ZK-CIC in its new scheme.

I have only just finished writing up my notes (as you do on a thundery Sunday afternoon) on the registration cancellation of the Airwork/Lifeflight Fairchild SA227-AC Metro ZK-LFT. 

This has gone to Air Chathams at Auckland as a source of spares for their SA227-AC Metro ZK-CIC (c/n AC623B).

Behold - Just arrived in my in box is this neat pic from Darryn Bennett showing the Air Chathams ZK-CIC in its new scheme.

WHAKATANE

'Everything under the sun'

Check out this NZ Third Level Airline blog post on ZK-CIC.

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=cic

Shots taken this week.

A bit of a slow week this week for the Blue Bus with nothing new to report.

All have been mentioned on this blog previously.

On Wednesday I was at Rangiora briefly and shot the Aerotek Pitts S-1S ZK-FRJ  (c/n 1-0025) of Morris Tull outside its new abode.

FRJ rolling.

And at Christchurch International I snuck a shot of the Raytheon 1900D ZK-EAO (c/n UE-438) as I trucked on past.

On Thursday I managed to spend longer at NZRT and captured the  Zenair CH701  STOL ZK-AMC (c/n 7-4094) briefly outside whilst -- 

 --- the Doug Anderson Ibis Magic GS-700 ZK-DUH2 (c/n GS-10-11-700-114) was taken out of its hangar to go aviating.

Yet to Fly at Ardmore?

Back in February I did a post on the various types of BK 117 helicopter, see:  http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/ardmore-23-2-2015-bk-117-helicopters.html

Now when I was at Ardmore last week, I spied yet another type of BK 117, as revealed above.  It has a much larger undercarriage than the standard BK 117.

However I suggest you click to enlarge the photo and note the signwriting.  What a spiffing idea!

Auster ZK-BMD.

Auster designations - A very satisfying study which I am not going to probe particularly deeply here.

Post World War Two Auster were converted to civil using its military number (eg AOP5) to become the model Auster 5. This was often followed by a suffix letter - so we come to the model Auster 5D.

Now the Auster 5D ZK-BMD.

Auster Aircraft Ltd was formed on 08-03-1946 to succeed the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd. So technically speaking because ZK-BMD was built for the RAF in 1944 it is a Taylorcraft Auster. 

It served with the Royal Air Force as NJ635 from June of 1944 until being placed into storage in 1947.

It was sold into civil hands and became Auster 5 G-ALZM on 31-03-1950 with one Thomas Hatton Marshall who traded under the Christchurch Aero Club name.

It was dismantled at Thruxton and its registration was cancelled in June of 1954

 The modification from Auster AOP5 and Auster 5 to an Auster 5D involved replacing the 130hp Lycoming O-290 with a 130hp Gipsy Major and enlarging the fin and rudder.

It was restored to the UK register on 21-01-1955 with Douglas E Bianchi of Ashford in Middlesex and was sold abroad on 05-08-1955.

It became ZK-BMD on 02-11-1955 listed to Aerial Work (Marlborough) Ltd.

It then had a series of owners in quick succession.

It went down to the South Canterbury Aero Club at Timaru from 27-08-1956 and then to Petersen Aviation in 1958.

Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club at Hood had it later in the 50's

Above it is in Wairarapa markings at Stratford 1959 from the Allan Wooller collection.

Below on an unknown date and at an unknown place - from the Allan Wooller collection.

About this time it was hired to National Air Photos.

Next known listing was to Aviation Sales and Services Ltd before going to J H Richardson at Feilding but it was damaged in an incident at (I believe) Homewood on 03-01-1960.

Below a shot taken at Christchurch in the 60's.

And now one below at Paraparaumu on 24-05-1964.

                                    In 1966 NZ Aerosales Ltd of Paraparaumu had it on line.

It then spent a short time with P C Shand of Christchurch (who also had the Tiger ZK-ATI about this time). 

Then J E Pannell of Nelson (who previously had the Auster ZK-AZT) had it until he sold it to Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch from 06-07-1970.
By 09-06-1971 it was with A C Yates of Rakaia followed by A C Christoffels and J  Van Giels of Timaru from 18-03-1975. It was rebuilt at Timaru using parts from NZ1704, ZK-CHA and ZK-AYP and also had an engine transplant with the Gipsy being replaced with a Lycoming O-320.
                     Below we see Her at Hood/Masterton during 1979 - Pic by Allan Wooller. 

From 30-08-1982 it was with Charlie Ensor and resided in an open hangar on their farm at Glenaan in the Upper Rakaia River valley

Here we have two views of BMD in its Charlie Ensor's hangar at Glenaan, along with many other Auster parts, on 10-11-1986.

Charlie sold it to Nick Kagan of Lowburn (the one down South) on 06-08-1987.

Photo below is at Christchurch on 28-05-1988

It was damaged in an aborted take off in the Waiatoto Valley on 02-08-1988 and then it had a prop strike in the Landsborough Valley on 18-01-1990.

Below we see it at Christchurch again - this time on 27-12-1991.

Next we have two views of it in the hangar at Taieri with its clear panel doors.

