Bad news - another national treasure sold abroad!

[Dave Homewood]

One of our earliest airliners and also one of our most important flying aircraft in New Zealand has been sold abroad. Sir Tim Wallis's beautiful Fox Moth, off to Canada.

Surely this should be more highly regarded natioanlly than the DH89 which was recently stopped from going abroad? It flew with the West Coast's Air Travel (NZ) Ltd, our first airline, and NAC, not to mention the Royal Flight and the Alpine Fighter Collection. I'll be awfully sad if the old girl leaves NZ.

Here's a press statement from the buyer:

Vintage Wings of Canada Press Release - 11 December 2006

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Vintage Wings of Canada (VWC) in Gatineau, Quebec, is pleased to announce the acquisition of three airframes to the collection; a De Havilland DH-83 Fox Moth, a Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk IV and a Vought F4U-4 Corsair. These follow the Swordfish which arrived on October 31st.

The Fox Moth has been acquired from Sir Tim Wallis of Wanaka, New Zealand. It is construction number 4033 and is currently registered ZK-AEK. Originally built for the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VIII) in 1932, 4033 was later used in commercial service in New Zealand and was abandoned in Fiji in 1957. The aircraft was recovered and restored by Colin Smith from 1998 to 1993 in the authentic colours it wore as the Prince of Wales’ airplane. It won the award as Reserve Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh in 1993. Wallis bought the DH-83 soon afterwards and took it back to New Zealand. The DH-83 Fox Moth has special Canadian interest since many DH-83Cs were built in Toronto after war production came to an end and before the DHC-1 Chipmunk started full production in 1948. The DH-83Cs were used extensively as bush planes in northern Canada. The aircraft is currently being shipped from New Zealand and is expected in the VWC hangar shortly after Christmas. There are no plans to change the paint scheme.

The Kittyhawk was built as a P-40N and is currently under restoration with Pioneer Aero in New Zealand. It is RAAF s/n A29-414, USAAF s/n 42-104827 and construction number 28589. This airframe was operated 78 Squadron RNZAF. A29-414 crashed on landing in poor conditions at Tadji in New Guinea in 1944 and was abandoned. A29-414 was recovered and shipped to Pioneer Aero in 2001 and the restoration commenced. The project has been acquired by VWC and the restoration, now well underway, will be completed Pioneer. VWC estimates the arrival of A29-414 at the hangar in 12 to 16 months. VWC has decided to paint the aircraft in the markings of 260 squadron to recognize the remarkable exploits of Stocky Edwards who was a Flight Sergeant at the time and is now the highest scoring World War II fighter ace among living Canadians.

The Corsair is a F4U-4 with Bureau Number 97359, construction number 9513 and is currently registered N240CA. In civilian life this Corsair was used in the filming of the television series “Ba Ba Black Sheep”. It was restored by Pacific Fighters in Idaho Falls, Idaho, from 1998 to 2002 and won the Grand Champion award at Oshkosh. The aircraft will spend this winter at Atlanta and Palm Beach and arrival at VWC is expected in the spring of 2007.

You can look forward to viewing these aircraft at an upcoming air show, or at one of the VWC Open House events to be held in the summer in the summer of 2007.
__________________

[corsair67]

Good to see the Wallis' are flogging everything off overseas - wouldn't want to keep anything in NZ would we?

Hurricane next?

[flyjoe180]

Place your bets... National treasures should never be sold abroad. Didnt they stop maroi things being flogged off overseas?

[DragonflyDH90]

It was looked into by the Antiquities Commission prior to the sale as an objection had been made. Unfortunately it was found to not fit the criteria set for it to be protected. In defence of AFC, the aircraft was less than 5% original (which is part of the criteria) and there was a representative type already protected in NZ (ADI) which was thought to be the deciding factor as well as the fact that it spent a very small portion of its life actually in NZ.
The reason for protecting AKY was its NAC heritage, still being in original colours, very original (airframe etc), and the last commercially flying Dominie in NZ.
It all comes in swings and roundabouts, things come and go and collections and priorities change. For such a small country we are extremely lucky to have what we have at all, so I think we need to enjoy things while we can.
The next thing is to decide when we need to stop flying these machines because they are getting to valuable (tongue firmly in cheek).

