Taylorcraft Ranchwagon

[Peter Lewis]

One of the more spectacular failures on the New Zealand agricultural aircraft scene would have to be the Taylorcraft Ranchwagon.

The Taylorcraft 20 design was a four-seat monoplane of the mid-1950s. Unusually for the time it was constructed of moulded fibreglass over a tubular framework. Power was 225hp by Continental.

Although the Taylorcraft 20 was available in the Model 20AG Topper agricultural version, all those imported seem to have been the Model 20 Ranchwagon utility variant.

Garmac Industrial Investments Ltd., Auckland were the agents for Taylorcraft, and the first Ranchwagon to arrive was c/n 20-013 which became ZK-BLX in their name in November 1955.
Auster Air Services Ltd. of Timaru took delivery on the 23rd July 1956, and soon the name 'Rock 'n' Roll' was seen applied to the aircraft. This may have been a comment on the performance of the Taylorcraft in the New Zealand environment.
By late 1957 the aircraft had been withdrawn from use, probably thankfully, and the registration was cancelled on the 14th November.

ZK-BLX in Auster Air Services colours



The second aircraft, which may have arrived in the same shipment, was c/n 20-014. This was assembled and became ZK-BQM with Northern Air Services Ltd., Te Kuiti in October 1956.
After a short but apparently lack-luster topdressing career, Central Air Taxis Ltd. of Te Kuiti operated the Ranchwagon as a four-seater followed by B G Wright also of Te Kuiti. Bee Aircraft Sales (NZ) Ltd., Auckland took the aircraft on, and then a series of private owners in Manurewa, Te Kowhai and Nelson owned the aircraft throughout the 1970s.
A J Gibson, Te Anau took ownership on 19Apr1977 and eventually passed the Ranchwagon on to the BQM Syndicate, Christchurch who have owned it since 24Oct1991.

ZK-BQM in Northern Air Service colours circa 1956



At Ardmore 1Nov1965



At Christchurch 1997. At last, a reasonably aesthetic colour scheme!



The third Ranchwagon to arrive, built in May 1956 as c/n 20-024, had already borne the USA markings N6681N (possibly during test flights) and passed to H Allen Mills of Rotorua as ZK-BRJ.
Mr Mills was a stalwart of the Rotorua Aero Club and operated a large civil engineering business. ZK-BRJ was used by him to commute to his various contracting sites around the central north island.
This Ranchwagon had a very short life, as it was destroyed when it overshot the landing, cr & DBF near Ohura, south of Taumaranui, 14Jan57. Pilot H A Mills.

At Rongotai 1956



The Taylorcraft 20 design ceased production after 38 aircraft had been built. Not a roaring success apparently.

[The Red Baron]

Allen Mills was a character,when I was in the M.O.T in Rotorua one of the guys stopped him driving through town in his new Mercedes with a donkey in the back seat with its head out the window.

[dakman]

This guy also once owned our only Tipsy Belfair I think
What ever happened to that aircraft ??

[Peter Lewis]

H Allen Mills does seem to be a bit accident-prone while participating in aviation.

He had:
Taylorcraft Tourist 15A ZK-BCM, force-landed Mamaku 17May56 while on lease from Aircraft Engineering Co of NZ Ltd.
DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BEF, crashed Tongariro strip Jul54
as well as the above accident with the Ranchwagon.

Also listed in his ownership were Auster J-5A ZK-BDW and the Tipsy Belfair ZK-BGZ which was sold to Edward Wilkie of Rotorua early December 1956 and almost immediately crashed into a pine plantation, Rotorua, 8Dec56.

Mills also was the fellow who rescued the Grumman TBF-1C Avenger NZ2527/ZK-CBO from Ardmore and took it to Kuirau Park, Rotorua, in October 1964.

[agile]

What is the story with the modified wingtips of BQM in the later shot?

[Peter Lewis]

Droopy wingtips. An aftermarket aerodynamic aid.

More stability, especially in the crosswind and flare and the approach (stall speed) drops about 5 mph (thus shorter landings).

Common on STOL aircraft, and often retrofitted to other types eg Cessna 172.

[craig]

Actually a really pretty wee plane. Shame they aren't still around

[davidd]

Pretty? I would describe the Taylorcraft model 20 design as, er, CHUNKY, but not in a square cut way (apart from the wings of course). However I must admit that the rear fuselage and tail design had some style, but attached to that front half? No, no, no! I recall seeing BQM dragging some enormous advertising banners over Christchurch about 2 or 3 years ago, so this one at least has done some honest work for its owners. You could certainly tell it still had a Continental O-470 under the bonnet.
David D

[The Red Baron]

About 2/3rds the way down this page is an article on how they made the fibreglass fuselage...www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201374.html

[thomarse]

Hey RB, you mention the MoT.

Are you aware that Lou Forcezs of "Fifty Years of the Fletcher" fame has now done the same with a pictorial history of the black-and-whites?

[The Red Baron]

Cheers for that,I see a cover picture on the net from Wellington MOT days.I was around when it was taken.
But I deny knowing anything about the motorways ute on the front cover being used to recover christmas trees from a public park... ;D

[thomarse]

I only ever once saw BQM doing what it was designed to do. That was at Waharoa in about 1962, and like davidd I agree there was no doubt about the O470 up front.

I also saw Tourist BCM a few times in the early 60s. The Upper Valley Gliding Club were to trial her as a towplane but I don't think it ever happened. She did however sit in the back of their hangar at Wallaceville for perhaps a year or more.

IIRC she was unusual as like a "pregnant Cub" she had a single front seat and two-place rear seat.

[Peter Lewis]

As did the Desoutter, DH.80A Puss Moth and the DH85 Leopard Moth.

[davidd]

Yesterday evening I saw what I presume was BQM roaring around over the central suburbs of Christchurch groaning under the strain of towing a large banner. As usual, I was never in the correct position to read the message the sponsor wished me to read!
David D

[oj]

Methinks those wing tip mods for quasi-STOL performance were called Robertson Conversions
Eh?

[The Red Baron]

From what I've read about the Ranchwagon/Topper it mainly relied on the curvature of the earth to attain flight.

[Peter Lewis]

I have just seen a comment that ZK-BLX was destroyed by fire in November 1957 at Kairanga.

Any confirmation on this?
Its eventual demise has always been a bit of a mystery.

[thomarse]

That's always been my understanding Peter but possibly from the same comment to which you refer? I see Dave Wise says "dbf cx 11/57 st Kairanga 60 fate unknown"

The activities at Kairanga would make a good story in their own right. I don't know if the original strip was the same as the present one of Hallett's, but I suspect it was and in the early 60s it was licensed. I seem to connect the name of Syd Jensen with Kairanga?

[madmax]

Yep, Sid J produced his D31 Turbulent kits there. I believe our first Agricola BMJ was assembled there and the remains of Champion 7FC Tritraveler, later converted to a 7EC by removing the sissy wheel, were reputed to have been stored there during the 1970/80s

[zkdex]

Auster Air Services used a Taylorcraft and a DH Tiger Moth at water bombing trials at Lincoln College on 31 Jan 1957. (Press, 1 Feb 1957). One could suppose BLX was never the same after this??