Victa Airtourers and Aircruiser

[Peter Lewis]

Just the sort of confusion that needs sorting out. Victa made life difficult for us by building both versions at the same time on the same production line.

ZK-CLE - I had this recorded as c/n 128 which was an Airtourer 115. I now find that it was actually c/n 126, which indeed was a 100hp model. I have corrected this in the posting above.

ZK-CLF - I have this noted as being a 115hp model from new, as does Dave Wise
www.dave.wise.btinternet.co.uk/DWAirtourer.htm
However the Airtourer list at
www.cosmic.com.au/cgi-bin/ata.asp?action=REG
gives it was being built as an Airtourer 100.
Given the photographic and logbook evidence, I think we can safely say that ZK-CLF was built and imported as a 100hp model and converted to 115hp in later life - probably during it's time with AESL October 1977 - August 1978. I have amended my records and the posting above to reflect this.

Thanks guys for the correct information - that's what it is all about.

[kiwi172]

ZK-CLF was originally allocated to V115 c/n 124 but instead it became VH-RSJ.
ZK-CLF was eventually c/n 121 which was indeed a Victa 100 with the Wellington Aero Club from October of 1965. It was damaged in a forced landing at Baring Head on 25-06-1966. During its rebuild it became a Victa 115 and went to Pegasus School of Aviation at Tauranga as "Pegasus 2".

[kiwi172]

The first V100 I flew was one of the very early ones to visit the Wellington Aero CLub . It had four notches of flap, which indeed turned it into a "concrete sparrow". Shortly after this a small bolt was placed in the locking notch to prevent it being locked in the number four position (although you could still hold the flap lever there with one hand, the second hand on the spade and the third one on or near the throttle, carb heat etc). The next one I flew only had three locking positions.
Great little hour builders in which I did many trips from Wellington to Taieri return.

[angelsonefive]

Nov 2, 2009 21:50:00 GMT 12 kiwi172 said:

ZK-CLF was originally allocated to V115 c/n 124 but instead it became VH-RSJ.
ZK-CLF was eventually c/n 121 which was indeed a Victa 100 with the Wellington Aero Club from October of 1965. It was damaged in a forced landing at Baring Head on 25-06-1966. During its rebuild it became a Victa 115 and went to Pegasus School of Aviation at

Tauranga as "Pegasus 2".

Hi Kiwi172,
How sure are you of the date of the forced landing at Baring Head ?
I have a log book entry dated July 8th, 1966 showing that I flew 45 minutes in CLF on that day and I have entered the aircraft type as " Victa 100 ".
If 25-06-1966 is correct then the rebuild was done PDQ and furthermore I must have failed to notice that CLF had a new type of engine, which is entirely the sort of thing I would do today, but not back in '66 .

[thomarse]

I'm with you on that one. CLF was definitely a V100 throughout my Wellington days 1967/68 as were CMD and CMF. Only CWB and CXQ were V115s.

I think the answer is that the Baring Head accident was later than that.

[shamus]

Many moons ago (too many to remember) I got a list of Airtourers and their makers numbers from
Jim Fisher at AESL. The list shows the first 8 as being 100s. They are, CDM No30, CDN 38, CDO 42, CDP 53, CDQ 55, CFB 17, CFJ 27, CGM 52.
Then next is CGN a 100 No 50 then 556.
The next 8 are all listed as 100s. They are, CGO 57, CGP 60, CGQ 71, CHB 87, CHC 72, CHD 114,
CHE 82, CHF 98. The next one, CJN is listed as an AESL Super 150 No A538, followed by CJX listed as a AESL 115 No 541. Next follows, CLC a 100 No 101. and then what appears to be the first Victa 115 CLD 130. followed by 2 100s, CLE 126 and CLF 121.
I have the rest of the list going on to the Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore & Bangladesh ones, if anyone is interested.

[Peter Lewis]

I'd agree with that list Shamus, now that I've corrected ZK-CLE/CLF.

[shamus]

Just to follow on, CLG 123, CLH 148, CMA 145, CMB 151, all listed as Victa 115s.
The next 6 are all Victa 100s, CMC 146, CMD 154, CME 155, CMF 157, COW 167, COX 169.
Then, 4 115s, COY 170, Victa, followed by COZ which strangely says Victa but the number, 501, does not tie in with Victa numbers, then CPA 502, AESL. CPB 503, AESL,
More to come later.

