JDK's pointless quiz No.6,095(b) pt 2

[JDK]

And Dan K gets it. Well done.

a) what aircraft?
Hudson Mk. III 414-3826 (better as: NZ2013, c/n 3826, RAF V9241)

b) where is it?
on display at the RNZAF Museum at Christchurch
http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/AircraftDisplay/

c) what are we looking at?
Retractable under-belly (ventral) gunner's position.

d) what else this part was used for?

A home for wayward chickens? Or do you mean a wartime military use rather than a postwar civilian use?

Good question BDK. I'd bee researching the ventral gun position on Hudsons for other particular reasons, and I was pleased to see this one had been restored with this facility. The 'other use' I refer to was undertaken, I should add, by RAF Hudsons in Europe. It was, thus, a wartime military use - a most secret one, and certainly not one I'd like to try and undertake.

It involved special operations by the RAF, and very, very brave civilians...

[JDK]

I dunno. But I like the chickens answer.

BDK's a sharp internet researcher:

The RNZAF Museum website:

NZ2013 was manufactured in 1941 by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation at Burbank, California. It was part of a diverted RAF order and was shipped directly to Auckland from Los Angeles. It was brought on charge 18 September 1941 and was issued to No 1 Squadron at Whenuapai following assembly at Hobsonville.

The aircraft later served with No 4 Squadron, Fiji. It also served briefly in New Caledonia in August/September 1942. The aircraft suffered a major accident in Fiji in early 1942 and was out of commission for several months. NZ2013 returned to New Zealand in July 1944 and served with the School of Navigation and Reconnaissance at New Plymouth. After the war, the School moved to Wigram where the aircraft continued to serve until July 1948. It was then sold to Mr Clarke of Oamaru on 2 May 1949. It was used as a shed and chicken coop on Mr Clark’s farm until being purchased by the Museum Trust Board and No 26 Squadron, Air Training Corps in 1985.

Restoration of this aircraft was completed by the Museum in July 1996 and it is finished in the colour scheme that it would have been in when serving with No 4 Squadron in Fiji in 1943-44.

[bdk]

I dunno. But I like the chickens answer.

BDK's a sharp internet researcher

I take pointless quizzes to a new level, now don't I!

I like these quizzes because there are always some great stories that come out.

[Chris Brame]

It was, thus, a wartime military use - a most secret one, and certainly not one I'd like to try and undertake. It involved special operations by the RAF, and very, very brave civilians...

At first I thought it was for dropping leaflets, but that didn't seem very special... was it used for dropping spies or Resistance fighters behind enemy lines?