NZ De Havillands

[hairy]

A quick question and a quick list (still off work) ;

Are we now the Defacto home of De Havilland?

This is based on the current NZ population:

B.E.2e - 1
DHC-1 Chipmunk - 16
DHC-2 Beaver - 4
DHC-3 Otter - 1
DHC-8 - 1
DH-60 Gipsy Moth - 4
DH-60 Racing Moth - 1
DH-80 Puss Moth - 3
DH-82 Tiger Moth - 97
DH-83 Fox Moth - 6
DH-83 Fox Moth-replica - 1
DH-84 Dragon - 1
DH-85 Leopard Moth - 1
DH-87 Hornet Moth - 5
DH-88 Comet-replica - 1
DH-89A Dragon Rapide - 1
DH-89B Dominie - 4
DH-90 Dragonfly - 1
DH-94 Moth Minor - 7
DH-98 Mosquito - 8
DH-100 Vampire - 15
DH-104 Devon/Dove - 14
DH-112 Venom - 2
DH-114 Heron - 1
DH-115 Vampire - 8
Airco DH-5-replica - 1

TOTAL: 202 a/c + 3 replicas!

Also how many more tiger moths etc. we don't know about.
e.g John smith has parts of at least 3 vampires one of which is non RNZAF.

[Dave Homewood]

Interesting. When did the De Havilland New Zealand factory at Rongotai finally close? I think it was 1950's.

I read recently that the wartime RNZAF preferred to get US light trainers rather than the Tiger Moth but mother England dcreed we buy it. I'm very glad they did!

[Bruce]

The RNZAF never paid a cent (or shilling...) for the Tigers it obtained during wartime. Everything was paid for under the British commonwealth Air Training plan. Likewise Oxfords and Harvards engaged in BCATP work were also free of charge, although we had to pay for some Oxfords when word got out they were being used for other purposes such as communications - As a result Dominies were ordered for comms duties as they were cheaper than paying for Oxfords! After the war, the RNZAF got to keep the aircraft it had aquired under the scheme - not a bad deal really. Who would want to pay for Stearmans etc when Tigers were free!
Incidentally DHNZ was in operation until the late 1950s at least as they overhauled the antarctic flight otter in 1959. I think they finally were displaced when Rongotai was rebuilt to international airport status - the factory then played the important role of Terminal building until 2001!

[Dave Homewood]

Cheers Bruce.

A substantial part of the wartime DH factory was lost in 1946 when the Centenial Buildings burned down. They ahd taken these buildings over from the RNZAF TTS, which moved to Nelson, midwar. A huge pity, from all the photos I have seen the Centenial buildings were very ornate Art Deco gems.

I guess now we can say DHNZ is based at Mandeville