With an ownership change to Pam and Bill Marks of Outram listed from 07-06-1992.

Now two views of it at Christchurch on 28-12-98.

Note the way the lower engine cowl has been folded.

I next caught it at Omarama on 28-01-2001.

Next lucky owners were Bob and Eileen Yates of Christchurch from 29-06-2005 and below are two different angles of it at Rangiora.

Finally is a view of it at Rangiora on 01-04-2009.

 In July of 2009 I noted it listed on TradeMe for sale - with ownership changing to Guy Redfern and Fiona Nimmo up Kaikoura on 14-10-2009.

Below it was shot near Rangiora on 25-08-2013.

Aerobatic Monoplanes of New Zealand (4) - Zivko Edge 540

The Edge 540 was developed by Bill Zivko and its origins go back to the Laser 200 for which Bill designed a new composite wing and which became the Edge 360.  Then in 1993 Zivko Aeronautics Inc developed a new composite fuselage which led to the development of the Edge 540.  The Edge 540 is one of the most successful of the modern day aerobatic monoplanes and it is the most common type flown in the red Bull Air Races.  It has a tremendous roll rate of 420 degrees per second and is capable of a climb rate of 3,700 feet per minute.  Power typically comes from a 6 cylinder Lycoming AEIO 540 engine producing around 340 HP.

Specifications for the Edge 540 are:  length 20 feet 7 inches (6.27 metres), wingspan 24 feet 4 inches (7.42 metres) and the wing area is 98 square feet.  Empty weight is 1,170 pounds (531 Kg) and MAUW is 1,800 pounds (816 Kg), although that would be reduced for unlimited aerobatics..

We have had one Zivko Edge 540 registered in New Zealand.

ZK-ZAI (for Zivko Aeronautics Inc I assume) (c/n 0019) was registered to the Hawker Trust (Steve Taylor) of Auckland on 25/9/98 and flew here for 10 years.  The above photo was taken at Taupo in 2000.  ZK-ZAI was cancelled from the New Zealand register on 28/10/08 when it was sold to Australia where it became VH-IIG (and is still current).

As a postscript, another Edge 540 has flown in New Zealand.  Red Bull air racer Yoshi Muroya bought his Edge 540 N19ZE to North Shore after the 2009 series to further streamline the airframe.  It is photo'd above at North Shore in December 2009.

North Shore Today 10-12-2015

Not much was happening at a windy North Shore airfield this afternoon, but the scheduled Barrier Air flight arrived from Great Barrier Island at 5.30.

 Touching down.

 Taxying off  the runway.

And the Islander is revealed as ZK-FVD, now with BARRIER AIR . KIWI titles.  Their new web address is www.barrierair.kiwi which uses the new dot kiwi domain name that is now available.

HNZ New Zealand at Nelson today.

Two Squirrels sited at Nelson today by Lord Nelson.

 ZK-HBU3 is c/n 2286 and got a mention at :-

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2008/10/recently-deregistered-aerospatiale.html

Continuing this history.

Helicopters (Australia) Pty Ltd become HNZ Australia Pty Ltd with the helicopter being returned to NZ to take up its old ZK-HBU3 marks on 04-10-2013 with HNZ New Zealand Ltd at Nelson

It did the summer season in the Antarctic leaving Lyttelton on 23-12-2013 and was back in Nelson in mid March only to be cancelled on 27-03-2014 as it was sent over to the parent Company Canadian Helicopters Ltd an became C-FTNZ on 07-04-2014.

As you can see it is now back in Nelson with HNZ New Zealand Ltd as from 21-20-2015.

I suspect another Ice trip is about to take place.

The AS350B ZK-HDB7 is c/n 2518 and was first placed on the NZ register as ZK-HFE2 on 30-08-1991 but went direct to an Helicopters (NZ) Ltd contract in Burma. 

In NZ it was upgraded to a AS350BA from 16-10-1997 and did a trip to the Ice during the 2001/2002 summer for the Italian Antarctic Expedition. 

Back at Nelson it was again upgraded - to a AS350B2 from 18-07-2002 and later that month it was containered out to join Lao Westcoast. 

Its NZ registration was eventually cancelled on 09-06-2005 for it to become PK-UHN with PT. National Utility Helicopters of Jakarta. Its CofA expired on 08-06-2009 and it was returned to Nelson to rejoin the Helicopters (NZ) Ltd fleet from 24-09-2009 as ZK-HDB7 (as its original ZK-HFE registration had been re-allocated to a Bell JetRanger in November of 2006).

Later in 2009 it went off on the 2009/2010 Korean Antarctic Expedition, and in the 2010/2011 summer did another Italian Antarctic Expedition.

It followed the Company changes and was re-listed to Helicopters (NZ) Limited from 07-07-2011 and then to HNZ New Zealand Limited from 30-10-2012.

So is it set from another southern sojourn ?

Thanks to Lord Nelson for the pics.

