Monday 29 April 2013

Rand KR 2s of New Zealand (2)

The 1990's KR 2s.

Our seventh KR 2 was ZK-KRJ (c/n AACA/454) which was built by John Jewell of Kirwee, and was first registered on 22/4/91.  I understand that this aircraft started out with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage, the was converted to t fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and then to a tri-gear undercarriage.  Does anyone have photos of it in these configurations?

It was cancelled on 22/4/98 but was restored on 13/8/99 to the M&T Syndicate of Christchurch.  It was re-designated as a microlight on 15/7/03.  Ownership changed to WJ Shapcott of Rangiora on 16/7/03 and it was stored at Rangiora where the above photo was taken on 14/10/06.  Finally it was sold to RE McDonald of Christchurch on 9/12/06 where it is undergoing a major rebuild including having flaps fitted, and the installation of a HAPI 1835 cc motor.

The next KR 2 to be registered was ZK-CCK (c/n AACA/2008) which was started by G Wilson and was completed by Walter Reinauer of Auckland.  It was registered on 8/10/91 but it did not fly until 1996.  It was re-designated as a Class 2 microlight on 11/7/00.  It was damaged at Hokitika when it nosed over in soft ground on 6/2/07, but it was repaired and it is still current and based at North Shore.  The above photo was taken at the 1998 SAANZ flyin at Matamata.

Our next KR 2 was ZK-JAY which was built by Lionel Day of Alexandra and was first registered on 23/2/92.  It was sold to JD Grant of Oamaru on 28/2/95.  Tragically it crashed at Hildethorpe near Oamaru on 17/1/97 with the loss of the pilot and passenger.  It was cancelled on 18/6/97.  I do not have a record of who took the above photo.

Our tenth KR 2 was our second ZK-TWO (c/n AACA/582) which was built by DJ Brown of Hamilton and was first registered on 16/11/92.  It suffered an undercarriage collapse at Hamilton on 3/7/93 but was rebuilt and it was re-designated as a Class 2 microlight on 29/6/00.  It was sold to AJ Brizzell of Westport on 18/10/02 and then to SH Hyde of Feilding on 22/10/03.  It was damaged in a landing accident at Raglan on 11/3/05 and has not flown since.  The damaged aircraft was sold to IP Huntley of Feilding on 5/5/06 and it is currently undergoing  a major rebuild with a new canopy and conversion to a tailwheel undercarriage.  Thanks to Stan Hyde for the photo.

And our final KR 2 for the 1990's was ZK-KRZ (c/n 001).  This aircraft was built in Zimbabwe where it was registered VP-WUB and Z-WUB.  It was damaged in a take off accident in Zimbabwe in the late 1980's.

Marcus Mewett of Whangaparaoa rebuilt the aircraft over a 4 year period and registered it as ZK-KRZ on 19/7/93.  It was damaged at North Shore on 31/8/93 by a wind gust but it was rebuilt, as evidenced by the above photo taken in a hangar ar Ardmore in 2004.  It was sold to JL Ainsworth of Christchurch on 29/3/05 and it is still current.

 

3 comments:

  1. An aircraft which i thought was a KR2
    was flown by Bob Maisey and had a Walter Micron engine from the Tipsy
    Belfair----[ageing memory]?

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  2. Bobgod - Bob Maisey's aircraft was a KR 1 - ZK-EKT. Yes it did have a Walter Micron engine, which gave it nice lines. I have posted the history of this on the blog previously. Search under ZK-EKT and you should find it.

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