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Post by Dave Homewood on May 21, 2017 2:47:02 GMT 12
Check this out  Taken by V. A. Stapleton, and published in the Auckland Weekly News on 30 March 1932 'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19320330-36-2 |
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Post by davidd on May 21, 2017 15:02:18 GMT 12
As the "target" car is actually "manned" by humans, I think that only flour bombs were used for this type of competition. Or it could actually be a small fire to provide good surface wind indication.
David D
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Post by baz62 on May 21, 2017 15:15:10 GMT 12
Wow. Target fixation? Stall? Engine failure? Someone will know.....come on! Clocks ticking dudes!
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Post by shorty on May 21, 2017 15:17:46 GMT 12
Looks more like an Avian to me based on the shape of the fin and rudder
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2017 15:37:51 GMT 12
I remember seeing this in the booklet published for the club's 50th anniversary and, even as a child, being amazed at how little was made of it!
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Post by angelsonefive on May 21, 2017 20:55:35 GMT 12
Looks more like an Avian to me based on the shape of the fin and rudder The rudder is balanced and I believe the Avian had an unbalanced rudder. I think the true shape of the rudder is disguised by its being at full deflection at the moment the photo was being taken. So more likely a Moth in my opinion. The plane has crashed close to the flour " bomb " so it is likely that it stalled from an over application of up elevator in the recovery from a bombing run made at a very low height. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 21, 2017 21:21:18 GMT 12
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Post by davidd on May 22, 2017 11:22:22 GMT 12
There is no Wellington Aero Club Moth (or any other light aircraft for that matter) included in the well-known list of NZ civil aircraft accidents put out by Air Department, complete with accident file numbers, so it would seem that this list is far from complete! Looking at it again there seem to be suspiciously few accidents included in the first few years (up to about 1934/35), but going through "Papers Past" or even the surviving log books of prewar aircraft, clearly show that there was a steady stream of "whoopsies" and "golly gosh" moments in aero clubs as well as private owners through these years.
David D
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Post by camtech on May 22, 2017 16:33:35 GMT 12
Perhaps the issue was the lack of a formal accident investigation process, or inspector.
Mind you, there are a number of Air Force "incidents" that are not officially recorded.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 22, 2017 17:41:03 GMT 12
As the "target" car is actually "manned" by humans, I think that only flour bombs were used for this type of competition. Or it could actually be a small fire to provide good surface wind indication. David D I think it is indeed a flour bomb, and I believe it was not uncommon for the bombing demo or competition to involve a moving vehicle rather than stationary, so this may well be the case. I have to say I think considering the cameras back in those days it's a rather remarkable action shot. |
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 23, 2017 0:00:22 GMT 12
I wouldn't put too much faith in the aircraft type as reported in the newspaper.
Most light aircraft in the 1930s were described in the news as a 'Moth', in much the same way as most light aircraft these days are a 'Cessna'.
The only Avian I have recorded in the Wellington AC fleet was ZK-AAN, from October 1931 to January 1934.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 23, 2017 12:56:33 GMT 12
Did ZK-AAN crash at Wanganui?
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Post by baronbeeza on May 23, 2017 14:00:46 GMT 12
The paper mentioned the crash. The Club may have thought it more like a heavy landing.
That good Engr/pilot, Mr Bolt, seems to have gone up to Auckland to fly it back to Wellington. Probably about 6 weeks later judging by the dates.
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Post by Peter Lewis on May 23, 2017 19:35:48 GMT 12
Did ZK-AAN crash at Wanganui? I have no record of that (does not mean it didn't happen though!). Avro 594 Avian IIIA ZK-AAN of the Wellington Aero Club Unfortunately the staunch fellow on the left is nicely placed to hide the tailplane, but the Avian fin/rudder is quite a different profile than the Moth. |
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Post by isc on May 23, 2017 22:06:41 GMT 12
The sweep of the leading edge looks similar. The Avian rudder is unbalanced. isc
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Post by baronbeeza on May 23, 2017 23:52:32 GMT 12
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Post by angelsonefive on May 24, 2017 6:54:08 GMT 12
" Unfortunately the staunch fellow on the left is nicely placed to hide the tailplane, "
An interesting picture, thanks for posting.
The staunch fellow is a member of a voluntary, non-governmental ( as far as I know ) organization called The Legion of Frontiersmen. I recall as a kid in Wanganui seeing them strolling around hands clasped behind back, just as the Frontiersman is here, at public gatherings.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2017 8:55:44 GMT 12
There's still a Frontiersmen hall on Dublin Street. Never in all my life have I seen anyone there though.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 24, 2017 9:49:38 GMT 12
The organisation of Legion of Frontiersmen is still around, just, but I don't think they're so prominent as they used to be. My impression of the organisation is they are sort of like the Masons or Buffaloes, and sort of like grown up Boy Scouts, so probably just another excuse for men to get away from wives and families.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2020 22:56:17 GMT 12
A bit delayed but I found my copy of the 50th Jubilee magazine I mentioned, I’ll upload scans of the relevant pages tomorrow. A search of Papers Past says it was DH.60 ZK-AAZ flown by RJ (or FJ) McDonald with R Murphy as passenger.
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