[Peter Lewis]

The next Victa out of the box was Airtourer 115 c/n 145 which became ZK-CMA for the Rotorua aero club. Colours were white with dark blue trim.
This aircraft only survived for some three years - it crashed on t/off at Turangi 17Aug68, pilot Frank R Payne. (some sources quote the date as the 7th). The damaged airframe was taken to Hamilton and some of the structure was used in the construction of AESL Airtourer Super 150 ZK-CZP.

At Ardmore August 1966



The Auckland aero club took the next Airtourer, a 100hp version c/n 146 which became ZK-CMC. Colours were white with green trim, a yellow top to the fin and the registration letters in black.
AAC operated this Victa until it was sold to F N Wilton of Auckland 15May1972. The aircraft was eventually transferred to J R Mungall & D J Subritzky in July 1981 and stored for some time with the registration cancelled 24Jun1992 before being sold into Australia.

At Ardmore 28Dec1965





ZK-CLH was a Victa Airtourer 115 c/n 148 registered initially to Victa (NZ) Ltd., Auckland in December 1965 before going to the Waikato AC. Colours were white with dark blue trim.
The Southern Districts AC, Gore then took ownership but this Airtourer crashed near Waikawa, Southland, 30Mar68. Pilot Keneth Allott.

At Ardmore 28Dec1965, before delivery to Hamilton



Airtourer 115 c/n 151 went to the Auckland Flying School Ltd., Ardmore as ZK-CMB in January 1966. Colours were white with blue trim and AFS lettering in black.
It crashed in the Hunua Ranges 23Sep67 and was quite quickly rebuilt at Hamilton by AESL. It was then sold to Air Pacific Ltd. in Fiji where it became VQ-FBD 23Mar1968 operated by the Fiji Flying Club until its CofA expired 17Nov85. The Fijian registration was cancelled 6Oct1986 and the airframe was later reportedly sold to the Tonga Defence Services - presumably as some sort of training aid?
The aircraft must have survived these experiences and at some stage returned to New Zealand as it was advertised for sale as a restoration project on TradeMe in 2009.
www.trademe.co.nz/nz/auction-220569985.htm
Any further info on its PI history or eventual return to NZ would be appreciated.

At Ardmore 28Jan1966





In an Ardmore hangar, after the Hunua event 28Oct1967

[shamus]

Another shot of CMB after its crash.



A colour photo of CMC showing its original colours of white with green, and one of it in a white and
red scheme before going to Australia.

[corsair67]

I'm amazed how many of these early Airtourers had such short lives with their initial owners, before being bingled.

Is this because of the nature of the flying they were employed in, or were they difficult to fly because they were somewhat underpowered?

[Peter Lewis]

I think a lot of guys (after flying Piper Cubs) got carried away with the Airtourer's bubble canopy and short wingspan and treated them like miniature fighters, which they are not of course, and then had to deal with the predictably disastrous results. That's my theory anyway.

Have received a note written by Ray Deerness saying "ZK-CLF/121 was converted to a 115HP version while with Pegusus in November 1969. I was never able to find out the f/f date." That would appear to rule out a conversion around the time of the Baring Head incident.

[corsair67]

I think a lot of guys (after flying Piper Cubs) got carried away with the Airtourer's bubble canopy and short wingspan and treated them like miniature fighters, which they are not of course, and then had to deal with the predictably disastrous results. That's my theory anyway.

That would probably make a lot of sense, I guess, as the Airtourer does look to bit a "hot ship".

[kevsmith]

Interesting discussion!
Looked at my logbook re the discussion on 115hp model as I recalled flying with Reg Shand when he was demonstrating the then new 115hp model. My logbook entry shows 45 minutes with him in ZK-CLD when he demonstrated that acft to the Auckland Flying School on the 5th of August 1965 at Ardmore.
Never flew another Victa until Jan 1966 when the Auckland Flying School was operating the 115 model ZK-CMB.
Good to see pictures of both these acft in the discussions!
And Thomarse - maybe I ran into you at Matamata in Jan 1967 during the 1st scouts flying school although I don't remember that the flight that I was instructing on had anything but C150's.

