New Zealand NZ scrapped USA aircraft at Rukuhia Hamilton airport lot of three photos Scarce
New Zealand NZ scrapped USA aircraft at Rukuhia Hamilton airport lot of three photos Scarce
$38.00
Description
New Zealand NZ scrapped USA aircraft at Rukuhia Hamilton airport lot of three photos Scarce
Photograph taken in 1962 of the aircraft from WW2 see details below, this photo written to back NZ3147 Rukuhia 23.4.62, Warhawk the photo in good condition measures 11.4 cm x 6.7cm approx., Rukuhia WW2 Aircraft Boneyard At Rukuhia airfield in New Zealand, after WW2 hundreds of aircraft were stored, offered for disposal by tender and eventually scraped. Possibly melted down to make pots and saucepans. All seems rather sad now, as few were saved. But by the 1950’s as aircraft, they were unwanted. Today Rukuhia is the site of the Hamilton city airport.
The Rukuhia RNZAF airfield was turned into a major repair and refitting depot in 1942 for aircraft in service in the Pacific war, both RNZAF and US aircraft. Airframes were repaired, engines and instruments reconditioned and refitted and during the war sent back after service. By 1945 hundreds of aircraft were returned to NZ from Pacific and most were parked at Rukuhia awaiting disposal as they were surplus to peacetime needs. By 1950’s still 100 P-40 airframes slowly corroding.
The aircraft graveyard or boneyard existed from 1945 to the mid 1960’s when the final relics disappeared. Today only the photos remain .
