Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Mitchell Wings

The next type of microlight to be registered in New Zealand was the Mitchell Wing.

The Mitchell Wing is the brainchild of Don Mitchell, an aeronautical engineer who worked for Northrop during WW 2 and participated in the design of the Northrop Flying Wings.  In the 1974 a hang gliding enthusiast, Dr Howard Long, approached Don Mitchell to design a foot launched hang glider wing which became the highest performance hang glider of the time.  An engine was added to become the model B 10F (for foot launched) and then Don Michell fitted a tricycle undercarriage with a steerable nosewheel, and the B 10 Mitchell Wing was born.  By 1980 over 500 sets of plans or kits had been sold which gives an idea of the success of the ultralight/microlight.

The structure of the wing was of a thick plywood spar with foam D ribs covered in 1 mm ply and built up wooden ribs.  The wing was covered with Ceconite which made it more like a homebuilt aircraft of the time.  At the ends of the wings were rudders that could also act as air brakes, and in the absence of a tail, roll and pitch were controlled by stabilators which operated differentially like ailerons but could also move up or down together like elevators.  3 axis control was by a control stick.

The length of the B 10 Mitchell wing was only 6 feet (1.83 metres) and the wingspan was 34 feet (10.36 metres).  The wing area was 136 square feet.  Empty weight was 185 pounds (84 kg) and MAUW was 525 pounds (238 Kg).  And with a two stroke 23 HP Zenoah G25GB-1 engine the cruise speed was around 45 mph and the stall speed was around 25 mph.

We have had five B 10 Mitchell wings registered in New Zealand plus one U-2 model (this was also called the Mitchell Super Wing and had a 9 foot long fully enclosed fuselage while retaining the same wing).

ZK-FEJ (c/n MAANZ/109).  Mitchell Wing B 10  Registered 2 Dec 1982 to Bruce J. Lambess & G. N. Johnstone, Whangarei, then 12 Jan 1984 G. N. Johnstone & J. D. McKay, Whangarei, then 26 Aug 1987 B. J. Lambess & G. N. Johnstone, Feilding (later Warkworth).  Cancelled 25 Nov 1998 as withdrawn from use.  (I did see this machine at Feilding when I was a member of the Manawatu chapter of the AACA (as was Bruce Lambess) and it was stored without the covering).

ZK-FFT (c/n MAANZ/204)  Mitchell Wing B 10.  Registered 20 Jun 1983 to R. G. Johnston, Foxton. then 21 Apr 1986 Andrew A. Jasper, Westport.  Cancelled 26 May 1995 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-FKY (c/n MAANZ/330)  Records show that this was a Mitchell Wing B 10 but it doesn't look like one to me.  The answer is found in the accident report: 

"The redesigned aircraft was very different from the original Mitchell Wing B10. It comprised an enclosed, streamlined fuselage with a rear mounted engine and propeller. Tricycle undercarriage was fitted, with a retractable nosewheel. Tail booms on either side of a shoulder mounted stub wing supported the tailplane, elevator and twin fins and rudders. Detachable outer wing panels allowed easy trailerage on the ground. The structure was mostly wood, with plastic foam ribs and stiffeners under plywood skins. A light alloy frame structure supported the engine and wings."  Also of interest in the accident report was that the aircraft was fitted with a ballistic recovery parachute (but it wasn't deployed before the impact.  I did not realise that ballistic parachutes were available this early.

ZK-FKY was registered on 30 Apr 1985 to A. M. Fairburn, Pukekohe.  Engine failed in 1986 and withdrawn from use.  

Then in Jan 1990 the airframe was returned to airworthiness and the aileron droop system was removed in attempt to make elevators more responsive.  Following several abrupt pitches up and down one wing came off and the machine fell into the Waikato river, 4km NE of Port Waikato (owner-pilot killed) 25 Jan 1994.  Cancelled 1 Sep 1994 as destroyed. 

ZK-FVC (c/n P1416 and MAANZ/432)  Mitchell Wing B 10

Constructed in Canada as C-IFOQ 1984 Registered 17 Aug 1987 to Chris J. Easton, Toronto, Ontario. Cancelled from the Canadian register 22 Sep 1989 and exported to New Zealand. 

Registered ZK-FVC 2 Nov 1989 to Chris J. Easton, Maraetai, then 19 Sep 1998 Daniel G. Sutherland, Whakatane.  Cancelled 11 Apr 2006 as registration revoked Cancelled 22 Sep 1989.

ZK-LYN (c/n AACA/324) Mitchell Wing B 10.  Lyn was Geoff Tubby's wife.

Registered 7 Dec 1982 to Geoff A. Tubby, New Plymouth.   Cancelled 2 Oct 1996 as withdrawn from use.

And our only U2 Mitchell Super Wing was also built by Geoff Tubby after his earlier B 10 model:

ZK-LGT (c/n AACA/324/2)  U2 Mitchell Super Wing.  Registered 20 Nov 1987 to Geoff A. Tubby, New Plymouth.  Cancelled 2 Oct 1996 withdrawn from use.

I have tried quite hard to see if I could find a photo of ZK-LGT but to no avail - does anyone out there have a photo of it?.(if so I would love to see it).  So below is a photo of a U2 Mitchell Super Wing from Air Britain so you can see what the type looked like:

Champion 7ECA Citabria ZK-CMP at Taihape

Peter Garlick recently delivered the Champion7ECA Citabria ZK-CMP North to its new owner who has an airstrip just South of Oakura on the Northland East Coast.  And Peter has sent a couple of photos from his transit stop at Taihape:

On finals for the Valley Road airstrip at Taihape.

