Jodel D9 DHZ history

[chbessexboy]

Greetings. I am a new member here looking for information on, or contact with, former owners of DHZ.

I have recently purchased her from Rex Woods of Christchurch, and she is now based at Central Hawkes Bay. I am not yet able to fly her, but there is no greater incentive to learn!


While the Log-Book offers a lot of clues, signatures are hard to decipher and not all pilots were owners.

Any help will be appreciated, thanks.

[lowandslow]

Try NZ Civil Aircraft blog and search DHZ

[chbessexboy]

Thanks lowandslow. I learned a lot there about the Jodel before I purchased her. DHZ is NZ's oldest flying D9 with nearly 800 hours on the clock. Austin (Alex?) Brannigan built her in Southland and she has also been based in the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Canterbury. 'NZCA blog' lists a lot of names that don't appear in the Log-Book and she was inactive for a while. I have written to CAA for a history of owners which I hope they can provide with dates. Hopefully someone here will have had first hand knowledge of the aircraft or know someone who has. Cheers.

[chbessexboy]

I have received via email an amazing image of DHZ being propped for what may have been its maiden flight. Many thanks, dakman. The photo also offered other clues. The builder/pilot Austin Brannigan went by the name 'Mick', and the chap doing the honours with the prop was Neville Stronach. Mick Brannigan was employed by the Electricity Department and lived at the Hydro Village, Monowai. It is possible he returned to the UK, but Neville Stronach went on to build Sirocco ECW. I wonder if Neville is still around?

The CAA have been most helpful in supplying records of previous owners, and I will be asking if some of those named are still about in the future. Cheers.

[chbessexboy]

Thanks to this board, and especially to dave.k, I have made contact with DHZ's constructor Mick Brannigan and had a lovely chat with him on the phone. Mick lives in Blenheim and my only regret is that he didn't get to see his old aircraft when it was there in June. Maybe I shall have to fly it back there one day.

Getting it up from Rangiora was an adventure. Volunteer pilot Ross Macdonald and I flew down there on Air NZ and was picked up by previous owner Rex Woods. That's Rex on the prop while Ross looks pensive:



While it warmed up, Ross got a few tips:



Then it was time to taxi DHZ out for its first flight in eleven months:



And up she went:



After a couple of circuits, and a debrief over a coffee, it was off to Omaka - Kaikura Coast ahead:



The next morning, the frost was wiped from the wings, and she was warmed up ready to go:



The serious bit was getting across the ditch, but the VW didn't miss a beat:



Soon she was safely established in her new home:

[dakman]

Thanks for the post. Another D9 in HS.BAY is good news .

[chbessexboy]

Aug 3, 2015 15:53:32 GMT 12 dakman said:

Thanks for the post. Another D9 in HS.BAY is good news .

I agree dakman, and there is better news too. Another member at CHB has purchased FLI and it arrived a couple of weeks ago:



We are thinking of forming an aerobatics team and calling ourselves "The Red Snails" 

[baronbeeza]

Ahhhhh, the Turb Team.
Many years ago I worked in this hangar while I tried to get my wood and fabric experience for the rating. At 16 Pounds an hour it was tempting to get some flying in also but it was not to be.
I am sure they are fun to fly.

www.turbteam.com/

www.tigerclub.co.uk/turbulents.html

This took my eye in one of the newsletters from the Club.

Tiger Club Flying Rates as from 1st April 2014
Aircraft Type Hire Charge


CAP 10C UKL 235.00
DH82a Tiger Moth UKL 210.00
PA18-95 Piper Super Cub UKL 140.00
Rollason D31 Turbulent UKL 75.00

[chbessexboy]

Has anyone here flown both the D9 and the Turbulent, and would care to make a comparison?

[Peter Lewis]

You probably already have this by now:

[baronbeeza]

Aug 8, 2015 7:51:55 GMT 12 chbessexboy said:

Has anyone here flown both the D9 and the Turbulent, and would care to make a comparison?

It would be an interesting answer as I am sure many would have flown both. Possibly not here in NZ though.
Rollason's built the Turbulents in the Squash Court at the rear of Hangar 8 at Redhill.

Rollasons and the Tiger Club went hand-in-hand, while I was at the club I was the only engineer not employed by Rollasons.
Anyway the Tiger Club also had a few Robins about.
Rollasons also built the Condor of which we had two or three. They looked similar to the D11.



www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/01/1206049/-Its-tiny-its-cute-its-French-I-want-one-The-Druine-Turbulent#


forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?94659-Jodel-D9

I’ve flown the Jodel D 9 and have also flown the Durine turbulence both types were VW powered with Leburg ignition were armstrong starters and have comparable performance.

My preference was the Jodel as it had more leg room (but was still a very cozy fit I’m 5’11”) and I felt better performance down to that clever Jodel wing design possibly slightly slower in roll than the turb as if that matters with this class of aircraft. No brakes and a tail skid should be of more concern and could prove challenging in 10 or more knots of wind. But the wheel camber was such that when the tail was down she would have resistance but once you got the tail up this diminished considerably. This is grass root flying after all.

Also best to be extra mind full of the speed bleeding off in turns with both aircraft, especially turns on finals perhaps the turb more so? On balance I feel that the Jodel is the better aircraft I didn’t find and am not aware of any vices and never had a problem with a turb either but have heard that some have been bitten but then all aircraft bite fools or so it was written on the turbs I flew at Headcorn and the club had the foresight also to fit stall warnings on the turbs.

I have had some wonderful flights in the Jodel and as an Englishman I have to concede that in this instance the French make some delightfully clever functional and attractive aircraft and the Jodel for my money is all of these, even now in the 21st Century which isn’t bad for a 1940s design. The turbulence is also a very worthy aircraft better suited to less generously proportioned pilots than myself and worth considering. I hope that this helps.

Going by the following thread there is an ex-747 guy here in NZ that seems to know the Tiger Club machines well and he has also owned a D9.
www.pprune.org/private-flying/381818-turbulent-jodel-d9-single-seaters.html

He shouldn't be too difficult to track down.

[chbessexboy]

Thanks Peter, I do have a complete list of owners now, but if anyone knows any of those people please point them in my direction.

[chbessexboy]

Thanks baronbeeza. It seems the D9's wing may just give it the edge. Looks like I have made a good choice, but the roll-out will still be challenging!

Interesting to read that the Turb Team all run Leburg ignition. I am thinking of fitting this so will start a new thread on it.

[chbessexboy]

Anyone had any experience with one of these mags?



It is a Lucas SR4 and started life on a Fordson tractor. If it checks out OK I may use it on the Jodel.

[chbessexboy]

Apparently SR4s were quite often used on homebuilts. Here are a couple on a D9: