The Chocolate Aeroplane

[Francis Chapman]

Does anybody have any pictures and or information about the DH 60 Moth operated by Cadbury Fry Hudson for the later six months of 1930. I have a copy of "Sweet success" which is a history of Cadburys and includes a couple of pictures.
I am interested particularly to pin down the coluor of the plane to something more precise than chocolate brown and how the registrations were presented on the wings.

[Dave Homewood]

That is an interesting question. I will have a look around and see what I can find, but no promises.

I do know that Cadbury released a model of a Moth in their colours for members of their collectors club. Mum has one. I don't know if it is meant to be an exact representative of their aircraft. If it was, the plane should be Cadbury's purple with gold lettering from memory.

Have you tried writing to the Cadbury factory in Dunedin? I understand they have a small tourist museum there, don't they?

Blast you, now I want chocolate!

[Francis Chapman]

Thanks Dave,
I have been in contact with Cadburys Historical lady Wendy and she hasent me all the information they have which was no more than appears in 'Sweet success'.

She did send me one of the promorional 'Tiger' models with a very tongue in cheek note that it was neither the correct aircraft nor the correct colours. The aircraft type was limited by what the toy manufacturer had available and the colours were dictated by the 'Marketing People'

As the aircraft was used extensively for publicity I think there must photographs of it in newspaper archives and other notable collections but have found accessing these potential sources difficult from the UK.

cheers
Francis

[Dave Homewood]

On page 1 of Maurice Conly's book "Send For The Artist" there's a photo of the Moth and a brief description. He calls it Hudson's "The Chocolate Plane".

It was ZK-ABF, as you may know, and Maurice descibed it as "all-over chocolate colouring"

On the starboard cowl is the de Havilland Moth symbol and the words The Chocolate Plane

It's plain to see there is no registration under the wings, but you cannot see the top.

Even the struts and undercarriage are chocolate brown.

ZK-ABF went on to join the RNZAF as NZ516, and it crashed at New Plymouth on the 5th of Feb 1941.

As it was known as the Hudson's Chocolate Plane, I wonder if contacting that branch of the firm is more likely to prove fruitful?

I don't know if any of this info is useful now or whether Francis is even still around. But I thought I'd add it anyway.

[Francis Chapman]

Thanks Dave and yes I am still about, [see 1/48 DH 89 posting a couple of days ago] albeit in the midst of winter here in the UK.
I have had some correspondence with Hudsons but nothing new has surfaced, so your information has rekindled this project somewhat. I have got a couple of clear 'on the ground' photos from the Alexander Turnbull library which show good detail of the forward part of the plane.

I have also found a picture of what appears to be a silver DH 82 Tiger Moth with a 'Chocolate Plane' logo on the part side of the cowling. It was apparently based somewhere in Otago in the late forties early fifties. I am not tempted by this one though as there are a lot of Tigers ahead of it in my modelling list.

cheers
Francis

[kiwichappers]

Another snippet which enhances the historic significance of this aircraft.

I have just started reading the Popeye Lucas book and in an opening chapter he recalls a rough landing at the end of one of his first solos in a Balclutha Aeroclub Moth, clearing the boundary fence by only eighteen inches he came to rest nosed over on the airfield. The Moth in question ZK-ABF, later to become the 'Chocolate Plane'.

I must get started on my model of this aeroplane.

[Peter Lewis]

You guys are on the right track, it was DH60M Moth ZK-ABF (c/n 1448).
This aircraft arrived in NZ early in 1930 and it's first owner is listed as National Airways (NZ) Ltd., about which I know nothing (maybe they never got off the ground?).
Cadbury's Business Service were the next owners, and the aircraft was delivered to them on 12th May 1930. The change of ownership went through on the 19th June 1930.
The colour scheme you describe sounds about right, judging from the attached photo.
The aircraft was what we would describe today as a 'corporate aircraft', and was I think not available for hire but was used by Cadbury management (I may stand to be corrected on that point). M C McGregor was the 'corporate pilot'.
The venture does not seem to be a resounding success, as the Otago Aero Club took title to ABF on 23rd January 1931 - maybe Cadbury's hired it back from time to time. Lucas' experiences with ABF would have been after the Cadbury ownership, not before.
I also have one of the Cadbury models somewhere (I think that they distributed them about 10-12 years ago) and it is a brown DH82A, not a DH60M. I did think of complaining to them about this inaccuracy, but in the end could not be bothered.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Peter.

