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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2017 11:38:15 GMT 12
Graham Orphan has sent through this photo, and he asked the following: "Hi Dave,
Just wondering if anyone would know about this? Its a Chippie aft fuselage that turned up in Wgtn - the top of Oakleigh Street, Maungaraki.
Was photographed by David Blair.
Perhaps someone in the group could supply some answers?
Crs, G"Does anyone know more?
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Post by madmax on May 9, 2017 13:41:48 GMT 12
Hi Graham, The Chipmunk fuselage appears to be that of ZK-BSS. Wellington Aero Club obtained the damaged airframe in the early 1970 and used it as spares for BSV. It was for many years stored under the WAC club house but I have an idea I saw it in an Adrmore hangar in the 1980s but cannot be positive about that
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 9, 2017 16:29:44 GMT 12
ZK-BSS ex WK60 G-AOUM H.R. Tressler, Raurimu - July 1957 leased to Wellington Aero Club Damaged by fire 26Mar1960 - to spares for ZK-BSV (presumably some sort of fire while on the ground?) Chipmunk ZK-BSS at Paraparaumu December 1957From a rather fuzzy colour photo I also have of it, the aircraft was white or silver, with red trim striping. So the fin of the fuselage on the trailer would be different from BSS. Maybe a fuselage-swap somewhere along the line?
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Post by madmax on May 9, 2017 16:47:48 GMT 12
When the damaged BSS arrived at Wellington in the early seventies it had a silver fuse and dayglo fin as in the picture. I do not believe any major components from BSS appeared on BSV and their was definately no fuselage swap. Incidently after Wellington Aero Club's Chipmunk APN was recovered from its dunking in Lyall Bay in 1950 it too was stored under the same WAC clubhouse which at that time was located on the old Rongotai airfield. About 1953 the remains of APN were removed by persons unknown
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Post by angelsonefive on May 9, 2017 17:30:50 GMT 12
When the damaged BSS arrived at Wellington in the early seventies it had a silver fuse and dayglo fin as in the picture. I do not believe any major components from BSS appeared on BSV and their was definately no fuselage swap. Incidently after Wellington Aero Club's Chipmunk APN was recovered from its dunking in Lyall Bay in 1950 it too was stored under the same WAC clubhouse which at that time was located on the old Rongotai airfield. About 1953 the remains of APN were removed by persons unknown I joined the WDAC in Sept. 1960 and had my first lesson in a powered aircraft in Chipmunk ZK-BSV on the 18th of that month. At about that time a soot-blackened, stripped Chipmunk fuselage appeared from somewhere and I recall seeing it propped up against the wall of the clubhouse behind the fuel pumps. I remember hearing that the plane had caught fire while being refueled. I presume this was BSS. My last flight in BSV was in April 1961, and I seem to have done most my flying in PA18s after that. I have no idea when BSV left Wgton. Does anyone remember ? a15.
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Post by madmax on May 9, 2017 17:49:25 GMT 12
You would be correct in assuming the fire blacked chippy fuse was that of BSS which arrived at Wellington around 1960, not 1970 as I stated in my earlier post. Just when WAC sold BSV I cannot say at this time. I do have the date and sale price in my archives which are inaccessable at this time
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Post by planewriting on May 9, 2017 17:55:58 GMT 12
Hi Graham, The Chipmunk fuselage appears to be that of ZK-BSS. Wellington Aero Club obtained the damaged airframe in the early 1970 and used it as spares for BSV. It was for many years stored under the WAC club house but I have an idea I saw it in an Adrmore hangar in the 1980s but cannot be positive about that Now I think of it I recall seeing the rear fuselage (silver with black rego) in a war-time hangar at Ardmore in the 1970s over by where Waitemata Aero Club operated from and the Bristol Freighters were laid up.
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Post by madmax on May 9, 2017 18:10:43 GMT 12
Yes, I'm pretty sure that is where I saw it too but I think it was in 1980s
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 9, 2017 18:54:34 GMT 12
It has also been suggested to me the remains on the trailer may by that of ZK-ARM which were at Palmerston North. What do you all think?
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Post by Bruce on May 9, 2017 19:17:52 GMT 12
Yellow paint and a Dayglo tail fin is a standard RCAF Chipmunk colour scheme - I suspect this one is ex-Canada. I vaguely recall a number of Canadian Chippies arrived about the time Keith Skillings machine was imported. I'm Fairly certain there is one at Mandeville under rebuild, but were others also imported? This fuselage is however missing any military markings, neither is there any fin markings, but a certain amount of paint stripping appears to have happened...
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Post by htbrst on May 9, 2017 19:27:13 GMT 12
It has also been suggested to me the remains on the trailer may by that of ZK-ARL which were at Palmerston North. What do you all think? There was a substantial collection of Chipmunk bits in Palmerston North a few years ago sitting out in the sun for a few weeks on the grass outside a fenced off storage facility near the control tower. I can recall 5ish sets of wings and tailplanes but cant remember if there were any fuselages present. Not much to go on but I can recall thinking they could put together quite a few aeroplanes from that collection should they be serviceable parts.
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Post by angelsonefive on May 9, 2017 20:10:37 GMT 12
" Chipmunk ZK-BSS at Paraparaumu December 1957 "
That is a great picture but the background does not look like PP to me. I suspect it is Ardmore, where BSS had its static spark induced refueling fire occur.
a15.
