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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 2, 2015 17:39:48 GMT 12
The Beech C-17B VH-UXP arrived in Australia in December 1936, and following assembly at Mascot undertook its first flight there on 1Jan1937. After wartime service in the RAAF as A39-3 it returned to civil life in 1951. Resuming its original registration of VH-UXP it passed through the hands of several owners over the subsequent years until sold to Cameron Hawley in July 2005. Cam Hawley had the Beech dismantled in 2007 and shipped to the Croydon Aircraft Company at Mandeville for a complete restoration to its original condition and colours. This took some five years, with the first flight after the restoration work was completed taking place on 12May2012. The aircraft, still owned by Cam Hawley, has remained in New Zealand since that time. The Beech flew several times in the airshow display, including during the evening 'Twilight Event'.   |
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Post by Brett on Jun 3, 2015 3:47:41 GMT 12
I think the second Bleriot is powered by some sort of petrol engine. It was started with a rope-pull, so it is probably a lawn mower, chainsaw or weed whacker engine.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 3, 2015 9:00:23 GMT 12
The Omaka show was an attraction for one of the larger gatherings of Austers in recent years. These days, Austers (apart from those that lurk dismantled in the back of sheds) tend to operate in back-block areas and are seldom seen by city folk. Taylorcraft Auster 5c ZK-AZF is a genuine warbird, having served with the RAF as TJ187. However, it's role at that time seems to have been quite unglamerous, Vickers-Armstrong staff transport. Sold 1948 back to the Auster company it became G-ALKI, passing through the hands of Allan Wheeler and then aircraft brokers W S Shackleton Ltd. of Croydon. Sold by Shackletons to E G McNutt of Waipukerau this Auster baecame ZK-AZF in December 1951. McNutt, who I understand was a pioneer in the aerial hunting business, kept the aircraft for 10 years then it moved south to Wanaka and Balclutha. Dave Saxton became AZF's owner in 1971, and continued operatinng it in the hunting trade until it was damaged in a forced landing in Ohuru Valley, Haast, 19Jan72. Rebuilt by Aerotech at Timaru, T M F Taylor of Kurow briefly owned the aircaft before Les Vincent of Ashburton bought it in September 1976. Almost 40 years later it is still the Vincent family pet. During the Friday evening 'Twilight Extreme' part of the show, ZK-AZF featured as it transported a spy into occupied territory, as seen here   |
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Post by Mustang51 on Jun 3, 2015 9:06:13 GMT 12
What a wonderful travelog....... more please !
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 16:01:52 GMT 12
The "breaking" Bleriot was originally built for an MAC pageant sometime in the 1960s (with a DH of some flavour up front IIRC) before falling into disrepair, recently being rebuilt. Dave Lochead can tell us more if he pops up?
Great photos and history Peter! I really enjoy seeing each new machine as it's posted.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 3, 2015 20:05:50 GMT 12
Thanks Zac.
I think then that I have the history of that Bleriot somewhere . . .
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 3, 2015 20:45:50 GMT 12
The Auster J-5 Adventurer was a four-seat version of the three-seat Autocrat, and was primarily intended for the Australian market. Most of the production was shipped as kitsets to the Auster agents there, Kingsford-Smith Aviation. Thus ZK-AXJ started life with Kingsford-Smith Aviation as VH-KAD, and was then sold into New Zealand where it was registered to the Stratford Aero Club in November 1950. Over the following years it has moved around various owners, mostly in the North Island apart from 1999 - 2014 when it was owned by M J Vincent, Christchurch. Current owners are Hamilton based.  |
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Post by suthg on Jun 4, 2015 8:49:35 GMT 12
Lovely stories thanks Peter! A lot of history out there esp in GA, and they keep coming back  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 4, 2015 9:06:05 GMT 12
Auster J-1B Aiglet ZK-AYU has a more conventional history. Imported new into the country by NZ Auster agents British Aircraft Ltd. of Wellington it went then to the Southland Aero Club at Invercargill in May 1952, where it carried the name Trust in Southland. By late 1960 it had moved to the Southern Districts Aero Club at Gore and then transferred across to sydicate ownership at Queenstown in mid-1963. Harry Cederman of Timaru took it over in 1968, and in 1973 the Auster moved north to Te Aroha where it was largely employed glider towing. This proved to be its undoing, as it crashed near Kawerau 18Nov83 while doing that. Paul Morrison acquired the remains and moved them to Warkworth, where tail was used in the rebuild of Aiglet AZU. Paul eventually rebuilt the aircraft and it was registered in his name in 2008 before being sold to owners in Darfield in mid-2011.  |
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Post by baz62 on Jun 4, 2015 15:17:34 GMT 12
Taylorcraft Auster 5c ZK-AZF is a genuine warbird, having served with the RAF as TJ187. Some more background to Peter's notes. Andrew Vincent took on the total rebuild of AZF and she flew after 14 years early on this year. Andrew is an Air New Zealand pilot (A320) and also flies the TVAL aircraft up in Masterton. As mentioned AZF is a MK5c and is one of two built/modified.(The second aircraft was modified in 1982 from MK V TJ147) In the UK Taylorcraft (who became Auster Aircraft) modified TJ187 by installing a Gipsy Major and was kept by the company as G-ALKI and civilianised as the Auster MK5C. The major difference between AZF and the more numerous MK5D (also Gipsy powered) was the wing tanks. I recall Andrew telling me that AZF was raced and to extend the range the wing tanks were installed still leaving the nose tank(I think that's right I'll confirm that with Andrew). She currently just has the two wing tanks and no nose tank. Great thread this Peter thanks for putting the effort in for us! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 4, 2015 16:19:47 GMT 12
Raced?? Do you mean like a long distance rally?
