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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 23, 2010 19:08:41 GMT 12
can I just say how much I am enjoying your 'pictorial type history' threads, especially relative obscurities like the Agricola. Thanks. One of my hopes in posting this sort of stuff is that the guys who were personally involved during the 50s, 60s and 70s (who are actually getting on a bit now) will respond with their first-hand memories of their involvement with these aircraft. Occasionally, my hopes are realized. Nah, nah..... Front with the shot of an R 985ed CRU and you can have your 10 with much pleasure! Jeez you guys are demanding! I turn tricks here, and you always want more. At Rukuhia, date not logged. |
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Post by thomarse on Jun 23, 2010 21:52:39 GMT 12
No doubt about Peter, you're the master!
Two things about that photo - it doesn't actually look that bad! Better than I expected, and better than the IO720 IMHO.
Secondly, the foreground reminds me of an old joke - "Never mind , you've still got the box it came in". Looks like it's still plastic-shrouded?
Despite spending my life looking skywards, I never ever got to watch one of them flying despite at least 3 living just over the hill in the Wairarapa. Saw one briefly air-to-air south of Timaru in early 1968, I guess either CRI or J.
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Post by furyfb11 on Jun 24, 2010 10:45:40 GMT 12
Thanks for that photo Peter first one I've seen of the 985.I dont think it has improved its looks though.
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Post by furyfb11 on Jun 26, 2010 15:54:55 GMT 12
I took the photo of CRD during an airshow for the opening of the sealed runway at Wairoa.It was one of three that did a display.Also present were an NAC DC3(ZK-APK) an Airland DC3 and a U.S.Navy R4D which did a jato take off...photo to follow if I can find the slide.  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 26, 2010 17:42:58 GMT 12
Nice one David. I have seen one or two launch forth like that.
Apparently the recommended procedure at the time was to start the trundle down the runway on the radials, then light the JATO bottles when well underway.
This caused some interesting moments if and when one or more of the bottles failed to ignite, pilot decision making at its best!
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 26, 2010 23:17:55 GMT 12
OK, in to it: ZK-CRA Callair B-1 c/n 10011 Built 4Mar66, Arr NZ 25Jul66.F/f 17Aug66 for agents Aero Engine Services Ltd., Hamilton. Del 19Aug66 Air Contracts Ltd., Masterton 18Jul73 Sky Hire (S.I.) Ltd., Timaru 21Mar74 Auster Air Services Ltd., Timaru 16May74 Airwork (NZ) Ltd., Christchurch Damaged by wind, Orari Gorge, 30Sep77, cancelled 14May81. At Masterton 1967
The Green party approved low-emission version, apparently also at Masterton at a later date ZK-CRB Callair B-1 c/n 10012 Built 6May66,.F/f 23Aug66 with agents AESL Del 30Aug66 Air Services (Wairarapa) Ltd., Masterton then to Air Contracts Ltd., Masterton Cr Te Wharau, Masterton, 20Jan67. Pilot Ian Gibling. Registration transferred back to Aero Engine Services Ltd. 6Apr67 for a rebuild, then to Air Services (Wairarapa) Ltd. Did this rebuild actually eventuate? If so, what was the final fate of this aircraft? Registration cancelled 29Jan75. ZK-CRB of Air Contracts at Pahiatua Base strip (Makuri Road) 6Nov66. At that time the pilot was Graeme Millward ZK-CRC Callair B-1 c/n 10006 Arr NZ 29May66,.F/f 1Jul66 for agents AESL Del 18Jul66 Rangitikei Air Services Ltd., Taihape 27Feb73 Auster Air Services Ltd., Timaru 16May74 Airwork (NZ) Ltd., Christchurch Last flight 7Aug78. WFU at Rangiora & scrapped, components to Ferrymead museum, cancelled 14May81. Again, the low carbon footprint version, Rukuhuia 16Mar68 and at Rangiora after its active life finished, 21Jul79 ZK-CRD Callair B-1 c/n 10017 Built 13May66, for agents AESL Del 21Sep66 Rangitikei Air Services Ltd., Taihape Cr Otupae 5Nov68, pilot Raymond Scott. (I can find no confirmation details of a Hunterville crash at a later date). Cancelled 27Feb69. At Rukuhuia 18Nov67 As far as I can recollect, all of these were at least initially painted a particularly veminous colour of yellow with black lettering & trim. David's colour photos have faded this out. |
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Post by agile on Jun 26, 2010 23:26:05 GMT 12
ZK-CRB Callair B-1 c/n 10012 Built 6May66,.F/f 23Aug66 with agents AESL Del 30Aug66 Air Services (Wairarapa) Ltd., Masterton then to Air Contracts Ltd., Masterton Cr Te Wharau, Masterton, 20Jan67. Pilot Ian Gibling. Registration transferred back to Aero Engine Services Ltd. 6Apr67 for a rebuild, then to Air Services (Wairarapa) Ltd. Did this rebuild actually eventuate? If so, what was the final fate of this aircraft?Registration cancelled 29Jan75. Hmmm. After some rummaging today, Denys may be able to hazard a guess.... ;D They do seem to have been captured sans engine rather frequently, don't they? |
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Post by denysjones on Jun 27, 2010 8:54:41 GMT 12
As the erstwhile agile suggests a couple of comments.