[Peter Lewis]

Airtourer 100 c/n 154 became ZK-CMD with the Wellington Aero Club at Rongotai in January 1966. Colours were white overall, green trim and a dayglo tail.

It shifted to the Waitemata AC, Ardmore from 18Jul1972 but crashed near Ardmore 10Jan73, pilot G R Marshall. Its registration was cancelled 19Apr73.

F N Wilton, Auckland rebuilt ZK-CMD and registered ownership on 4Mar1974 and retaining the Airtourer until selling to J K Ferguson, Karaka 3Sep1987. R I McCready, Wanganui became the owner 6Dec1994 and it is current, still as a 100hp version.

At Ardmore 12Aug1967:



ZK-CME followed next as Airtourer 100 c/n 155 for the Auckland Aero Club in April 1966. Colours were white with red trim. It seems to have had an uneventful life there until being withdrawn 22Jul1974 for a rebuild as ZK-DYK, an AESL Airtourer T3A.

At Ardmore 12May1966:





ZK-CMF was another Airtourer 100 for the Wellington Aero Club, c/n 157 delivered in March 1966. It was converted to a 115hp model Jun-Aug70. and first flown as such 14Aug1970. It was involved in an incident in the Otaki River area on 11Mar1973, pilot J C Harward.

Ownership changed to R McKelvie, Napier 23Jun1977, to S P Miller, Taradale (later Rotorua and Auckland) 20Sep1978, D P Sosich, Hamilton 12Nov1984, and then flew overwater to S R & A Brodie, Rangitata Island, South Canterbury 12Feb1985.

Back in the North Island to Geo. Hutchinson & Co.Ltd., Morrinsville 6May1966, to McAlpine Aviation Training (NZ) Ltd., Auckland 19Dec2003, J & N Shuttleworth & Co.Ltd., Morrinsville 11Mar2004, Southern Air Services Ltd., Pukekohe 11Apr2005, Middle Earth Flying School Ltd., Pukekohe21Dec2007, Hauraki AC, Thames 3Nov2008 and finally returning to Southern Air Services Ltd., Pukekohe 6Feb2009.

ZK-CMF was re-registered as ZK-DLW/2 in 2014. Details on page 6.

At the opening pageant of the new New Plymouth airport 4Mar1967:





At Rotorua 1999:



Airtourer 100 c/n 166 was assembled by Aero Engine Services Ltd., Hamilton from Victa-supplied parts and became ZK-COW with the Waikato AC, Hamilton (appropriate registration for the Waikato dairylands). Colours were white with blue trim and a yellow top to the fin. It was converted to a 115 model during its time at Waikato and sold to H C Blair, Waikanae 19Jul1974.

T S Hunt, Kaitaia became owner from 16Jun1980, to P M Dragicevich, Kaitaia 17Sep1986 then south again to the Taranaki Air Tourer Syndicate (D B Simpson & others), New Plymouth 22Dec1987. They sold to T J Ancell, Kaukapakapa as from 30/10/1989, to Topflight Aviation Ltd., Christchurch 8Feb1993.

Major corrosion in the airframe was detected in the mid-1990s, and ownership passed to Gerald F Rhodes, Christchurch 13Dec1996 for display at his Wanaka museum. CAA cancelled the registration as from 19May1998, and the Airtourer remains at Rhodes' Wanaka site.

At Rukuhuia 7Oct1967:



At Wanaka 29Dec2001:



At Wanaka September 2010

[fletcherfu24]

At Rotorua 1999:

Thats taken at Matamata Peter where CMF was based.

[shamus]

A colour photo of ZK-COW whichh I think was taken at Kaitaia.

[corsair67]

Geez, you'd have no trouble reading ZK-COW's rego in the circuit!

[flyjoe180]

It is rather... OBVIOUS!

[Peter Lewis]

Pool Guy is correct, it is Matamata. At least someone is awake.

ZK-COW must have had those embarrassingly large letters painted over at some stage. I have just added a photo of it at Wanaka in 2001, and there is a more normal registration applied at that time.

OK if the other guy is Mr Magoo I suppose.