The Cadbury model Mum has is 'Cadbury' purple, but is also a Tiger Moth. I wonder if they produced a brown version after complaints about the purple one.

Didn't Mac McGregor get around! He seemed to fly for everyone. Interestingly according to The History of New Zealand Avaition by Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson, he was technical director for National Airways (NZ) Ltd, which was a venture backed by the PM, Sir Joseph Ward, and the airline was planned to have a daily scheduled passenger and mail route between Auckland and Dunedin. However when Ward resigned from Parliament and died, the business folded. I guess when they sold the plane to Cadbury's he went along with it as pilot and technical director.

[Peter Lewis]

Further to the above, it would seem that Cadburys had an on-going relationship with the Otago Aero Club for some years.
While browsing through Ed Coates photographs I found the following pic of Tiger Moth ZK-AJE



This Tiger was issued to the Otago AC in May 1946, and stayed with them until it's demise in June1952. Judging by the signwriting, there was some input from the chocolate manufacturer!
As ABF was taken over by the RNZAF at the start of the war, looks like this was it's replacement after the event.

Francis was on the right track, and perhaps Cadbury's recent model was not so wrong after all.

[Dave Homewood]

Wow, that's interesting Peter.

What colour do you reckon that Tiger Moth is? It looks to me like silver, but with a top surface coat of paint. I wonder if it's chocolate brown, or Cadbury purple? Of course it could be a trick of the light.

There may still be someone at Otago Aero Club who recalls this plane.

[kiwichappers]

Thats a very much better picture ZK-AJE than I have seen previously. The idea of a brown top decking is interesting and I would love to know more about this plane after all.

This is turning out be a very intriguing thread. I have just received a copy of Richard Waughs 'Strait Across' book covering the history of Cook Strait Aviation and behold on page 16 there is a picture of ZK-ABF in a line up of Moths. The photograph is captioned as the 1931 Woodburn pageant and shows ZK-ABF in either a silver or white livery. Very dull after the chocolate brown livery of only six months previous.

[Dave Homewood]

Perhaps the brown coating on ABF was real chocolate and it eventually chipped/melted/fell off ;D ;D

[kiwichappers]

Or licked off by small children at various airshows! I am sure children could get through a Moth of chocolate over a summer.

[blokenshed]

Mar 21, 2006 9:19:54 GMT 12 kiwichappers said:

Thats a very much better picture ZK-AJE than I have seen previously. The idea of a brown top decking is interesting and I would love to know more about this plane after all.

This is turning out be a very intriguing thread. I have just received a copy of Richard Waughs 'Strait Across' book covering the history of Cook Strait Aviation and behold on page 16 there is a picture of ZK-ABF in a line up of Moths. The photograph is captioned as the 1931 Woodburn pageant and shows ZK-ABF in either a silver or white livery. Very dull after the chocolate brown livery of only six months previous.

[blokenshed]

Hi guys and sorry for the late entry.
I am with the Otago Aero Club and have been collecting information on both the first and second Chocolate planes.
Your chat has been helpful to me and have stolen some points made.
My article with several photos will be in the OAC news letter due out in 2 weeks and will be found on the club website.
If anyone wants it emailed to them then contact me [e-mail]
Thanks

[ZacYates]

Mar 21, 2006 20:57:47 GMT 12 kiwichappers said:

a Moth of chocolate

That has to be the coolest unit of measurement I've ever seen.