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 9, 2017 22:30:31 GMT 12
It has also been suggested to me the remains on the trailer may by that of ZK-ARM which were at Palmerston North. What do you all think? Doesn't look to be the correct colours for ZK-ARM, which was ex-India I'm Fairly certain there is one at Mandeville under rebuild ... Would that one be ZK-DHC/2?
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Post by planewriting on May 9, 2017 22:37:33 GMT 12
After my above post I started having second thoughts as to it being BSS. Mad Max and I have independent recollections of seeing it at Ardmore at least as far back as 1980 and I seem to recall only silver with large black letters on the fuselage whereas that one on the trailer in more modern times has a dayglo tail and yellow patches. Neither does it shows signs of those large letters I recall.
I started drawing the conclusion that Bruce has drawn i.e. a Canadian built Chipmunk, from India. From my records I know of: ZK-CVM, c/n 34, ex VT-CVM Katikati ZK-CVR (reserved), c/n 39, VT-CVR (Mandeville) ZK-DHC, c/n 42, ex VT-CVU,(Mandeville) ZK-ARM,(Palmerston North) c/n 60, ex VT-CXM, (Palmerston North) VT-CVP, c/n 37 (Ranfurly).
Is it one of the Mandeville ones or perhaps Ranfurly? I believe CVM and ARM are airworthy. Then again, given the prolific importation of Chipmunks in more recent times could it be a fresh import?
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Post by thomarse on May 24, 2017 20:21:10 GMT 12
I suppose an interesting question is: "Where has it gone now?"
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munkman
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by munkman on Jan 27, 2020 21:03:13 GMT 12
Have just very belatedly found this forum quite by accident. I found the speculation and theories on the fuselage identity amusing.Yes it is the remains of BSS/C1-0616, and it now resides in my shed in Nelson as a keepsake from my younger Milson days. I hurriedly rescued it from my elderly father, Athol Brown's hangar in Palmerston North in late 2016 when he lost the use of that hangar, and did nothing to find alternative storage, instead organising the scrap metal man to collect almost all of the Chippy spares.A panic-stricken long weekend ensued salvaging what I could that I considered worthwhile, leaving the worst for the scrap man who was there waiting as I took the last away on the Monday.Also started looking for alternative hangarage for ARM at that time too. After it's fire, the remains of BSS travelled the country in a wooden crate as spares for BSV, which my father owned with Bill Rolfe in the late 1960's. During this time, we paint-stripped the many layers off BSV during my August 1967 school holidays, applied a standard Chippy civilian scheme, and fitted the rudder and canopy off BSS as they were in better condition. During the rebuild of ARM Dad accumulated Chippy spares wherever he could, which included the remains of TNR and BSS to help with this rebuild. At least Dad was aware of the significant differences between the English and Canadian examples, having owned one of each (ARL & BSV) previously. Even Colin Smith was unaware of the differences when we bought VT-CXM/Canada 60 off him as a project. I also have the tailplane and wing tips off BSS here too, along with a heap of other parts of various others, some English, some Canadian, in various states of repair. Against popular opinion, Dad and I both preferred the Canadian examples for handling and maintenance.I have attempted contact with the present owners of the ex Pennial, Skilling CVM here, but they did not get back to me...........I know you guys have been losing lots of sleep over the mystery Chipmunk over the years, so sleep well now!
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Post by planewriting on Jan 27, 2020 21:21:07 GMT 12
Interesting Munkman. I can still, in my mind's eye, see the rear fuselage of ZK-BSS at Ardmore as described in my posting above on 20 May 2017. Another 40 years has passed by so pretty much anything could have happened in the intervening time to relocate the parts eventually to Nelson. What parts of the fuselage do you have? I've formed the impression that the front of the aircraft was destroyed in its demise.
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munkman
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by munkman on Feb 3, 2020 8:16:03 GMT 12
Thanks for the acknowlegement Group Captain.As above, all I have off BSS is the fuselage from the centre-section joint band back, tailplane, and it's dayglo-painted wing tips, same as fin, but paint is heat-blistered. Yes, the remains of BSS did spend time at Ardmore in company with BSV. Both Ian Reynolds and myself did some research and concluded that everything else, apart from the canopy, was destroyed in the fire. As mentioned above, the canopy of BSS was fitted to BSV in 1967.I did toy with the idea of recreating BSS in the eighties, using a centre section and wings from overseas, but this proved unrealistic.
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Post by chrislea on Sept 13, 2022 11:22:47 GMT 12
Thanks for the acknowlegement Group Captain.As above, all I have off BSS is the fuselage from the centre-section joint band back, tailplane, and it's dayglo-painted wing tips, same as fin, but paint is heat-blistered. Yes, the remains of BSS did spend time at Ardmore in company with BSV. Both Ian Reynolds and myself did some research and concluded that everything else, apart from the canopy, was destroyed in the fire. As mentioned above, the canopy of BSS was fitted to BSV in 1967.I did toy with the idea of recreating BSS in the eighties, using a centre section and wings from overseas, but this proved unrealistic.
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Post by chrislea on Sept 13, 2022 11:23:53 GMT 12
Hi Munkman. Did you manage to rescue Chipmunk ZK-TNR from Palmerson North ?
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