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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2007 15:20:40 GMT 12
Does anyone here know the history of the former Fieldair Beaver ZK-CMW which now resides in the RNZAF Museum as NZ6001, the Antarctic Beaver?
When/where was it built?
Was Fieldair the only operator?
When did it retire?
When did Fieldair donate it to the Museum?
Where was it restored and put into Antarctic configuration?
Was the Antarctic Beaver fairly standard with just the addition of hardpoints under the wings? Or were their other additions such as heating for the engine and cockpit or anything?
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jul 29, 2007 16:31:45 GMT 12
ZK-CMW DHC2 Beaver Mk1 c/n 1084 reg Australia VH-AAL 1/12/1957 Aerial Agriculture Pty. Ltd. 1/01/1963 Robby's Aerial Services Pty, WA S.Abd NZ as ZK-CMW Air Contracts Ltd., Masterton - delivered 4Sep65 3/02/1969 Fieldair Ltd., Gisborne Last flight 14Jul75 @ 8914.55hrs, WFU Gisborne 18/11/1980 Fieldair Holdings (Central) Ltd., Palmerston North (Not operated) Reg canc 30/03/1984 - to RNZAF Museum at Wigram The other queries you have Dave may be better answered by someone who was at Wigram at the time. CMW at Gisborne 17Mar73:  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2007 17:29:03 GMT 12
Fantastic info, thanks Peter. That's really appreciated.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2007 21:13:46 GMT 12
Interestingly, looking through my collection of old RNZAF News magazines, the issue from November 1989 has a photo of the real RNZAF Beaver without its wings, sitting on a truck at possibly Wigram, awaiting loading onto the ship for Antarctica. It is in the same colour scheme as seen on the Wigram and Warbirds examples, except the tail is a different colour and appears to actually be yellow! Or maybe white!
The different colour goes all around the fuselage, and forward to about where the tail fin merges fillet into the fuselage. The radar bulb thing on top of the cockpit is the same colour.
Are there any coloured photos of the aircraft with the different coloured tail? Was it repainted red when the serial number was changed maybe?
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Post by Bruce on Jul 29, 2007 22:19:12 GMT 12
On its last season on the ice, 6010 (as it was by then) had dayglo wingtips, so possibly it gained a dayglo tail at that time too - is the serial visible?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2007 22:45:52 GMT 12
Not visible in the small photo but possibly it was in the bigger print. The colour looks very light in the photo comapred with the red. Almost white. I don't think it is dayglo orange. Sadly the wings are absent so you can't see the tips to compare.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 10, 2007 15:26:20 GMT 12
Here is a scan of the article I mentioned  And a closer look, sorry it's not that great, it's how it's been printed  |
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Post by Bruce on Aug 10, 2007 16:34:59 GMT 12
I would suggest that the picture does indeed show the late dayglo paint scheme. Due to the luminousity of such a finish it appears lighter than the red. It may also be showing the normal accelerated fading that Dayglo suffered.
If we could see the scheme worn by the auster on the truck behind that would probably provide a clue.
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