Aerobatic Monoplanes of New Zealand (3) - Akrotech Giles Aircraft

The Giles G 200 and G 202 were designed by Richard Giles in the 1990s as cheap(er) unlimited aerobatic aircraft that were built from a carbon fibre kitset, and powered by a 4 cylinder engine.  The wing was very stiff which contributed to an incredible rate of roll in excess of 400 degrees per second.  The kits and aircraft were manufactured by Akrotech Aviation Inc of Scappoose, Oregon up until 2000 when the company ceased operations (although support for the aircraft is still provided)..  The G 202 is a 2 seater that was developed from the G 200 and is larger and heavier, but both are reckoned to be great handling aerobatic aircraft.

Specifications for the G 200 (and G 202) are as follows:  length 18 feet (G 202 20 feet), wingspan 20 feet (G 202 22 feet) and wing area 75 square feet (G 202 90 square feet).  Empty weight was 750 pounds (950 pounds for the G 202) and MAUW was 1,300 pounds (1,600 pounds for the G 202, but aerobatic weight is limited to 1200 pounds).  Power was from a Lycoming 4 cylinder, between 150HP to 230 HP.

We have had two Akrotech Giles aircraft in New Zealand.

G 202 ZK-NUT (c/n 202028) was built in the US for Douglas C Brooker as N4381N and was first registered there on 7/4/98.  It is powered by a Lycoming AEIO 360EXP engine of 235 HP.  Doug Brooker imported the aircraft into New Zealand where it was first registered to him on 24/9/98.  Doug sold it to well known aerobatic pilot Richard Hood on 29/1/08 and the photo shows Richard Hood landing ZK-NUT during the Bryan Langley memorial aerobatic competition at North Shore on 15/1/11.  ZK-NUT was then sold to The Great Stunt Company of Papakura on 1/10/12, with whom it is still current.

G 200 ZK-LGT2 (c/n 9706-9) was registered in Denmark as OY-IIL on 18/3/08.  It was imported into New Zealand by Russell K Bell of Wellington and registered here on 21/10/09.  It is photo'd above at Paraparaumu on 20/1/13.

There is a good website on Giles aircraft at http://www.gilesaerobatics.org/

Some pics from Matt

Matt Hayes did a flight to/from Christchurch - Nelson yesterday. 

Here a a five of his photographs of the trip.

On left base for 02 at Nelson yesterday the 5th of December.

Looking up Queen Charlotte Sound with one of the inter Island ferries about to do a right turn into Tory Channel to follow the one already ahead. The pig Island is visible on the far horizon.

Another view of the Fletcher FU24-550GT Crusader ZK-DDX at Nelson.

The Golden Bay Air Ltd's Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga SP ZK-ZIG (c/n 32R-8013045) has been with us since December of 2005.

Heading back towards Christchurch with the Kaikoura Peninsula on the nose.

Martin Jetpacks of New Zealand

I see from news reports that the Martin Jetpack will perform its first public flight in Shenzhen, China today 6/12/15 in front of thousands of people.  So I thought it an auspicious time do do a blog post on these unususal machines, which are registered in New Zealand as Class 1 microlights.  The Shenzhen flight has been organised by Chinese research and development company Kuangchi Science , who have been Martin Aircraft's owners since December 2014.  The Jetpack is also scheduled to fly at Warbirds Over Wanaka in March 2016

The Martin Jetpack has undergone a very long gestation with Glenn Martin starting out on his dream in 1981.  Along the way he had to overcome many problems including developing a new engine as there was nothing available elsewhere in the world.  The engine is a 200 HP V4 2 stroke that had its genesis in the marine engine industry, and it drives a pair of very sophisticated ducted fans. The first tethered flight of the Jetpack took place in 1997, with the craft flown by Martin's wife Vanessa.

 The first public demonstration of the Martin Jetpack took place at the EAA flyin at Oshkosh in July 2008, as shown in the above photo.  The pilot was Martin's son Harrison and that is Glenn Martin stabilising the craft on the left of the photo.  It would be fair to say that the Jetpack's performance at Oshkosh fell short of the crowd's expectations of a "Jetson's" style jetpack.

Jetpack PL 11 ZK-JME2 (c/n P 11-1) was registered on 20/4/11.  I got the above photo from the internet showing it flying, but it is quite unclear to me how much it actually flew.  It was cancelled on 6/11/12.

Jetpack PL 12 ZK-JME3 (c/n P 12-01) is the twelfth iteration in the development of the Jetpack and you can see that it has the ducted fans mounted much lower, which apparently has led to an improvement in performance.  It is made mainly from carbon fibre and epoxy resin.  Empty weight is 200 Kg and MAUW is 320 Kg.  It can cruise at 30 knots and has an endurance of 30 minutes.  ZK-JME3 was withdrawn and cancelled on 9/6/14.

Two more Martin Pl 12 Jetpacks,  ZK-JMJ2 (c/n P 12-2)  and ZK-JMK2 (c/n P 12-3) were registered on 11/7/14 to the Martin Aircraft Company of Christchurch.

There is a video on the Martin Aircraft website of a test flight of ZK-JMK2 in November 2015 at  http://www.martinjetpack.com/news/ .

Thanks to Martin Aircraft for the above two photos.