Omaka Wings & Wheels Open Day

[Dave Homewood]

Omaka Wings & Wheels Open Day
Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim
1st of September 2024

Celebrate Father's Day with the Omaka Aviation Centre's Wings & Wheels Open Day! Make sure to mark Sunday, September 1st, 2024, on your calendar for an amazing day of flying and a fantastic display of classic aircraft and cars, including the only flyable Mk.1 Avro Anson in the world! Flying alongside Reno racer, Steadfast, the Harvard, the Waco and WW1 aircraft, it's going to be a day not to be missed. The gates open at 10.00 am, with the flying program kicking off at 11 am.
We have a spectacular lineup of aircraft planned from throughout the ages, both in the air and on the ground. Between flying displays, wander via a magical collection of classic cars. Re-hydrate and refuel at the Omaka Cafe and various guest food outlets. Bring your picnic rugs and deck chairs, and make yourself comfortable because you won't want to leave!
And don't forget to take the opportunity to visit the two remarkable exhibitions at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Entry to both is included in your Omaka Wings & Wheels ticket. For value for money, it doesn't get any better than this!
Book online now for the best price: Adults: $25, Youth (14-17 years): $12 & Children (5-13 years): $8 + a booking fee
Tickets will also be available at the gate. Adults $30, Youth $15 & Children $10

[planecrazy]

If the weather cooperates plan to make this one, will be a bit of an in and out
for me, driving up from Christchurch for the show. Be keen to say hi to any
forumites while getting some stills and video.

[Deleted]

It'd be great to finally catch up, Peter!

[Dave Homewood]

World War I-era engine to get punters fired up at classic event

Ian Allen

Tony Wytenburg saw his first rotary engine about 20 years ago.

He had not long moved to Marlborough and the century-old aeroplane engine was sitting in a museum.

“I saw this engine and thought ‘that’s wrong in so many ways, but by f... it’s cool’.”

Wytenburg had moved to the region and set up Classic Aero Machining Service, building difficult to obtain aircraft parts and engines.

He was based at Omaka air field, and almost next door was the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Inside, in the World War I display, was a rotary engine with its cylinders arranged like spokes on a wheel.

With a rotary engine, everything bar the crankshaft spun around with the propeller. It helped keep the engine cool, before new ways of doing that were invented. A rotary engine was started by giving the propeller a spin first.

It wasn’t for another few years though that Wytenburg asked if he could borrow the engine in the museum. He wanted to take it apart to see how it worked.

He finally got it into his shop, “sat down with a ruler and a pair of vernier calipers”, and started “reverse engineering”.

By the end of it, he knew what pieces he needed to make so he could build one from scratch – something that had been talked about in classic plane circles globally for decades but had never been done.


Tony Wytenburg, of Classic Aero Machining Service, has reverse-engineered a WWI rotary engine so he could re-manufacture them for customers building authentic classic planes.
IAN ALLEN / Marlborough Express

Wytenburg, who put the original back together and gave it back to the museum, said it wasn’t that complicated.

“People look at engines, and go ‘look at that!’ But if you break it down one job at a time, it’s not that hard.”

It was just taking “big pieces of steel” and turning them into “small pieces of steel” and putting them together, he said.

The reverse engineered and re-manufactured rotary engines had since become the “jewel in the crown” of his business.

Classic Aero Machining Service was the only company in the world making rotary engines commercially. Their first commission was in 2013.

Wytenburg said he could only make one or two a year, which was potentially why others hadn’t got into the market. He had built about a dozen all up, with engines sold to the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France and Australia.

There were a couple of completed engines at Omaka, and a couple “on the shelf”, yet to be built. A seven-cylinder sold for $80,000 and a nine-cylinder for $90,000(NZ).


An original rotary engine in the Word War I display at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.
IAN ALLEN / Marlborough Express

The finished products would be on display, either mounted and fired up or in a World War I plane, at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre’s Wings and Wheels Day on Father’s Day, September 1.

Event organiser Graham Orphan said rotary engines had been a headache for anyone wanting to build authentic World War I planes for decades. He could remember it being discussed in the 1970s.

Orphan was still thrilled that he got to witness the first one being built in modern times “right here on this airfield”.

