabouts of "Poster Girl" herself? Well, someone get me appropriate artwork and I'll stick her on! The remainder of the fleet will, hopefully, wear their name and stuff. I'm glad y'all like it! And yes, the camo does lend a air of evil goodness!!  I'm surprised Mr The "NZ-Should-Have-Buccaneers" Wooksta hasn't turned up yet......................

[Scooterman]

Good job!  Looks cracking in those colors.

[GTX]

And as to the whereabouts of "Poster Girl" herself? Well, someone get me appropriate artwork and I'll stick her on!

Zac,

What, the future Mrs K5054NZ not willing to pose for the camera?

Regards,

Greg

[BlackOps]

Hey Zac, I can just picture her coming in low and  fast and dropping a load of those cute little kiwi's on the enemy!


Looks nice in camo....almost as bowlegged as me  


jeff G.

[philp]

Zac,
I have some nose arts in the stash.
PM me you snail mail and I will send you a selection.

[upnorth]

Nice stuff Zac.

Not to go off topic, but what is that wild looking twin ME-262 jet/prop hybrid looking thing sitting on your shelf in that one pic?

[NARSES2]

Remove the paint jar and that first shot could pass as a "real" one taken outside a hangar

[K5054NZ]

Remove the paint jar and that first shot could pass as a "real" one taken outside a hangar

'Tis the idea, matey. One whiffer I sent that pic to thought it was a real aircraft. B)  I consider my job well done.


The Me262 thingy? My my, have you no memory? It is the FMA IA.9 "Trago" (SPanish for Swallow) - a Kurt Tank-designed mixed propulsion ground attack aircraft for the Fuerza Aerea Argentina. Allow me to track down the backstory and I'll re-post it, along with some pics.



Thank you all for the kind comments. I know I don't have a sh**-show against Leigh and his Rotodyne, but I'm glad nonetheless to have completed her. I'm very proud of her - right up there with K5054 and ZK-HUT.


B) Does anyone else sense a special photo op coming? I think so!!!

[John Howling Mouse]

Way to go, Zac!
What kind of paint do you use?  I love the realistic multi-tonal quality of whatever you brush on.  Anyone who's seen operational, matte-finished combat aircraft up close knows what I mean.

As for the gear, I don't know what they're "supposed" to look like on a TSR.2 anyhow.  Are the struts supposed to be spread out anyhow or, now that the struts are splayed on *your* model, would it be a cool innovation if you could reset just the bogeys themselves back to perpindicular?

Either way, it's a great addition to your collection.

     

[Leigh]

Zac that's a great paint scheme I agree with Barry about the tonal qualities and don't worry about the Rotodyne, as moderator my build isn't eligible to enter.