Post by flyjoe180 on Dec 8, 2007 14:39:25 GMT 12
A little piece of aviation history has found a new home at the South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Trust.
The replica of a glider built in 1902 by the Wright brothers was dropped off to club members about three weeks ago from the Wigram Air Force Museum in Christchurch.
Trust chairman Jack Melhopt said the glider arrived in kitset form, however it didn't take too long to find where everything went.
He said about four or five members spent roughly three hours working out how to reassemble the wood and canvas structure.
"It was reasonably simple. They (the Wright brothers) kept to the Kiss, (keep it simple, stupid), principle."
The replica, with a wingspan on 9.8 metres, is the only one of its kind outside America, Mr Melhopt said.
"We're absolutely delighted to have it. To think we have it here, the home of aviation, it's great."
Prior to coming to Timaru, the glider had been on loan from Wigram to the Christchurch Museum and another museum in Masterton.
Wigram collections manager David Watmuff said the decision to let another museum borrow the glider was not a hard one to make.
`Our main motivation was really to remove it from our collection because it did not fit the scope of what the war museum is about.".
Mr Watmuff said he was pleased the glider was now permanently based in South Canterbury, the home of aviation in New Zealand.
"We decided back in 2004 to gift the glider to the South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Trust because of the region's early association with flight in New Zealand
The glider was built in the 1970s by Bruce Winder from Christchurch and was donated to Wigram in 1979.
The original glider completed more than 1000 flights.
Mr Melhopt said the history it represented and its rarity made it a welcome part of the pioneering displays at the heritage centre.
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/timaruherald/4313570a6010.html
The replica of a glider built in 1902 by the Wright brothers was dropped off to club members about three weeks ago from the Wigram Air Force Museum in Christchurch.
Trust chairman Jack Melhopt said the glider arrived in kitset form, however it didn't take too long to find where everything went.
He said about four or five members spent roughly three hours working out how to reassemble the wood and canvas structure.
"It was reasonably simple. They (the Wright brothers) kept to the Kiss, (keep it simple, stupid), principle."
The replica, with a wingspan on 9.8 metres, is the only one of its kind outside America, Mr Melhopt said.
"We're absolutely delighted to have it. To think we have it here, the home of aviation, it's great."
Prior to coming to Timaru, the glider had been on loan from Wigram to the Christchurch Museum and another museum in Masterton.
Wigram collections manager David Watmuff said the decision to let another museum borrow the glider was not a hard one to make.
`Our main motivation was really to remove it from our collection because it did not fit the scope of what the war museum is about.".
Mr Watmuff said he was pleased the glider was now permanently based in South Canterbury, the home of aviation in New Zealand.
"We decided back in 2004 to gift the glider to the South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Trust because of the region's early association with flight in New Zealand
The glider was built in the 1970s by Bruce Winder from Christchurch and was donated to Wigram in 1979.
The original glider completed more than 1000 flights.
Mr Melhopt said the history it represented and its rarity made it a welcome part of the pioneering displays at the heritage centre.
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/timaruherald/4313570a6010.html
