Richard Pearse's aeroplanes

[Dave Homewood]

Reading that book 'The Riddle of Richard Pearse' by Gordon Ogilvy which was published in 1973, and looking at the book 'MOTAT' by John Cresswell from 1976, I get the impression from these two that Pearse's tilt-rotor aircraft they now refer to as the Utility Plane was thought to be his second aircraft.

But in MOTAT these days that aircraft is referred to on its signage as the Third Aircraft.

Did another wreck or design emerge after 1976?

It's also fascinating to read how the two aircraft remnants that MOTAT has now survived (ie the Utility Plane and the original Flyer wreckage).

It's amazing that anything exists at all and both had very amazing escapes from becoming scrap. We owe Gerge Bolt a lot of gratitude, and also a heap to Harry Walker for saving the Utility Plane and Gilbert Lyon and his family too.

Now apparently Gilbert Lyon colelcted the parts of aircraft No. 1 into what he referred to as a Richard Pearse museum, in the 1930's! So obviously he was known as a bit of an aviation pioneer locally even back then.

Also the reason Bolt saved the Utility Plane was he wated to start an aviation museum in Auckland. That was 1956. Did he actually have much of a collection of other planes? What else did he have?

Motat itself did not begin till June 1960, so did Bolt actually have another musuem or did it not come to fruition?

What a pity he wasn't collecting early enough to save the poor old Empire 'Aotearoa' from the pot.

[Peter Lewis]

I only know of two Pearse aircraft - the original 1903/1904 machine and the 1930s vertical lift exercise.

[Dave Homewood]

That's all I know of too but Motat has a sign in front of it saying ... well, read for yourself...







I wonder how much historical integrity was lost when the Air new Zealand apprentices restored this aircraft. I doubt such an action would occur today.

[flyjoe180]

This website also mentions three aircraft.

Pearse has been recorded as having stated he never flew with his first aircraft. Although he had been established in his own secluded workshop building engines and aircraft for five years previous to the year 1903, it has not been possible to establish how many aircraft he had built and experimented with before he was seen flying in 1903.

I wonder how many gliders or 'prototypes' were built prior to the famous powered flight example?

chrisbrady.itgo.com/pearse/pearse.htm