Historical Aviation Exhibition at Auckland Museum, 1958

[Dave Homewood]

I just came across these photos on the National Library of New Zealand site, taken by Whites Aviation, of Whites Aviation's historical aviation exhibition at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on the 12th of August 1958.


Frank Stewart, George Bolt and Fred North (l to r) looking at a print of George Bolt as a young man, at the Whites Aviation exhibition on historical aviation. Photograph taken by Whites Aviation.


Looks like some mighty Vildebeests in that photo on the wall?

[davidd]

There are some fine looking early aero engines there Dave, including a direct-drive water-cooled V-8 (Curtiss OX-5?), and an upright straight six with baked enamel water jackets and intake manifold. Also that photo which you suspect contains Vildebeests appears to show Kingsford Smith and Ulm, with two others (presume crew of Southern Cross (Sept 1928, Wigram?) and also looks like Sydney Wallingford on extreme left, so maybe that is the aircraft at rear? Just a wild guess.
David D

[madmax]

In the photograph of the group in front of an radial engined aircraft is CKS on the right, beside him Ulm and third from right, in the background, is radio operator Tom McWilliams. I'm unable to identify the other two

[Brett]

I think the engines are a Beardmore 160hp (ex G-NZAI,NZFS Flying Boat "D"), Curtiss OX-5 (ex NZFS Flying Boats "B" & "C"), and possibly a Hall-Scott A-5 (ex NZFS Flying Boat "D" or the B&W's "F" & "G")

[Dave Homewood]

Ah of course, the Fokker it is.

Did those engines end up with MOTAT?

[Dave Homewood]

What a shame the museum did not show a proper interest in aviation and send a team to Rukuhia to save a load of real planes.

[Peter Lewis]

They stalled for quite some time before accepting the Zero.

[Dave Homewood]

Yep, and they were basically told they were getting the Spitfire by Keith Park, who was on the council at the time, and the Spitfire was paid for by ex-pilots, not the museum.

For a War Memorial Museum they were pretty bloody useless back then.

[emron]

Jan 2, 2019 18:52:39 GMT 12 Brett said:

I think the engines are a Beardmore 160hp (ex G-NZAI,NZFS Flying Boat "D"), Curtiss OX-5 (ex NZFS Flying Boats "B" & "C"), and possibly a Hall-Scott A-5 (ex NZFS Flying Boat "D" or the B&W's "F" & "G")

Instead of a Hall-Scott I think engine #3 is a Fiat A-12 Bis which is on display with the Beardmore and OX-5 at MOTAT.

Whatever did happen to the Hall-Scott A-5's and the B&W seaplanes they came with ?