Piper PA-18 ZK-BRP

Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub ZK-BRP (c/n 18-5538) was imported and registered to Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch on 18-02-1957 with its CofA being issued on 13-04-1957.

Ownership was transferred to Advance Aviation Ltd of Kaitaia on 03-05-1957.

It was rather badly damaged whilst landing at Kaitaia on 27-03-1960. I believe it was repaired by TEAL with ownership moving to Aerial Farming (Holdings) Ltd of Palmerston North from 23-09-1960.

Photo below (from an unknown source) shows ZK-BRP in its Aerial farming scheme.

 

Below is a shot of her from Allan Wooller taken at Feilding in September of 1966 showing hopper and all the spray gear fitted.

 

It was sold to Rik Holmwood of Masterton on 01-08-1967 and was captured at Hood airfield, Masterton, by Allan Wooller in September of 1967.

Now minus all the agricultural gear and as a two seater.

It was seen at the Air Contracts hangar at Masterton at about the same time by CMM just prior to a repaint.

 Its new scheme was photographed by Allan Wooller at Masterton in February of 1969.

 

It headed away down South and was registered to A I Hawker of Haast on 30-07-1969 and its back seat area was lined for the transport of deer carcases.

 Another ownership change was listed on 09-06-1970 to T J Finnie of Haast.

 

   These two views were captured at Taieri on 19-11-1970.

It carries the scrip "Masterton" and " R D Holmwood" on the forward fuselage and engine cowling.

 

 A few days after these pics it was damaged at Whiskey Creek when its undercarriage collapsed on 23-11-1970.

 

Another new paint scheme was noted at Dunedin (Momona) Airport on 23-12-1974.

By this time it was listed with J S Shewan of Haast.

A monochrome pic taken the same day shows the largish forward hinged door on the upper fuselage in place of the hopper inlet, a feature of several ex Aerial Farming Cubs.

 

The photo below (also dated on the rear as 23-12-1974) is obviously another time and place.

I suspect later - with some of the white fuselage stripe missing - and looking decidedly West Coast in nature.

On 02-07-1975 it was listed to R S Paton, just North of Oamaru.

The next three pics, from Allan Wooller, show ZK-BRP at Wanganui on 24-02-1979.

 

 It was listed to A J O'Rielly of Kimbolton on 28-03-1979. 

I believe it then went on line for a time with Dillon Flying School.

 

Then it was back to work again in another paint scheme.

Rowley Aviation Ltd of Amberley picked it up from 28-01-1985 and added a belly tank and spray gear, and gave it the name "Lil Penny".

If you look carefully in front of the "Lil Penny" script you will note a blackish dot.

This is a Penny coin (1957 from memory)

  Two views of her at Drake Aviation's at Christchurch on 10-10-1986.

As a useless aside- Three other Cubs went back on line with Rowley at about the same time :

"Lil Sister" ZK-COG:  "Lil Sarah" ZK-BNY:  and "Lil Squirt" ZK-BVJ.

 

On 12-07-1988 ownership moved to Neville Cameron of Coromandel and then to the Upper Valley Gliding Club from 19-02-1992.

These last two views show her at Strand Park, Lower Hutt on 18-02-01 for a day of glider towing.

Note the "Penny" is still there.

 

I have not seen her since - but I hear that it was at Wellington Airport recently.