It wasn’t just a piece of machinery, it was a “piece of art”, he said, “like aviation jewellery” or an “aeronautic Faberge egg”, due to their limited number.

“A guy in the US bought one to put on display, which to me is a damn waste,” Orphan said, explaining a fired-up engine was a treat for the senses; sight, sound and smell.

“But they are beautiful to look at,” Orphan added.

A rotary engine built by Wytenburg and his team was given a run out at the largest air show in the world, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in the US, in July.

Wytenburg admitted he still got a kick out of firing up one of his engines, and seeing people’s faces when he did.

Wings and Wheels Day at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre kicks off at 11am on September 1 (gates open 10am), with vehicles from Omaka Classic Cars on show. Tickets cost $25 (adult), $12 (14 to 17 years), $8 (5 to 13 years) and under 5s free. Tickets include entry to the WWI and WWII displays at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.


www.stuff.co.nz/business/350376500/world-war-i-era-engine-get-punters-fired-classic-event

[planecrazy]

Not going to hold back with the pic's and please excuse the over enthusiastic comments.

What a day, very fortunate to make my way up to Omaka for last Sunday September 1st
Wings and Wheels at Omaka. The forecast had looked a little on the dodgy side leading
in so bit of a bonus that it actually happened. Windy at first which grounded the lighter
WWI jobs, the heavier jobs more than made up for this.

Only ever seen a South African Harvard on the ground so great to see one In the air,
fantastic display by Mark O'Sullivan as well.








I guess you could say a Southern Hemisphere cousin to the above, Bevan Dewes very
authentic RNZAF Harvard was a nice surprise addition.








A real previlage to finally see Bill Reid’s Anson up close and personal, almost perfect
light conditions as well. Still shots do not capture the aggressive and precise nature
of her display, what a machine.








[

Waco another one whose looks perhaps disguise her performance.
[





Mike Jones is a legend for sharing his Corsair around, bit of a beast and like the Waco a bit hard
to capture in the strong sunlight.








The special treats continue with Steadfast, interesting to see the size comparison
with her along side the Corsair


"Smoke on go!"








Huge congrats to all those involved, from the car park people, the show organisers, the pilots and
maintenance crews and of course the weather man a massive thank you, more from this day soon.....

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos Peter. It looks like it was a top day.

[johnnyfalcon]

Some noteworthy hilights for me:

Andy Love's spirited aerobatics in Pitts S1 ZK-PUG and S2 ZK-STX

Ryan Southam's smooooth Corsair display

Always Mark O'Sullivan in Harvard 60 and Steadfast

The open day is a relaxed event. Lots of smiles evident in the crowd and among the crews. What makes it more special is the open access to Knights of the Air and Dangerous Skies exhibitions. So, plenty of distraction to occupy the day.

The Mosquito engine run is a crowd favourite, in this instance only the starboard engine cooperated, the port one having developed a fuel leak.

Great planes, great crowd, great day

[ErrolC]

Excellent, thanks for sharing everyone.

[planecrazy]

John Smith’s Mosi, seen her the museum a couple of times, out in the Marlborough
sun with an engine running, very cool.




A few statics of some gems in the sunshine.

[planecrazy]

Restoration row








And a bunch of biplanes.......










[

[planecrazy]

Scrapped together a bit of footage from the show.







Bonus look over Bill Reid's flying museum a few days proir to the show.


Finally a bit of a different angle on the dangerous skies displays.

[planecrazy]

Perhaps the stars of the show, Mosquito, Corsair and Yak-3.

[nuuumannn]

I couldn't see a thread on this event. It was held on Father's Day and was well attended. There was a massive rain storm the night before that had the organisers worried, but the day itself was fine. Static stuff.

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[nuuumannn]

More from Omaka.

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More from Omaka.

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More from Omaka.

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More images here: www.flickr.com/photos/147661871@N04/albums/72177720320282430/

Thanks for looking.

[Dave Homewood]

I merged your thread into the existing one, Grant, to keep it all together. It was in Aviation Events rather than Airshows.

[Dave Homewood]

Lovely photos everyone, by the way.

[planecrazy]

Great pic's as always Grant, looks like you were standing very close to me down near the windsock.

[planecrazy]

Last clip from an outstanding day the impressive Pitts displays.