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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 26, 2006 10:55:05 GMT 12
Anyone have any memories of these guys?   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 26, 2006 11:22:25 GMT 12
Nice photos of some very ugly beasts. I take it those are the two ex-RNZAF ones?
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Post by Bruce on Nov 26, 2006 11:34:43 GMT 12
I dont think they're ugly - more ... cute!
By coincidence I was just looking at aerovan 3 views last night working out how to scratch build a model of one. Despite having the standard British characteristic of being underpowered, they were aparently quite practical light freighters.
AWV was blown over by a gust of wind outside the Airwork hangar at Rongotai, injuring the pilot, Brian Chadwick, who had just stepped out of the aircraft. Chadwick later went missing flying Dragonfly ZK-AFB in 1962. There are some good photos of the Aerovan in Richard Waugh's book on the dragonfly disappearance "Missing - without a trace?".
In the interests of building a model, can anyone tell me what colour the lightning bolts on the fuselage sides were?
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Post by steve on Nov 26, 2006 13:58:40 GMT 12
Yuk..they look like a ww2 russian tank with wings...a new one on me...must have been a gift from the RAF...
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Post by Bruce on Nov 26, 2006 21:34:17 GMT 12
The RAF never used Aerovans, the RNZAF and Israel being the only military users. One Aerovan in the UK was fitted with a Huriel Dubois high aspect ratio wing, and data gethered from that was used by Short Bros to produce the Skyvan along similar design principles (and so on to the 33, 360 and Sherpa). Miles also built a 4 engined variant, and one with a removeable cargo pod - Sikorsky sky-crane style. They were hoping to have a whole series based around the basic design, but the company got into financial trouble, and the cancellation of the M52 supersonic research project meant the end of Miles, and the Aerovan. Its one of those aeroplanes where practical considerations overrode cosmetics, (The Bristol freighter is a similar example) but it was actually quite innovative - one of the first aircraft with rear loading doors (which could be removed for air dropping loads) and the square sided fuselage, although ugly, enables efficient use of internal space. I think they are quite cool, in a quirky, boxy, caravan sort of way!  |
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Post by steve on Nov 26, 2006 22:13:51 GMT 12
ok...hmnn ...quirky is a good description... so let me get this right...did our govt purchase two of these aerovans for the RNZAF...where they were on sale or what?...I remember reading about the first time some american airman sited a RNZAF bristol Freighter...their first question was is it home bulit!
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Post by Bruce on Nov 26, 2006 22:29:12 GMT 12
Two Aerovans were purchased in 1949 as NZ1751 and 52 and were used by the Research and Development flight of 41 Sqn, whenuapai. '51 was used for topdressing trials, fitted with a 1 ton hopper, '52 was fitted with a magnetometer for a magnetic survey. When these tasks were finished, (1950) they were sold to become AWW and AWV. AWW was destroyed in a crash shortly thereafter, and AWV was written off after the wind gust accident at Wellington. (The fuselage was aparently converted to a caravan, which wouldnt be a difficult task!) - and yes, the RNZAF did remember to take them out of the box before they started flying them!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 26, 2006 22:33:37 GMT 12
They were indeed purchased in 1949 by the RNZAF with research and development in mind. The main reason for the small, light yet fairly large capacity aircraft was for the topdressing trials. One, NZ 1751, was fitted with a one-ton hopper, while NZ1752 was used for aeromagnetic survey work. They were both operated by the R&D Flight of No. 41 Squadron at Whenuapai, but when the flight disbanded in Aug 1950 they were sold on the civil market. Both were destroyed later on.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 26, 2006 22:34:28 GMT 12
**SNAP**
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Post by steve on Nov 26, 2006 22:48:47 GMT 12
Thanks for that info..must have been in service for only a year or so...fasinating design...
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 16, 2007 22:25:37 GMT 12
The two Aerovans in RNZAF colours: NZ1751 - used for topdressing trials (Talk about underpowered). Had flown only 69 hours when sold from RNZAF service in November 1950. Became ZK-AWW with Hewett Aviation, initially continuing as a topdressing aircraft then as a 10 pax transport. Force landed short of strip & DBR Ranfurly 26Feb54. Pilot C W Hewett.  NZ1752 - used for aerial magnetometer survey. This photo is interesting as it looks to be taken at DH Rongotai, possibly when the aircraft was new. There is a Dominie in the hangar and an Oxford tail on the left edge of the photo with a serial ending in '16', could be NZ2116 which was SOC March 1953 (lasted longer than NZ1752!). Had completed 103 hrs when sold ex-RNZAF in November 1950. Went to Airwork at Christchurch as ZK-AWV on freight work, overturned by wind gusts at Rongotai 2Nov51.  |
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Post by beagle on Oct 17, 2007 6:13:50 GMT 12
If the back door was able to be opened in flight, if not a bit of kiwi know how could have done the trick, then it could have been a good Kiwi Blue jumping platform.
Maybe a couple of small turbo props on it
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Post by 30sqnatc on Oct 17, 2007 22:16:07 GMT 12
I dont think they're ugly - more ... cute! By coincidence I was just looking at aerovan 3 views last night working out how to scratch build a model of one. What scale are you thinking of? I built one in 1:72 using solid balsa fuselage , molded acetate cockpit and if I remember correctly a pair of Airfix Auster engines. I never could get it to sit on its nose wheel. I think all I had as a reference was a very small scale drawing from a book on Miles aircraft. Paul |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Oct 17, 2007 22:19:01 GMT 12
I'll correct that, I used the outer engines of an Airfix Heron which I'd converted into a Devon.
Paul
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Post by Bruce on Oct 17, 2007 22:23:55 GMT 12
You,ve done a heron - Devon conversion as well paul, same here!. I'm wanting to do the aerovan in 1/72, probably with a vacform fuse and a resin wing. May be abe to do a small production run. It wont be until my homebuilt has flown howver, only so many hours in a day!
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merv
Flying Officer
Posts: 60
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Post by merv on Jul 28, 2019 19:43:28 GMT 12
For what it is worth.
I was talking to a fellow today who said "I have the tail boom and seat from Aerovan ZK-AWW. What should I do with them?" "I did at one time have the engines as well" he said.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 28, 2019 19:51:49 GMT 12
Wow!
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Post by isc on Jul 28, 2019 21:46:47 GMT 12
IOne thing that may have shortened it's life if it had not been written off was the large amount of wood in it's structure. I have not looked into it, but I think there is one left, and it's for sale. isc
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Post by madmax on Jul 29, 2019 17:05:00 GMT 12
A minor correction to the incident which wrote-off AWV on Rongotai on 2 November 1951 - it actually occured outside the Wellington City Council hangar. Airwork did have its own hangar pre-war however that had been on the opposite (south east) side of the airfield. The company had gone into limbo during WW2 and the hangar taken over by de Havilland which used it as their propeller making facility. Airwork never returned to Rongotai after the War, instead re-establishing itself on Harewood.
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Post by madmac on Jul 29, 2019 18:20:03 GMT 12
For what it is worth. I was talking to a fellow today who said "I have the tail boom and seat from Aerovan ZK-AWW. What should I do with them?" "I did at one time have the engines as well" he said. That must double the amount of surviving Aerovan structure (the largest remain part is a tail boom that mounts a windsock in the UK I think). Where in the country would these Aerovan parts be? Found it, the other surviving tailboom is at Newtownards airfield Northern Ireland  |
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