Update on BD 5's in New Zealand

Following my previous posts "More on BD 5's in New Zealand" and "Some Other BD 5's in New Zealand" in July 2009, I contacted David Rose who built ZK-ZIP because I had heard that his BD 5 might have flown much earlier than I had guessed in my post.

David was very helpful and he confirmed that ZK-ZIP had in fact flown in 1982, which made it the first BD 5 to fly in the Southern Hemisphere. He also searched out some old photos that I can now post of an early test flight from Ardmore in 1982. The test pilot was Russel Broadbent. Also in my previous post I wondered if this aircraft first flew as ZK-DYM, but as the photos show, it was always ZK-ZIP.

And here is ZK-ZIP taxing out from in front of the old Auckland Aero Club hangar. David advised that around 4 or 5 flights were made until a piston in the 3 cylinder Hirth engine blew. The BD 5 was able to make it back to Ardmore but the resulting heavy landing caused some undercarriage damage, and the plane was not flown again until 2006. It now has a 2 cylinder Hirth engine.

David also advised that he thought that ZK-ZBD was the next to fly, followed by ZK-XBD. Thanks to David Rose for these photos.