I took agile for a Callair parts trawl Saturday and refreshed my own memory of what we hold.
All our materials came from Timaru from a garage style shed behind the Airwork/Southair hangar. My recollections are that that's where all the Airwork Callair stuff hand congregated so I don't know if it includes the stuff from Rangiora. Unfortunately John Pierre died last year so I can't check with him, Bruce Robertson might be the one to confirm that.
The deal was if we took one nut and bolt out of the shed we took everything. So we did.
We hold one pair of of wings that are white with red-orange tips, one pair that are all silver, and one lone silver wing. As the expression goes we have tail items for Africa but they are all yellow. We have enough for 3 poss 4 a/c. Interestingly we have several rudder frames that are de-fabriced. The duplications etc of items in boxes at the moment are anyone's guess.
Also we have some 8 wing spars some old some new, one has to guess stocks were held against a known issue?
The big thing we don't have is a fuselage frame and have often wanted to prove/disprove the Kurow-Roxburgh existance story. That is is it still in a gully as we've been told?
Failing that we'll have to fabricate one and that leads to the next issue of manuals..where have they gone? We've even tried offshore but the B1's seem one of those forlorn a/c, we can get heaps of info on the A9 so we're probably going to have to take a punt and just scale up drawings for that and go for it.
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Post by baz62 on Jun 27, 2010 9:52:56 GMT 12
I took the photo of CRD during an airshow for the opening of the sealed runway at Wairoa.It was one of three that did a display.Also present were an NAC DC3(ZK-APK) an Airland DC3 and a U.S.Navy R4D which did a jato take off...photo to follow if I can find the slide. Hmmmmm that looks like Ferrymead's R4D if I'm not mistaken! |
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Post by oj on Jun 27, 2010 12:16:47 GMT 12
I was at AESL and worked on CRC a few times.
I remember one day when it broke an undercarriage leg on take-off (not sure where) and they elected to fly it direct to the repair facility at AESL in Hamilton.