And parked up beside the hangar.  ZK-CMP has been in long term ownership at Omaka for more than 15 years but it goes way back, much further, to 1966.  You can see its history HERE

Thanks for the photos Peter.

Noted at Hood Aerodrome Masterton on Saturday the 24th

 Damon Edwards has kindly sent in these three photographs as taken at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton on Saturday the 24th.

This American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathalon ZK-DCL2 (c/n 1087-2009) was first registered on 22-05-2009 and went online with the Kapiti Districts Aero Club (Inc) of Paraparaumu. A change of title on 28/03/2011 showed it listed to Robert Ballinger of Paraparaumu. It has since been listed to a private owner.

The Lancair Legacy RG ZK-LCJ is c/n L2K-310 appeared on the Australian aircraft register from 28-04-2008 as VH-LLQ2 with Findelta Pty Ltd of Surrey Hills, Sydney. In early December 2016 it moved to Adventure Plus Paragliding of Oatlands, NSW and was operated by Antony Prehn of Wollongong.

A move to Mount Macedon, Victoria from 24-01-2025 had it listed to Bernard Jones on behalf of Lincoln D Jones of Palmerston North, NZ.

It was ferried from Port Macquarrie to Norfolk Island on 28-02-2025, and on to Auckland and Palmerston North on 01-03-2025.

It joined the New Zealand register as ZK-LCJ on 28-07-2025 listed to LDJ Peak Ltd.

(The ZK-LDJ registration was already allocated the Pitts S-2C Special and LDJ Peak Ltd)

Above we have the Cessna A185F Skywagon ZK-SKD c/n 18502479 of Skysports (NZ) Ltd

See HERE for more info on this airframe.

Pauanui visitors

This morning's visitors to Pauanui airfield included a couple of Cessnas of similar vintage starting with the Cessna 172N Skyhawk II ZK-TRS2 which has been repainted in a smart new paint scheme.  Originally built in 1977 it was imported from the US in 2007 and is owned by Geordie Hill Station, Tarras and based at Wanaka.

Down from North Shore was the 1976 model Cessna A185F ZK-EFB.   Imported new it first flew at Ardmore in August 1976 and has been owned by its current Auckland owner since 2006.

 

Airbus ZK-OJR withdrawn

 The Airbus A320-232 c/n 4884 first flew as F-WWIP on 14-10-2011 and became ZK-OJR for Air New Zealand on 10-11-2011. 

It was the third A320 for dedicated NZ domestic use and the second to wear the All Blacks "Crazy About Rugby" livery. (After ZK-OAB).
It ferried from Toulouse in France through Gander, Denver, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Apia, reaching Auckland on 13-11-2011.
Its first revenue earning flight was Auckland to Wellington on 20-11-2011.

Above in its All Black scheme at Christchurch on 21-03-2012.

At Christchurch on 27-03-2018.

It was withdrawn from airline service on 30th September and has been noted in the above scheme for some time. This photo from Tony dated yesterday 23-10-2026.

Airbus H160B ZK-IVL

An interesting visitor to Pauanui airfield this morning was Advanced Flight's Airbus H160B ZK-IVL. This was registered here in March 2026 after importation from Australia where it was used as the Airbus Helicopters demonstrator.

 

Some more Christchurch movements.

The Antarctic season is well underway.

The Aeronautica Militare Italiana Lockheed C130J MM62191 coded 46-57 with the c/n 382-5531, arrived into Christchurch International via Pago Pago on the 18th.

It headed south on the 23rd but boomeranged at about 53 degrees south (About abeam Campbell Island).

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Also arriving on the 18th was the FAA's Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 N90 c/n 5817 for the annual calibration of navigational aids Antarctica.

Built as C-FZLM at Bombardier Aerospace in Canada in September of 2009.

Transferred to Bombardier USA as N605JK from February 2010 and then to N90 for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Mosquito ZK-WEL/TE881 Update from Fly a Spitfire

I have recently been in contact with Fly a Spitfire about their Mosquito which is getting closer to flight at Ardmore. They asked if I could hold off posting any more details as they were about to release a statement on it.  Overnight they released the following on Facebook:

And so here is a photo of ZK-WEL2/TE881 showing its colour scheme and markings taken at Ardmore on 9 October:  

It is interesting that Fly a Spitfire use the wording "The future of the Mosquito will be determined following her first flight in the coming weeks" in their Facebook post - whatever that means.  I guess continue watching this space!

Thanks again for the photo Wayne.

Pauanui Labour Weekend arrivals

Pilots with holiday homes at Pauanui have started to fly in on Friday afternoon and evening and amongst them so far was the Glasair Sportsman 2+2 ZK-EBG 4.   This was originally registered as ZK-SPO back in September 2006 but upon sale to its new Marton owner in July 2026 it was reregistered with his initials as EBG.

Another holiday home arrival was the Bell  429 ZK-HXW 6 which carries Advanced Flight titling.  This was originally imported from the US back in Augsut 2014.

Mosquito ZK-WEL/TE881 Out for Engine Runs at Ardmore

The fifth DH 98 Mosquito to be completed by Avspecs, ZK-WEL2 (c/n TE881), was wheeled outside on 9 October for engine runs and AgairNZ was there to photograph it:

ZK-WEL2 is a FB Mk VI model and it was registered to Avspecs on 29/4/25.  This Mosquito is destined for Fly a Spitfire at Biggin Hill in England and its history is detailed on their website HERE.  I understand that it will be used for warbird experience flights by Fly a Spitfire alongside their fleet of two 2 seat Spitfires and a Mustang.  I had expected Fly a Spitfire to have announced the good news so I will just post these two photos for now.

Both engines were successfully run during the test on 9 October.  It has since undergone more finishing work and will soon be out for more engine runs.

Thanks for the photos Wayne.