On a road trip from Christchurch to Auckland last week, I had the chance to visit the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka. Their current exhibition is "Knights of the Sky - The Great War Exhibition". This is a world-class facility that is under the guidance of the New Zealand Aviation Museum Trust and features some of Sir Peter Jackson's WW 1 aircraft and memorabilia collection. The aircraft and artifacts are displayed to tell some of the stories of aviation during the Great War, using the expertise of Peter Jackson's Wingnut Films and Weta Workshops.
There is so much interesting material on display but much of it does not have a New Zealand connection (apart from being displayed here), so I thought I would post about the flyable aircraft that are on the New Zealand Civil Register, as I photo'd below. They are the aircraft with drip trays below the engines!
I did enquire at the Centre as to being able to post photos on this blog, and was given the OK.
Airco DH 2 ZK-JOJ is painted in the colours of 24 Squadron RFC. It is a replica and was built in the USA with a Kinner radial engine as N5496. It was first registered in New Zealand on 30/8/04. It is displayed in a dogfight with a Fokker Eindecker.
Pfalz D III replica ZK-JPI was built in England for the 1966 film The Blue Max and has a Gypsy major engine installed. After the film it went to the USA as N905AC. It was registered in New Zealand on 17/3/05. It was restored by Stuart Tantrum and painted in the lozenge scheme that it wore in the film.
Nieuport N 24 replica ZK-NIE was built in the USA with a Warner Scarab radial engine and was registered as N1893. It was first registered in New Zealand on 16/6/05. It is painted in the colours of French ace Lt Charles Nungesser who flew several Nieuports during the Great War, all painted in his distinctive colours.
Halberstadt D IV replica ZK-JOW was built in the USA with a Elizalde Tigre engine and was registered N1388J. It was first registered in New Zealand on 7/9/04 and is painted in a generic 1916 German colour scheme. It is the world's sole existing example of a Halberstadt single seater.
Four Fokker Dr 1 "Driedecker" replicas were on display. All represent aircraft in Jasta 11 colours from early 1918.
ZK-FOK painted as Manfred Von Richthoven's all red machine, This aircraft was built in New Zealand by Stuart Tantrum at Levin and features a Continental W 6750 radial engine, and was first registered on 20/2/85.
ZK-JOK (front, above) painted in the colours of Ltn Richard Wenzel. It was built in the USA as N112DR with a Warner Scarab radial engine. It was registered in New Zealand on 5/11/02.
ZK-JOB painted in the colours of Ltn Eberhardt Mohnicke. It was built in the USA as N240TS with a Warner Scarab radial engine. It was first registered in New Zealand on 12/12/02.
ZK-FOC painted up in the colours of Ltn Hans Weiss. It was partly built in the USA and was completed in New Zealand by The Vintage Aviator and first registered on 7/12/06. It also has a Warner Scarab radial engine.
The above aircraft are only four of The Vintage Aviator's seven Fokker triplanes. The other three are currently based at Masterton. More information on these aircraft can be found at www.nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/fokker-triplane-replicas-of-new-zealand_12.html
I have added this one for completeness. Not in The Aviation Heritage Centre but just across the grass at JEM Aviation was our latest Fokker Triplane replica ZK-FKD. This one was also started in the USA and was finished off at Omaka and first registered on 9/1/14. It is powered with a Rotec radial engine.
There is so much interesting material on display but much of it does not have a New Zealand connection (apart from being displayed here), so I thought I would post about the flyable aircraft that are on the New Zealand Civil Register, as I photo'd below. They are the aircraft with drip trays below the engines!
I did enquire at the Centre as to being able to post photos on this blog, and was given the OK.
ZK-FOK painted as Manfred Von Richthoven's all red machine, This aircraft was built in New Zealand by Stuart Tantrum at Levin and features a Continental W 6750 radial engine, and was first registered on 20/2/85.
ZK-JOK (front, above) painted in the colours of Ltn Richard Wenzel. It was built in the USA as N112DR with a Warner Scarab radial engine. It was registered in New Zealand on 5/11/02.
ZK-JOB painted in the colours of Ltn Eberhardt Mohnicke. It was built in the USA as N240TS with a Warner Scarab radial engine. It was first registered in New Zealand on 12/12/02.
ZK-FOC painted up in the colours of Ltn Hans Weiss. It was partly built in the USA and was completed in New Zealand by The Vintage Aviator and first registered on 7/12/06. It also has a Warner Scarab radial engine.
The above aircraft are only four of The Vintage Aviator's seven Fokker triplanes. The other three are currently based at Masterton. More information on these aircraft can be found at www.nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/fokker-triplane-replicas-of-new-zealand_12.html
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