Pawnees

[Dave.K]

::)Zac, yes they are small, could only cart 12cwt as that is all you fitted in the hopper, banging the lid on the heap helped. Originally they had the fuel tank like the agwagon between the hopper and engine, but for safety reasons the tanks were put in the wingtips and room for the loader driver was made where the fuel tank had been,(saved sitting on the wing). It had a plastic seat base bolted to the floor,a removeable lid and a hinged up perspex canopy thingy so one could see where you wre going. A small door was on the right hand side behind where the strut connected to the engine mount bearers. In the hot central days I used to use bits of cardboard up the gaps to direct cooler air into the small space, and let the door flap in the breeze, but if it wasn't shut when slowing down to land it played havoc on the elevator and one got the sharp jolts on the pole to get the message through to shut the door .It was a compact fit as the seat was the same level as your feet, and you couldn't turn around enough to see the pilot without a lot effort. I was a good place to be in turbulence, being on the cog there was not much bouncing around.
The thought used to cross the mind at times, if he carks out there's not much I can do about it.
Another time another driver was in the front cruiseing along and he noticed the engine mount had broken and was moving around with the turbulence, he was a nervious wreck by the time they landed.
We had CNB, BZK and one other, can't think at the moment, I think BZK is in Ferrymead.
CNB I think was burnt at Tarras in about 78, after losing a brake on take-off, they used them to keep straight until a bit of speed got up and it went off the side into the briar covered gully,it was spredding grasseed and had a spreader on that had very little dumping cabability.I do have a photo of it as it lay, luckily the pilot walked away.

[Deleted]

Thank you for that insight, Dave! Hopefully this triggers a flood of photographs and memories

We had a Pawnee buzzing around a few weeks ago, doggedly trying to get rid of a glider that was tailing it.

[thomarse]

I'd love to see some shots of the old original 150hp models in action in the heyday (if they had one, which I doubt).

I certainly never saw one in action myself.

Anyone know where the remains of BOQ are now? They were for sale in Wings a couple of years ago.

[Peter Lewis]

ZK-BZK was a Pawnee 235

At Hawera 23Jan1965:



There were 7 Pawnee 150s - ZK-BOP BOQ BOS BOT BPU BWP and BWS

ZK-CNB - Cr on t/off Hawea Flat, rolled into gully & DBF 8Sep78.

Yes, I'd like to see any photos of that one please.

[Deleted]

I'd like to see any photos of BYU, saw it on a DVD of old WAW aircraft.

[fletcherfu24]

There were 7 Pawnee 150s - ZK-BOP BOQ BOS BOT BOU BWP and BWS

There is an eigth Peter,PNE is resident in the local gliding club hangar.Previously N6482Z.

[Dave.K]

Hairy!! Yes thats the door and canopy, the door looks quite small, don't think I would fit in there now with my extended six pack.
The fuel taps from the wings were on each side of the seat, used to think it would be a good party trick to turn them off, but was never game to.

[Peter Lewis]

Oct 20, 2009 20:05:46 GMT 12 @fletcherfu24 said:

There is an eighth Peter,PNE is resident in the local gliding club hangar.Previously N6482Z.

Thanks, I didn't know that was a 150. Is ZK-BWS still a 150, or has it been upgraded to a 235?

ZK-BYU at Harewood early-1960s (spot the Viscount tail):



I wasn't aware that this had any WAW involvement, its history is logged as Airwork (NZ) Ltd., Christchurch/Otago Air Services Ltd., Oamaru/Airwork (NZ) Ltd. before it crashed into hill Hawarden 2Apr73.

[fletcherfu24]

BWS is still a 150 I think,it is with Rotorua Gliding Club www.geocities.com/rotoruagc/RotoruaGlidingClub.html
PNE has a 180hp motor,it was originally a 150hp.150's were only re engined up to 180hp,the 235hps were different beasts.

We also forgot BWQ and BWU.
So thats 10 150's ZK-BOP BOQ BOS BOT BOU BWP BWQ BWS BWU + PNE.

[Dave Homewood]

Here's a couple of Pawnees, my Dad owned the one with the US registration (not sure why he registered it in the USA instead of NZ). These two were 1/4 scale I think, and both could dump stuff from their hoppers.

[Deleted]

Thanks Peter! I saw a DVD of old Harding family films, and on it was Pawnee BYU amongst other types. It caught my eye, interesting that it doesn't seem to have flown with WAW. Thanks for the photo though

[Dave.K]

This is how CNB's career ended at tarras

[lumpy]

Pawnees were king of the glider tugs , when I was young ( mind you , we were still using a Tiger Moth ) . :-)

[thomarse]

Dave:

Whoever walked from CNB had an angel on his shoulder that day. Where did all the foam come from (even though it would appear to be a bit late?) Fire Service turn up 2 hours later and throw it around for practice?

Zac:

(and I'll show my age here....) BYU was I think the first 235 in NZ and it was definitely the demonstrator. Airwork sent it far and wide - I saw it at Dannevirke 28/10/62. It could well have been with WAW in that capacity on the same tour.

[Dave.K]

Thomarse (great name) Unfortuneatly I never saw the wreck in this position, it was the farmer who took the photo. The strip is about 20 km from the nearest fire station, plus time to climb the hill to the strip etc, so it probably was just protocol to foam it and stop the hillside from burning.
The fuse sat behind centrals shed at Alexandra for years.
Another time we were working at the Key, near Mossburn and one pawnee dissappeared , thinking the worst, he reappeared with some icecreams, landed by the shop and got some.
Ag pilots say the only time they give the aircraft a good going over is after a check, the rest of the time it is only them touching it, before I started loading the pilot came off a check and was heading home, when he looked out and saw the pawnees aileron sitting above the wing at one end, pawnees have 3 hinges, he didn't know if there was only 1 or 2 pins left in so it was a very carefull flight home to base, oh it did have 2 pins left in.
I think I already posted this but the pawnee was overheating one day so a trip to the engineer and they couldn't find anything wrong so they took the face off the CHT and bent the needle back so when it was cold it read minus 50 great fix ah.

[Peter Lewis]

Sounds like the guy who was bothered by the low-oil-pressure warning light flickering on and off.
So he took the bulb out.

[Peter Lewis]

Oct 20, 2009 21:59:21 GMT 12 @fletcherfu24 said:

We also forgot BWQ and BWU.

Confirm on ZK-BWQ - I didn't have details on that one.
According to my notes, ZK-BWU was a 180 from the start?

ZK-PPA is listed as a Pawnee D, seemingly the only one to ever operate here.

[thomarse]

Just to revive this thread.......

I repeat the challenge - any photos of a Pawnee 150 in agricultural action???

[ron]

Here is a recent shot of ZK-CEL now on display at the Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra.

[Dave.K]

Rained all day yesterday so I sorted through some old negatives and found this one of CNB