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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 9, 2005 18:50:57 GMT 12
I was browsing through an old book today in the University of Waikato library. The book is called: HAMILTON - HUB OF THE WAIKATO - NEW ZEALAND Published by Hamilton Jaycee Inc. September 1967 Photos Bill Lindberg In it was a photo from the airport, former RNZAF Station Rukuhia, of a Corsair in front of one of the hangars where a Fletcher is being built. Was the Corsair there long? This has to be Josephine which went from Asplins Garage to Motat to abroad and back to now Masterton. I wonder if this was when it was being prepared for transit to Auckland. Any ideas of what exactly the Corsair was doing there?  |
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Post by Bruce on Jun 12, 2005 12:44:51 GMT 12
Yes this is NZ5648, Painted as NZNZ5511 Josephine. This is ouside what is now PACs main assembly hangar. The aircraft inside is not a fletcher, but an uncommon machine called a Callair. At the time the corsair was restored to static display condition only, although it could be taxied (it did so at an RNZAC air pageant at the time) As I understand it was at Hamilton for several years, parked outside between PAC and what is now engine components ltd. I have seen pics of it in PACs smoko room. It has to be said that the light undersides are not an accuate colour scheme, but who cares! A colour photo from the same period appears on page 8 of "Aircraft of the RNZAF" by David Duxbury. Unfortunately and as expected the condition deteriorated while it was outside. Although "owned' by MOTAT, i think it spent very little time if any in Auckland after restoration.
Of course the best news is that it not only flies now - it is back in NZ.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 12, 2005 13:09:03 GMT 12
Thanks Bruce. So what period did it sit outside the Asplin's garage then? That is on the opposite side of the airport, isn't it? I always thought the coloured photo in the book mentioned was at the garage but was never sure.
It is great to think it survived and is flying when you consider the fate of the others. Was it still owned by Asplins while situated at the airport? Or had it changed hands? And who really owned it when Motat thought they did? I know there is STILL ill feeling about that up there at Motat, when I mentioned how good it was to know the Corsair was home in NZ and flying to a certain curator there, there was some mutterings about it.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 12, 2005 13:11:57 GMT 12
By the way, what is a Callair? Is it a fert plane too? Was it built there or simply maintained at ther airport? I only glanced at the photo and assumed it was a Fletcher, because the text said it was. I knew it was not a Cresco as they were yet to be invented, by my good friend Pat Monk (NZAI's chief designer in the 1970's, also designer of the CT-4 Airtrainer despite what most books tell you).
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IVAN
Flight Sergeant
Posts: 29
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Post by IVAN on Jun 12, 2005 16:45:20 GMT 12
NZ5648 - Bu92044. Shipped from USA in June 1945 aboard "USS John Wise". Assembled at Corsair Assembly Unit, Los Negros and BOC Los Negros on 17 August 1945. Ferried to New Zealand September-October 1945. Ferried to Aircraft Storage Unit, Rukuhia in October 1945. Advertised for sale by WARB tender number 9207 dated 09 May 1949 and sold from Rukuhia to J. Asplin on 26 May 1949. Originally displayed at Asplin's garage it was later restored to static condition by members of the Waikato Aero Club during the early 1960s and displayed in the open at Hamilton Airport. In it's latter years at Hamilton it was painted as NZ5611 "JOSEPHINE". After suffering the ravages of weather and vandals it was removed in 1968 to MOTAT for restoration and display. Sold by Asplin to Ed Jurist in 1971 and exported to the USA. To Jim Landry and Pat Palmer in 1973. Restored over the next 9 years at a cost of US$300,000 and flew again on 17 July 1982. Painted in US Navy colours as "Big Hog" it flew with the registration NX55JP. On display at the Lone Star Flight Museum, Houston, Texas until 1989. Sold to Doug Arnold and exported to Britain, it was removed from the American Civil Aircraft Register on 23 March 1998. Joined the UK Civil Aircraft Register as G-BXUL on 25 March 1992 with The Old Flying Machine Company, Duxford. Later repainted into it's RNZAF colour scheme and flew in Europe as such. Total hours as at 31 December 2002 were 522. Arrived back in New Zealand in February 2004 and made it's first flight from Whenuapai in the hands of Keith Skilling on 10 February 2004. Currently airworthy in New Zealand.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 12, 2005 18:50:24 GMT 12
Thanks Ivan, that explains it all. Cheers.
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Post by Bruce on Jun 12, 2005 18:55:06 GMT 12
Asplins was the Garage on SH2 at the top of the hill above the airfield. Was a Mobil station until fairly recently when Kea Trailers used it for a while. I went in to Kea a while ago when I was a courier driver. I noticed a number of tables in use made from Corsair engine mounts!
I dont think anyone will ever really clarify who owned the aircraft at the time, and I think the ill will generated didnt do MOTAT any good at all (Charles Darby had a similar problem with Kittyhawk NZ3009 in the 1990s).
BTW a Callair is a topdresser that looks similar to a Piper Pawnee, but bigger. It was powered by a 400hp Lycoming IO720 well before the Fletchers gained such a powerplant. James Aviation used several for a few years, (that will be the one in the hangar) but they were never very sucessful in NZ. They are now almost extint worldwide, except for the substantial collection of parts (from several aircraft) held by the Ferrymead aviation group in Christchurch.
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Post by Bruce on Jun 12, 2005 19:51:54 GMT 12
before someone does a google search and corrects me - the Callair had an IO-540 engine 300hp or so - my mistake. They had lots of problems with engine cooling and James Aviation were at the forefront designing an engine cowl modification that was applied throughout the world. Like the fletcher, they came in several different models, the one here being the A9, A9A and A9B. There may be a few around still as Glider tugs etc. They were actually built as "aero commanders" for a while as well (dont look much like a commander twin though!)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 13, 2005 17:06:45 GMT 12
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Post by ZacYates on Aug 19, 2023 17:40:40 GMT 12
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Post by oj on Aug 19, 2023 19:09:27 GMT 12
Whoops!
I am 18 years late in noticing this thread.
I have to clear up some misunderstandings from comments back in 2005.
To Bruce:
1. The Callair was initially powered by Lycoming IO-540 in the Callair A versions.
2. The only callairs that came to NZ were Callair B1 versions, with the IO-720-A1A engine (with Bendix S700 series magnetos).
3. The Callair NZ distributor was Aero Engine Services Ltd. at Rukuhia.
4. The Callair has no relation to the Aerocommander Snow agricultural aircraft that James Aviation operated.
5. James Aviation never owned or operated the Callair.
6. The Callair was built by the Intermountain Company in the USA so was known as the IMCO Callair.
7. In NZ, Callairs were operated by Rangitikei Air Services (Taihape), Air Contracts Masterton and either Timaru Air Services or Otago air Services.
I worked on Callairs at AESL from 1967 onward.
There is a fair bit of other information about Callairs elsewhere in this forum.
Enjoy!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 19, 2023 20:45:12 GMT 12
Thanks OJ.
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