Agricultural Tiger Moths

[ams888]

Hi Guys.

I am wanting to model an agricultural Tiger Moth in NZ, but the internet seems to be void of pictures of any agricultural tiger moths, so I was wondering if anyone had any pictures of these work horses, and also of the trucks, equipment they used.

Thanks in advance

[Deane B]

I googled "topdressing tiger" and turned up quite a few pictures. This will give you an idea to start with. Any idea of the company you want to the model to represent?

[Brett]

rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=airshow&action=display&thread=8337&page=1

Near the bottom of the page.

Cheers,

Brett

[Deane B]

Here are some more of AUZ
www.flickr.com/photos/zkarj/3205377982/

I'm not sure what colours she was painted in her original days as a topdresser, but most of the Wanganui Aero Work Tigers in my books were painted silver.

[ams888]

I was mainly interested in James Aviation, and Airwork Tigers. Apparently in the early days of Airwork they used Tiger(s) to drop poisoned carrots. Any idea how these were dropped? Also apparently Lawson Field (founder of Fieldair) used a tigermoth called Barbera II to drop phosphate. Any idea what the rego was and possible colour scheme of this plane is? also any close up on the spray gear on ZK - ANL?

[thomarse]

"Barbara I" ZK=AQC appears on P51 of "The Topdressers". Although it's a b&w photo she does not appear to be silver, more likely white or cream and with a darker fuselage flash.

The text refers to her as "Barbara I" (Roman numeral) but the photo sure looks like it's actually "II"

[Dave Homewood]

This is not great as the sun was in the wrong place but I took this a few weeks ago in Classic Flyers Museum, Tauranga.



And here are some shots I took last July of Ozzie James's Tiger Moth in Te Papa

[fletcherfu24]

Dave photographing ag-planes...... ;D

[Dave Homewood]

They were proper military planes before someone butchered them!

Nah, in reality I find the ag Tigers quite interesting, and those early days of topdressing when most of the topdresser pilots were ex-Corsair pilots.

My main interest in Ossie's Tiger Moth is the various Cambridge connections - Ossie's brother Ian lives here (he was a wartime Fleet Air Arm pilot), Ossie was amte of my Dad's, and Ossie first did topdressing at Whitehall, Cambridge, just after the war when he and Arthur Baker developed the concept in Arthur's own Tiger Moth, and of course Dereck 'Bill' Kain owned this aircraft for a few years. Bill spent the last decades of his life in Cambridge - he was a wartime Wing Commander Hurricane and Spitfire pilot.

[fletcherfu24]

Talking of Tiger Moths,wartime pilots and Cambridge have you ever thought of talking to Guy Robertson?.
He did a lot of the pioneering topdressing around Cambridge with Robertson Air service and was a fighter pilot.I think hes around Hamilton.
It was a pity there was never a book written about Ossie James,that would have been a good read.

[Dave Homewood]

I'd love to interview Guy Robertson about his wartime exploits in Corsairs, only last week I interviewed a pilot who served under him. I didn't know if he was still alive. Has anyone a more precise location? There are numerous G.M. Robertsons in the whitepages.

[fletcherfu24]

Yep he's still alive,this is a photo of him from Kiwibeavers site www.kiwibeavers.com/images/GRobertson_01.jpg.
He may know or Ray Dearness.
Doug McElwain was another fighter pilot/early Robertson pilot who was with Robertsons for quite a while,hes in the Hamilton phone book,he'd know how to get hold of Guy.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks!

[hairy]

This is just a random example, but I have lots of period shots of Ag-Tigers if anyone is interested.........................

ZK-AXX Barr Brothers (Hawkes Bay) Ltd.
Whites Aviation photo.

[Dave Homewood]

Marcus, do you happen to have any photos of Arthur Baker's Tiger Moth, ZK-APP or his DH60 Moth ZK-ADT during his ownership which were 1947-50 and 1947-51 respectively please?

[hairy]

Feb 23, 2010 22:02:06 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Marcus, do you happen to have any photos of Arthur Baker's Tiger Moth, ZK-APP or his DH60 Moth ZK-ADT during his ownership which were 1947-50 and 1947-51 respectively please?

Hi Dave, these date from about that period........................

DH-82 ZK-APP



DH-60 ZK-ADT

Was the hangar in the background ever finished?



From Whites Aviation negatives.

[fletcherfu24]

I have lots of period shots of Ag-Tigers if anyone is interested.........................

I'm sure all the ag aviation guys would love to see some.Its great to see shots of the early planes that got aerial topdressing going in NZ.

Was the hangar in the background ever finished?

No,if its the one at Hamilton,they were built in the war to service American bombers when the Japs were getting close to Australia.The Americans were going to use bases here for maintenance,(I was told that was why Waharoa was also developed in the war to do also),Once the Japs were pushed back the Americans never came and the hangar was never finished and pulled down in the early '50s.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for the photos of Arthur's aircraft Marcus, it's interesting to see they were colour co-ordinated.

It was in that Tiger Moth in about 1947 that Arthur decided to throw fertiliser from onto his hilly Whitehall farm. He and his mate Ossie James went up and Ossie had a bag of fert between his legs, and scoopoed it out to throw on the land below as Arthur flew it. The concept worked ad as Arthur was already renowned for developing agriculture in New Zealand pre-war with his earthmoving business, they decided to tell the Government of the potential. They later established James Aviation together.

[hairy]

ZK-AIO, Company unknown.


ZK-AJO, James Aviation






ZK-ANH, Aerial Farming of New Zealand Ltd.


More to come.

All photos from Whites Aviation unless otherwise noted.

[Damon]

I notice that ZK-AIO has the engine 'a running'.I trust -AIO didnt cause any mischeif!? Is there any chocks infont? I cant see any.