[AussieBob]

There is another photo in the National Library archives which show it as distinctly brown colour compared to the other photos around.
The photo is from the Dominion Post labelled;
De Havilland Gipsy Moth aircraft of Cadbury, Fry and Hudson Ltd at Rongotai Aerodrome, prior to the inauguration of New Zealand's first aerial business transport service. In front of aircraft, from left to right: unknown; Wing-Commander Grant-Dalton; the Deputy Mayor, Mr M F Luckie; Mr George sara; Mr Frank Campbell; Mr C J B Norwood; and the pilot, Captain Malcolm McGregor. The aircraft is named The Chocolate Plane. Photograph taken 12 May 1930
An exact date is usually correct.
The other difference from other photos where it appears to be in the more silver/grey is the signwriting of the words The Chocolate Plane. In the dark version the words "The" and "Plane" are parallel to the ground, with the word "Chocolate" on a slope. This is different to the word alignment in the lighter coloured paintwork photos, suggesting new signwriting over a new coat of dark paint.


natlib.govt.nz/records/23017613

[AussieBob]

[modelmama]

I am even later to this wonderful conversation, however, I joined mainly in case I could add anything of interest regarding the 'Chocolate Plane' of 1930.
My grandfather was responsible for this plane - George Sara.  I have a letter from E.E. Barringer (Sweet Success author) responding to my cousin in 1980 with some snippets of information and supposedly copies of the 3 photos Cadbury had of this plane.  Sadly I only seem to have one, it is a larger copy of the one used of the plane by itself in Sweet Success.  There were some good ones blown up quite large, down in Dunedin at Cadbury World.  I don't know if they are still there.

Barringer references a Centennial booklet in which Sir Carl Smith wrote as follows:

"The Chocolate Plane was piloted by a New Zealander, Captain MacGregor, who, as a pilot in the R.F.C. in the First World War, earned himself the name of 'Mad Mac' on account of his flying exploits.  Apart from flying executives when required, the plane visited all the centres and took customers for flights - flying for civilians in those days still being a novelty.  Unfortunately, after leaving C.F.H [Cadbury Fry Hudson], Captain MacGregor was killed in a flying accident."

I see in my father's photo album, a photo of him aged 10 or 11 in 1930, dressed in flying gear, with a label 'Dunedin'.  So presumably he was one of the lucky ones who got a ride in the plane.  I can barely imagine what kind of story that would be for his school mates!  

My mother used to tell with great glee about her own ride in a Tiger Moth, but that was not till the late 1940's when she worked for a Timaru travel agent.  It clearly wasn't a common occurrence to be a passenger in one, even that much later.

As to why Cadburys soon stopped using the first Chocolate Plane - I can only speculate, but my grandfather left Cadburys in 1931.  He had been Manager since 1926, and sent out to NZ right as WWI started - then returned after, to work for Cadburys.  His father (also George Sara) was a highly successful travelling salesman who passed on a child's suggestion that the new recipe chocolate coming out in 1905 be called 'Dairy Milk'.  His funeral in 1917 was attended personally by a member of the Cadbury family who then went on to visit NZ in 1930 at the time Cadbury amalgamated with the Hudson brothers. 

My grandfather went from being the sole manager of Cadburys in NZ, to being the only 'Cadbury' director alongside the SIX Hudson brothers.  Hudsons did many things quite differently, and in particular, were not great spenders on advertising.  One can only wonder what they thought of the ludicrous expense of a company plane... the official story is that my grandfather 'retired' - but he was in his 40's with four dependent boys and two step-children from his second wife (his first wife died in 1927).   The book 'Purple Reign' describes the amalgamation in 1930 as 'sticky'.  For a man who'd been in WW1 himself on the Western Front with the NZ Field Ambulance, newly married, then tragically a widower just 8 years after the war ended with four boys under the age of 10... who had been used to such independence... the changeover was clearly just too much.  He went to work in Wellington for a government department.

I have copies of correspondence from the Mr Barrow Cadbury who visited NZ in 1930, sadly he doesn't mention the plane in those.

Sorry that is more personal history than about the plane itself, but I hope it gives some interesting background.

Robyn

[camtech]

Jun 30, 2015 2:27:08 GMT 12 AussieBob said:

As is common with Nat Lib, the link no longer works.