We all went down the JAL taxiway to watch pilot Ashley Shrimpton do a one-wheel landing on the grass vector (close to the rear of the old JAL superphosphate shed) and hold it up one one leg forever, then it just gently settled on the port wing and slid to a stop in a slight arc.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 29, 2010 21:00:40 GMT 12
Undercarriage problems seem to have been a feature on the Callairs,
ZK-CRD - undercarriage collapsed on landing at Rukuhia 28Feb68.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 29, 2010 21:31:32 GMT 12
ZK-CRI Callair B-1 c/n 10018 Built 27May66. F/f 19Aug66 for agents AESL Del 19Aug66 Auster Air Services Ltd., Timaru 23Jan1974 Central Aviation Ltd., Dunedin Accident reported at Kyeburn 28Jun1974, pilot Gerald George RTS Roxburgh, cancelled 5Nov1975  ZK-CRJ Callair B-1 c/n 10020 Built 3Jun66. F/f 26Aug66 for agents AESL Del 20Aug66 Sky Hire Ltd., Timaru 23Jan1974 Central Aviation Ltd., Dunedin Accident reported Dunback Sep75 RTS Roxburgh, cancelled 5Nov1975  ZK-CRU Callair B-1 c/n 10029 Temp N26B (US test flight registration, some of the other NZ Callairs also used this). Built 5Aug66. Used as NZ demonstrator by agents Aero Engine Services Ltd., Hamilton 1966-67 21May1967 Air Services (Wairarapa) Ltd., Masterton Converted to P&W R-985 Wasp Junior power at Rukuhia at unknown date. Cr Wangaehu, nr Masterton, 16Mar68. Pilot Ian Gibling. Cancelled 29Mar68. ZK-CRU at Wanganui on demonstration tour 11Feb1967  At Rukuhia during engine conversion I obviously found the hopper installation fascinating, as I took several photos of that at the time   ZK-CRV Callair B-1 c/n 10030 Built 12Aug66. F/f NZ 20Oct66 for agents AESL Del 22Oct66 Wanganui Aero Work Ltd., Wanganui Cr Ardgowan, near Oamaru, 19Jun73, pilot John Ellis 16May1974 Airwork (NZ) Ltd., Christchurch - rebuild? Registration cancelled 14May1981. ZK-CRV at Levels, Timaru, January 1967 in what appears to be a spraying configuration That appears to be the end of the NZ Callair story. An aircraft designed for dusting and spraying of crops in large flat areas of America was not a success when put to work applying grassland fertilizers to small hilly areas of New Zealand. Who would have thought it? Right, I'm off to the Yasawas for a little while, feel free to add to the content while I'm gone.
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Post by agile on Jun 30, 2010 10:52:13 GMT 12
Thanks for the complete history Peter.
The tail surfaces and nose cowling we have are a similar colour to the shots of CRI and CRJ. I wonder if any of the rudders still have the registration painted on... Although as Denys mentioned at least two of our rudders are skeletal.
So why did all the bits gravitate to Timaru? Did someone plan to resurrect the type?
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Post by The Red Baron on Jun 30, 2010 11:44:15 GMT 12
Would it be that the Callairs were maintained by Aerotech at Timaru.
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Post by thomarse on Jul 1, 2010 11:41:56 GMT 12
I'm away from home at the moment but when I get back I'll dig out some old letters from a great mate the late Tim Frederikson.
I know there's quite a bit of reference in them to the South Island Callairs in their last years.
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Post by dakman on Jul 1, 2010 12:13:50 GMT 12
Can add a little more to the Callair saga
All the aircraft used in Wairarapa arrived in yellow
and kept that .
Re cru it was back at Masterton in december 1967
with its new look Recall also crb also had a one wheel
arrival at Masterton in Dec 1967
Re crc saw it at Wanganui sans engineNov 1972
it was then in white with red tail and wings
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Post by agile on Jul 1, 2010 12:41:39 GMT 12
Re crc saw it at Wanganui sans engineNov 1972 it was then in white with red tail and wings Well that might account for one pair of wings (white with red tips), leaving three anonymous. |
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Post by The Red Baron on Jul 2, 2010 22:05:31 GMT 12
It was still red & white when it finished its days with Airwork,theres pics in The Topdressers.
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Post by studentpilot on Jul 2, 2010 23:13:13 GMT 12
The smaller A9's were nice machines to fly, couldn't carry as much as a Pawnee but nicer to fly. How were the B1's? There also were a couple trialed in OZ I think by Air Ag, they weren't a big success.
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Post by thomarse on Jul 5, 2010 14:08:32 GMT 12
Dakman, that jogged my memory. There were actually two of 'em in Wanganui over Christmas - New Year 1972/73. They were in different states of disrepair and were around the corner from WAW out of sight up a sort of a valley in the sandhills.
I'm positive the other one was CRA and I was surprised to read later that it was airworthy again as it didn't look like it ever would be when I saw it.
I guess CRC got there through the Wanganui take-over of Rangitikei, but can't explain CRA being there.
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