The reality is that the aircraft was for sale for a considerable time, as has been a lot of the collection, and there has been plenty of time for a buyer or collector to purchase the aircraft locally. As this didn't happen Canada seems to be a good choice, the gentleman in question has a wonderful flying collection and I'm sure the aircraft will be flown and enjoyed (instead of the 140 odd hours it did since its rebuild in 1993 - with less that ten in the last 5 years).

I was lucky enough to be the last person to fly the aircraft prior to its departure for Canada (2.5hrs - about quarter of what its done in the last 5 years) and can say that it was quite nice to be able to do so.The flight from and back to Wanaka through the mountains was great.

She will be missed but time goes on.

[DragonflyDH90]

Forgot to mention another small thing, the aircraft was originally rebuilt for Roger Fiennes in the UK and was sold offshore immediately with no intention of it returning to NZ in the foreseable future, that changed and Tim purchased the aircraft. So it was really again only chance that it came back to NZ.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Ryan, you raise fair points there. I had no idea there was so little original material left. But then it had been rebuilt at least twice.

I remain grateful for the other Fox Moth and the Dominie being protected here, and that they are in the care of the best hands.

Now that I've calmed down after the initial shock, I admit it's sad to see this Fox Moth move offshore but as you say, times do change and collections move on. Maybe someday it will return. I still feel gutted at the break up of the AFC, it's a great shame.

[DragonflyDH90]

It certainly is a shame that the AFC is winding up, but as we can see when one fades away another is developing. Omaka is looking fantastic, I cant wait to get up for Classic Fighters 07.

[Dave Homewood]

I hope it's a northward trend - maybe we might get some interesting planes around here someday...

[Bruce]

admin said:

- maybe we might get some interesting planes around here someday...

Well I am working on my "Interesting plane" which hopefully will fly sometime next year!.....I'm trying my best Dave! (Of Course Santa could bring me a Temco Globe Swift.....)

[Dave Homewood]

You know where my interests lie though Bruce, WWII warbirds! Come on, you wouldn't mind seeing a few based at Rukuhia now, would you?

[Peter Lewis]

I remember having just such a discussion with Syd Lister (the owner of Spartan ABZ) years ago.
There is something to be said for both sides.
Some aircraft are particularly historic to one country, and should therefore be kept there (eg Lindbergh's Ryan).
Then if other countries imposed export restrictions on historic aircraft, we would not have the current flying P-51s, the DH90, and so on.
Like it or lump it, aircraft are an internationally tradeable commodity.

I always suspected that AEK was a 'constructors plate' rebuild. I have a photo of it at Nausori in the the early 1960s, there was very little left. Nice to have this confirmed.

[Dave Homewood]

I don't think there was a lot left that was useable after it crashed on the glacier in 1944 either. But at least de Havillands were around to make it original again :-)

[Radialicious]

corsair67 said:

Good to see the Wallis' are flogging everything off overseas - wouldn't want to keep anything in NZ would we?

Hurricane next?

I don't think any of us enthusiasts are in a position to criticise Tim Wallis for selling any or all of his aircraft. He is perfectly entitled to do so. I'd much rather remember the incredible work he did to grow his collection and make them accessible to us all. He gave me the old aircraft bug as a very young boy and I am still happily infected.

[Dave Homewood]

I most certainly was not intending to criticise Sir Tim Wallis. My thoughts were about the legality of export of the aircraft and regulations surrounding it, considering the stop of the export of the Dominie. Ryan has cleared this up well.

Of course Sir Tim is entitled to sell his planes, or do whatever he wants with them. It is still sad that his collection is dispaersing despite the fact that, yes, warbirds are commodities and they do move around the world a lot. I remain eternally grateful to Sir Tim and his team for all the wonderful experiences I have had in seeing and working with his aircraft over the years.