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 4, 2015 19:24:35 GMT 12
There were a number of handicap type races for light aircraft in the 1950s.
I recollect Paul Legge discussing how he tuned one of the NZ Austers for such a race - coarse pitch prop, polished all the metal, tuned the engine for max revs and so on.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 4, 2015 19:44:17 GMT 12
ZK-BGU is a Taylorcraft Auster 5D and also is a warbird, serving as TW387 from August 1945 until it was sold in November 1953. After some storage, it became G-ANHY with R K Dundas Ltd. of Elstree in February 1955. Dundas were an aircraft sales firm, so sold it into New Zealand the same month to A M Bisley & Co.Ltd., Hamilton. Several owners later it passed into the hands of C S & J M Pyper, Wellington, in June 1979 and was badly damaged in a gale, location unknown (Wellington?) some time in 1980. The remains were collected up by D J Duxbury, J E McDonald & K J Kelly, Christchurch, in November 1980 and stored, passing to D J Duxbury, K J & G McDonald of Christchurch in 1984. More recently the Auster has been rebuilt to flying condition, still under the ownership of the Duxbury/McDonald syndicate. Perhaps davidd can can add more detail to the above?  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 5, 2015 9:10:10 GMT 12
I find that there are always a few surprises tucked away in the corners at this sort of show. One of these was the partly-rebuilt Comper Swift that was in restoration row. I was unaware that there had been any Compers in the country since the demise of ZK-ACG back in 1939. This particular aircraft started life in 1932 as G-ACAG with the Comper Aircraft Co Ltd. at Hooton Park airfield. It remained in the manufacturers hands while it carried out extensive sales tours in Europe during 1933-34. At the end of 1934 it was shipped to Australia where it was registered as VH-UVC to the Australian Aero Club (Victorian Section) at Essendon airfield, Melbourne, which later became the Royal Victorian Aero Club. Unsuitable for military service, the aircraft was stored during the war years and did not fly again until 1957. Damaged during a forced landing in 1962, the repair project passed through a few more owners hands and ended up with Roy Fox of Sydney in 1997. Dr Fox shipped the Comper to JEM Aviation of Omaka in 2014 and the restoration work has proceeded since then. It'll be really good to see one of these fly again.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 14:06:28 GMT 12
I was charmed by the Swift, and stunned at just how small it is. The workmanship is exquisite. Good to see it at last.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 5, 2015 18:17:36 GMT 12
Classic DH aircraft were not particularly evident at the show. The DH60G ZK-ADT of Jan & Jerry Chisum was hangar bound throughout, and the only Tiger Moth I saw move was the Omaka Real Flying Club's ZK-BER which taxiied past to shift out of the way of the more active exhibits. This Tiger is an Australian-built example and was one of those designated to be sent to the Royal Rhodesian Air Force where it would have become DX801. In any event, this never happened and the aircraft was taken into the RAAF as A17-712. Civilianized in 1954 as VH-BEX with the North Queensland AC of Cairns it was damaged in a forced landing in January 1961. The remains passed to Ted Jago and then to Graham Orphan and Peter Biddle of Brisbane in 1974. They restored the Tiger, getting it flying again in 1983. Graham bought the aircraft into New Zealand in 2004 and it was registered as ZK-BER to the Omaka Tiger Syndicate, Blenheim on 17th August 2004.  |
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Post by Gert van Kruiningen on Jun 5, 2015 20:55:24 GMT 12
One of the centrepiece events of the show was 'The Pioneer Renaissance Race'. This was a supposedly competitive event between a number of Penny Farthing cycles, vintage cars, and pre-1914 aircraft. The three aircraft were two Bleriots and the Pither. The first Bleriot was the Airdrome Aeroplanes Bleriot XI ZK-BXI built by Gert van Kruiningen based at Rangiora. This replica is not wooden framed as was the original, but constructed from aluminium tubes riveted and painted to make it look authentic. This replica kitset is produced by Airdrome Aeroplanes a small company in Holden, Missouri in the US. Power is by a 1928 Velie M5 five cylinder radial engine. The aircraft had not yet flown prior to the show and unfortunatly, despite appearing at the start line, engine problems prevented it from taking part in the race. The aircraft certainly looks the part A mildly annoyed pilot departs the Bleriot after the engine refused to perform Amazing commentary on all your photos flyernzl !!! Especially these ones of my Bleriot :-) |
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Post by Gert van Kruiningen on Jun 5, 2015 21:07:41 GMT 12
Hi Peter, not sure if it was you who made a photo of me at the Awards dinner on the Sunday night when I got a trophy. If it's you, and you still have that photo, can you email it to me?
gert.van.kruiningen@gmail.com
Thanks
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 6, 2015 8:47:14 GMT 12
Not I, I'm afraid, as I did not go to the Awards dinner.
Have a wife who demanded that I spend some of the time with her rather than all of it with 'things with wings'.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 6, 2015 8:58:29 GMT 12
DHC2 Beaver ZK-AZB can justifiably claim to be an aerial classic. Arriving in NZ as a new aircraft in late 1951, it flew with Fieldair Ltd. based at Gisborne on agricultural duties from May 1952. In the late 1980s, as the demand for agricultural aviation declined, it spent a short time at Tauranga before working in the Manawatu during the 1990s and had clocked up 17,000hrs by mid-1993. Departing for Australia in 1998 it became VH-WOZ with Walair based at Walcha in New South Wales still as an agricultural machine. Hallett Griffin bought the Beaver back to New Zealand in 2010 and has operated it from his Kairanga base ever since. He gave an excellent demonstration of low-level handling on both show days before departing back to Kairanga on the Sunday afternoon.   |
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