At the vintage aircraft area of the North Shore Aero Club/Northern Microlight Club flyin at North Shore last Saturday, Brian Millet had arranged for flights in Stan and Gilly Smiths vintage aircraft. This necessitated unfolding DH 84 Dragon ZK-AXI and DH 83C Fox Moth ZK-APT.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tiq5FfWpc2pA_CIwT4RUKqQ_iT2Jro_9v0id4mvdoOayCx8ukRFfRxfndnj7hlRGLtqy5R2S7xBc-pQD0KY45bbhMqE3a-SYCGYFgFwZs3PhitTgTGf90n4qTOefCi6JhXbfvcBZ3EA/s400/IMG_8372.JPG)
First begin by pulling the folded aircraft out of the hangar, watched by the hangar dog.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhdkbILfh4AoTPsqW8fM-akm8Xfg4iLCaYl2ohleH7vWvcMD6_JBwgx63F6czwaQ3YWXuFmYjm0lXJZQgBQ4jOZk_6Z4_gh0nqdLbclNkfnBGFCZjEfSoyf0vDSrbmhkwfyRAG5u1atY/s400/IMG_8378.JPG)
ZK-AXI out in the light.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2wlb7h07FQiUap-HsW9bmMg5UWAEoxTuRB3yz3egJzahfpI77iRR43OxxtEHJgC5yMlsb7keP2nUY2HT7Kd0N7UmrhtU60xdBcqweoYZMzlwHLszZlaNP5S02d9uDDPC_xWJf38fUBE/s400/IMG_8384.JPG)
Then manually unfold the wings and connect all the bits up together. It seemed quite low-tech.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZpmhEYTMSUojZS9ybi2YEhtMuPlGNC_882Coppz85Nr8LkWMziWK8lHD1sIk-po1NxtD3DNngzZTx0nXsDPUhr3VNjZhyRD5d_YSvg_Hpc5SQoyKBH_-3RxUrZvkE4PCQENEOJIxFJ4/s400/IMG_8389.JPG)
ZK-AXI half unfolded.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlugtbknxlUdkZxsgNPxmQHiIRh4SJ2uOial1rA_wUfDN2JR1WqWNFbrPchH4Yf3mjwSdVmvB7n-jxqTRgfd77T0fNZMnqGwl28P6HFgEoDHuaQFejuM-gdF8eNMv1yd9Ftx6rfajEac/s400/IMG_8380.JPG)
Specifications and background notes on ZK-AXI
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO3mwccA7cGQk0D3_PoMVx2OqkGI8zMoMGCgCSYhvPOnfPuXJrF33YRaJ8eRTPWWoVbIoRkcZ7lmidHpQZrjzIF8HvDT2K_l8bBYHv4c7ri2aF1KEBOA4Lgb0LnwWvqpz-TR7gKQUHcY/s400/IMG_8391.JPG)
Then it was the turn of ZK-APT to undergo the same procedure
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu-jzh1YFaoqynXcgR4tvC2xXef2CPhLpjt1lqpUR7AfNoo8DeDVwbGtV7toX4wi-4DbiOlKB97EnmZh_op96ed2IN5feO3RSpZ1rYgi1omhTs7mBhC5wRfFW7tmF6puShOvbFhfJPoY/s400/IMG_8392.JPG)
Manually unfolding the wings
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZfI1msPfmnhlkFJS3arHDXQGa0FrHj3-u8fdLmPWIoxsr_f4e0lPj8uAlN7W3zNDjWJTyIN7BYQ_UwJNdlYLMgbE5fF266_KLFfhRRysKLsQdeb4ZsaAS3-Vlua2awXpKK7nz52dJgM/s400/IMG_8394.JPG)
And like its sibling, half unfolded
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOvNi1JGnB1Hn8WTMkGtbHY_qVE9eGRvZ9Rfx6KEGxGaAWgNmaB_upw-5i02qP3a67taKhmPfD97pXpilpCnJIA8Y3K9KNhr0syBcuTlchiwy10zf2BRNVJLYXXQz1eyVk0cTlZyNhh8/s400/IMG_8379.JPG)
Specifications and background notes on ZK-APT
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissQXA1jLbWobGhqqPp_m8wgHaGIwGsfQLA8zpAtFlm2eLIZKbN-Nn_QLrEktKFRv2K8ZcGgUXEsBjtbKVDy26vcoFNPX6EUCgIEyH3yalhV7xNLhsVfvdHxyL0DC5uz7AGAhkBJGQaOE/s400/IMG_8397.JPG)
And finally they are both good to go!
Brian Millet's brother Mike Millet took a video of the procedure that is probably better than my series of photos. have a look at
http://youtu.be/4U94R5m-gOkn
NICE
ReplyDeleteMy father flew APT for Ted Buchannan between 1957 and 1960, so it's always a treat to see this aircraft in the air. Some photos from that era at http://bit.ly/yPqWO1
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