[Peter Lewis]

From a vintage newsgroup today:

"This is just a follow-up to the press release I posted last month. The
DH-83 has arrived in the Vintage Wings of Canada hangar in Gatineau.
All is well with the aircraft and it made the trip from New Zealand
with no ill effects. The wings and tail are expected to be assembled
to the fuselage in about a week. Mr. Potter and the crew are happy to
have a new bird in the hangar."

[xr6turbo1]

It is a bit sad but at the end of the day it will be flown often by the sounds of it, I was down in Wanaka a couple of months back and it was in the hangar not doing much.
I was a bit dissapointed not to see it flying at the airshow there last year as it makes a lovely view and is very photogenic..
Its the same with TB 863, sure it went to Australia and I get pleasure from seeing photos of it in the air often rather than seeing it in the air every two years.

[John L]

I worked with Myles Robertson a bit in the late 70's, when he was rebuilding Moth Minors & building Fox Moth fuselages. I think he said AEK had a tailwheel and a rego after it rotted away in Fiji and that was it.

Good to see ADI (ASP for a while) back here. I believe it looped nicely and would barrel roll with 12 crates of beer in the front cabin......

[skyhawkdon]

admin said:

I most certainly was not intending to criticise Sir Tim Wallis... Of course Sir Tim is entitled to sell his planes, or do whatever he wants with them. It is still sad that his collection is dispaersing despite the fact that, yes, warbirds are commodities and they do move around the world a lot. I remain eternally grateful to Sir Tim and his team for all the wonderful experiences I have had in seeing and working with his aircraft over the years.

It's not actually Tim who is selling "his" aircraft collection (and just about everything else he once owned). After his accident he lost control of all his companies and personal affairs, including the AFC. The trustees/directors have decided to wind things up (its actually been going on for several years - it started when they sold the Osca, Zero replica and Avenger). I know that Tim is personnally gutted by what is happening but it is out of his control. Tim once told my Dad that he would never sell the Spitfire or Hurricane. Its particularly sad that the people who have made the decision to "sell the farm" are (were?) very close to Tim and have only got where they are in life because of him - not a nice way to show your appreciation if you ask me!

However having expressed my disappointment at the current state of affairs I consider myself very lucky to have been able to watch Tim's aircraft collection grow, right from the arrival of his first Mustang at Wigram in 1984. It has been a great 20+ years. Fortunately there are other organisations and individuals in NZ who are building up their collections.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, I gleaned from the book Hurricane Tim that his business partners and friends who built their own empires with the ingenuity of Sir Tim, seemed rather keen even in the early days to get rid of the aircraft. I feel just the way that you do Don, very grateful.

[aerodave]

Folks

My name is Dave O'Malley and I am the web site writer and designer at vintage Wings of Canada. I presently am writing and collecting visual material for a website story about the Kiwi Fox Moths. We are taking good care of your beloved ZK-AEK here in Ottawa (Now C-FYPM). I am working with Paul Sheehan from new Zealand to write a story about the Fox Moths which so beautifully define early NZ commercial aviation. I have about 65 photos in the story so far. I found the great shots on your website of ZK-AEK with her G-ACDD registration on her sides shortly after her restoration at Croydon's. This includes the shot of her being packaged for transit to America. These would fill in a nice missing visual for that period and I was hoping you would allow us to include them in the story about these Moths and how important they are to your country. I know you didn't want ZK-AEK to leave, but these things can't be helped some times and you never know how these things end up. Regardless, I would like to tell the beautiful story of their service in NZ. I am writing to ask if I may include these photos. Being a charity I can only pay in gratitude and a proper photo credit.

If this is OK... please email me at [e-mail]

Please include the proper photo credit if possible

Dave O'Malley

Here is a link to our website so you can see the sort of stories I write

www.vintagewings.ca

www