Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Fox Moth ZK-AGM

Thanks to John M for sharing this absolute gem!

Kiwi Fox Moth makes debut in UK

Photo-report from Adrian M. Balch at Woburn

On 15-16th August, the de Havilland Moth Club held its 30th annual rally at Woburn in Bedfordshire, which also commemorated the 40th Anniversary of the Club’s founding by Stuart McKay.
Star of the show for many was the public debut of newly-restored DH83 Fox Moth, ZK-AGM (c/n TS2810), which only made its first flight on 3rd August from Rendcomb, Gloucestershire after rebuild by Jan Cooper and team at the Newbury Aeroplane Company, nr. Hungerford. Owned by New Zealander and Emirates Boeing 777 Captain, Bruce Broady, the Fox Moth was put through its paces at Woburn by pilot Charlie Huke. In order to fly in the UK, the Fox Moth has been allocated the UK civil registration G-CIPJ and will be temporarily based at Rendcomb before being shipped back to New Zealand.
The aircraft has an unusual construction number ‘T/S 52810’ as it was originally c/n 4085, being delivered to the Canterbury Aero Club at Christchurch in 1934 as ZK-ADH  and leased to Air Travel (NZ) Ltd. However it crashed near Wigram on 7th June 1936 when attempting to land in fog and was damaged beyond repair. The wings, undercarriage and tail were used with a new-build fuselage and it was rebuilt by the de Havilland Technical School, but having a new fuselage was given  a new c/n, the ‘T/S’ standing for Technical School. It was also re-registered ZK-AGM and delivered to Air Travel (NZ) at Hotitika on 10th June 1938, then to New Zealand National Airways named “Matuhi” on 1st December 1947. It had several subsequent owners, but crashed again on 27th April 1963 in West Wanaka and was cancelled from the register on 5th August 1963.
In 1997, the remains were shipped to the UK for restoration by the Newbury Aeroplane Company, and it finally emerged in early August in pristine condition.
This is an important restoration, as there are thought to be only another six airworthy Fox Moths flying in the world today, in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. When ZK-AGM finally returns to New Zealand, it will be based at Motueka, near Nelson on the South Island.


Photos & text @ Adrian M. Balch/ Photair Press, 17/8/15     



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7 comments:

  1. Anonymous18 August 2015 at 17:21

    Nice photos thanks for the post Is this the Bruce Broady son of Keith Broady,well known in aircraft
    servicing.?

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  2. Anonymous18 August 2015 at 17:36

    Yes, one and the same. Keith used to work at Air Nelson and would fly his Cessna 206 ZK-FPO working on Hughes 300's especially down the West Coast. He'd happily squeeze a 300 engine in the back of the 206 and blast off!

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  3. flyernzl19 August 2015 at 09:25

    Nice to see.

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  4. Anonymous19 August 2015 at 19:35

    It is a stunning restoration. Bruce is meticulous so it will be a masterpiece. Great to read it will return to NZ

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  5. Thomarse20 August 2015 at 14:26

    Casting my mind back to the Wanaka accident, photos at the time showed pretty much total destruction and the Accident report confirms this. This therefore is a magnificent effort to bring the girl back to our skies and we should be grateful for enthusiasts like Bruce

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  6. Mandy Kent25 April 2016 at 01:28

    My Dad was the passenger who died in this plane in 1963. Merven Reid. Im so glad ZKAGM is up and running again. If anyone has any info of when she will be back in N Z . Can you please let me know. X

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  7. Anonymous8 February 2018 at 06:43

    As to when ZK-AGM returns to NZ is not certain, but it will be in the next year or so. Mandy it will be based in Motueka so you are welcome to make contact.

    ReplyDelete

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