Grumman Super Widgeon

[agalbraith]

Hi gents

Is anyone out there familiar with our Super Widgeons?

Although I already have too many model projects on the go. There is one that I hit the wall with a few years back. I have a 1/48 resin kit of the Widgeon. The biggest problem I ran into was getting any decent info on our Super Widgeon conversions done here in NZ.

I believe Grant Harnish's(?) father now owns Salt Airs old Widgeons somewhere south of Auckland in storage. So I am not sure there is any chance of getting some close up photos/measurements of the engine instillation.

Anyway, I just thought I would throw it out there and see if anyone can help me.

I think our old surviving Widgeons are pretty cool and are rich with history. One of my favourite planes for sure.

Cheers
Anthony

[Martin Wienert]

G'day Anthony

...just to start with... (ZK-AVM)

'ZK-AVM (c/n 1466 ex N86640, VH-AZO, ZK-AVM, VH-WET, PT-WET) was built in 1946 as a G-44A and later converted to Super Widgeon configuration by TEAL. Exported to Australia in 1947, it operated for Australasian Petroleum/ Vacuum Oil Co. in New Guinea until December 1950. Its subsequent service is recorded above (apart from an excursion to Australia in 1978). Exported to Cairns in May 1987, the aircraft went on the New Guinea register in April 1994 (to Hassim Expeditions and tours). Today ZK-AVM is owned by Owen Harnish and operated by Salt Air Ltd at Paihia.'
www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/widgeon.html

www.greenstone.org/greenstone3/nzdl;jsessionid=D180F8CBF9D962FE220135E7A5A50089?a=b&rt=r&s=ClassifierBrowse&c=aircraft&cl=CL2.6.7

sorry - but you have to copy all of the link!!!

Cheers
Martin

[Martin Wienert]

G'day Anthony

...and the second ... (ZK-CFA)
www.airliners.net/open.file/0194235/L/
www.airliners.net/open.file/0194234/L/

ZK-CFA (c/n 1439 ex NC86613, CU-P346, N9096R) a G-44A was built for M.S.Pruyn in 1946, and later exported to Cuba. After returning to the US, it was imported to New Zealand in June 1963 and later converted by TEAL to Super Widgeon configuration. Today it is owned by Owen Harnish (illustrated below), and alternates in service with AVM for Salt Air. As at July 1999 the aircraft was stripped down at Whitford for deep maintenance.
www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/widgeon.html

Martin

[Peter Lewis]

They do appear at Ardmore very occasionally for maintenance with Flightline.

[agalbraith]

Thanks guys, very interesting.

Does anyone have contact details for flightline. I imagine they have manuals etc for the superwidgeon. I guess that means at least one is still actively flying in NZ?

Cheers