As it looks like Labour weekend will be washout for sport flying, how about dredging your memory banks for some info on this interesting machine:
Recently Ivan Krippner posted a video of old home movies fearturing sport flying in the Waikato. Early on in the video is this amazing looking aeroplane taxying with verve at Krippner's strip at Ngahinapouri. From what I know it is a replica of a 1912 Curtiss Flyer powered by a Honda engine with a huge Ducati carburettor bolted on top to provide plenty of fuel. And the date I have is 1975!
The top photo is a screenshot and here is another smaller photo of it.
I think it may have been built by these two fine 1970s specimens. I think they were motorcycle racers from Cambridge and may have worked at Waikato University? From what I understand they had no plans and drew it out on the workshop floor with chalk (shades of the Jodel D9). Can anyone identify the two guys?
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I also understand that it spent many weekends taxying and doing hops down the strip at Krippner's strip before attempting a flight. They obviously got into the air but I understand a lack of fuel issue resulted in a landing in trees alongside the strip with not much damage (shades of Richard Pearse).
Later it went to MOTAT where it was known as the MOTAT Biplane:
Here it is on display at a motor racing meeting at Pukekohe in the mid 1990s. Thanks for the photo Peter.
So here is your Labour Weekend challenge - what can you tell us about this pretty amazing aircraft? Who built it? Who were the builders? (They could well still be around). Where is the aircraft now? And are there any other photos of it out there?
I believe it is the Henry brothers form Cambridge, they were the Ducati agents for the North Island, I picked up my new 750 Sport from them around that time and they had bits of aircraft around. In the last photo you can see a 750 GT through the rudder.
ReplyDeleteThe two gents in the photo are Chris Henry and Warwick Vaile ( holding the can)
DeleteI recall seeing a short clip on TV of this aircraft in flight. Their was also a twin (lawnmower) engine biplane built and flown briefly in the Waikato, possibly from Krippners strip, a few years later
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Anonymous - very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThnaKS
ReplyDeleteTry again! Thanks Anonymous II I am on to the twin biplane pusher and have photos of it. Did it definitely fly? And could you put a date on it? Do you have any other info on it? The Curtiss Pusher replica was a much bigger project which would have been in the Amateur Built Aircraft category, whereas the twin biplane pusher was a microlight and back in the early days, before 1982 they didn't need to be registered
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I do not know if the biplane twin flew and can only guess at the date but probably late 1970s.
DeleteThe twin biplane was powered by a pair of Briggs & Stratton two stroke engines it was assembled at Max Clear's Te Kowhai airfield and made several flights in ground effect circa 1979
ReplyDeleteI can confirm it was assembled at Max Clears by a couple of intrepid Turbulent owners (not Max) Wings were covered in black plastic that was not considered taut enough for flight, however returning after lunch they discovered the sun had tightened things up enough so off it went, only to finish up in a hedge.
DeleteHello the latest Anonymous. When you refer to "it" being assembled at Max Clear's place, did you mean the twin motor-mower engined biplane microlight? We got a bit off topic from my original post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that!
ReplyDeleteChristchurch Star had this down on or shortly before 10 March, 1977 as 'Warwick Vaile pilots a 1912 Curtis Triad replica'
https://canterburystories.nz/collections/archives/star/prints/1977/ccl-cs-35271
Also a Star picture of the full wingspan here...
https://discoverywall.nz/media/134191?page=8
New Zealand Honor Culture. The Good Old Days.