Chipmunk N861WP

I have just received an update from Bevan Dewes regarding his Chipmunk N861WP.

Below I have gathered most of the previous blogged material on this aircraft.

MONDAY, 19 MARCH 2012

More from Motueka.

De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk N861WP (c/n C1-0748) of Eugene J Demarco of Wellington. It was originally built for the RAF and serialled WP861 (from whence its current registration comes) before heading to the USA to become N65273 followed by N861WP from April 1984. It came to NZ in about 2004 and is normally based at Masterton. It is temporarily based at Motueka with Bevan Dewes.

Above: Seen at Omaka 29-03-2013

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SUNDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2013

Forest Field gathering # 1
The 25th anniversary fly in at NZFF Forest Field was a beaut.

Great weather.

Great airfield.

Great hosts.

Great spread of food.

Great gathering of aviators and aircraft.

 Three De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk's called.

Above is Canadian built ZK-ARL (c/n 61). It came to NZ in 1949 for the Wellington Aero Club.

It has been in the Christchurch area with Jim Chapman since about 1989.

The other two were built in the UK for the RAF. ZK-XUK is c/n C1-0087 and is still in its Army Air Corps colour scheme. Lou McAllister imported it into NZ in 1987 and has been with Lou since.

Below is the US registered De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk N861WP (c/n C1-0748) of Eugene Demarco. 

Originally built for the RAF with the serial WP861 (from whence its current registration comes) before heading to the USA to become N65273 followed by N861WP from April 1984. It came to NZ in about 2004 and is normally based at Masterton.

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At Rangitata Island 21-10-2013.

That is young Bevan in the overalls and cap.

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THURSDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2013

Chipmunk N861WP at Rangitata Island.

Bevan Dewes, the new owner of the De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk N861WP (c/n C1-0748),  has kindly provided these two photos taken by Alex Mitchell out of Rangitata Island.

 It came to NZ in about 2004

It is currently based at Rangitata Island with Bevan.

Check out the following video clip :-

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/9314452/Bevan-backs-grassroots-flying

Below are couple of pics I took on 21-10-2013 at Rangitata Island.

 Above : clearing out. Below : clearing in.

There were two comments to this particular post - as below

   1) pasturepilot15 December 2013 at 01:37

OH, but you are missing out on the story this plane has to tell!
WP861 had a distinguished student, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, flew this aircraft during flight training.
 I believe he soloed in this aircraft, if memory serves. 

I grew up hanging around this bird in the 90's near Atlanta, Georgia, and flew her, twice. The gentleman who owned her passed earlier this year and I was wondering where she'd ended up after the sale years ago. Looks like several transactions later, she's still in good hands! 

2) Bevan Dewes30 June 2014 at 22:32

Pasturepilot, it would be very interesting to get in touch with you and see what information you have on WP861, I am the current owner here in NZ and am looking for all the information I can on the history of the aircraft, including previous owners,

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SUNDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2013

Chipmunk N861WP revisited.

pasturepilot has given me a rev up over my posting on the Chipmunk N861WP at :-

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2013/10/chipmunk-n861wp-at-rangitata-island.html 

pasturepilot said :-

 "OH, but you are missing out on the story this plane has to tell!

N861WP had a distinguished student, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, flew this aircraft during flight training. I believe he soloed in this aircraft, if memory serves.
I grew up hanging around this bird in the 90's near Atlanta, Georgia, and flew her, twice.

The gentleman who owned her passed earlier this year and I was wondering where she'd ended up after the sale years ago. Looks like several transactions later, she's still in good hands! "

Well I guess I assumed that everybody already knew this about its "Royal" connection. 

Below is a pic of WP861 taken on 04-01-1964 by Ian M Macdonald and comes via Air Britain files.

 And below as seen on 15-06-1968 by Brian Bickers - also via Air Britain.

For a quick (hands on !!) walk round with the "Duke" see :-

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/duke-of-edinburgh-learns-to-fly/query/CHIPMUNKS 

Below is an extract from http://www.nzwarbirds.org.nz/chipa.html#

"As with several previous de Havilland aircraft, the Chipmunk was to have royal connections in Britain. A brand new T.10 was delivered to RAF White Waltham and used to teach HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, to fly. Trained by Flight Lieutenant Caryl Gordon, the Duke made his first solo on December 20, 1952."

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Below we have some reasonably recent close up shots of WP861/N861WP.

For N861WP air to air check out :-

http://hatfieldaviationheritage.co.uk/chipmunk/ 

And below we see her at Forest Field on October the 6th 2013.

I received the following from Bevan last Thursday - 21 May 2015.

My name is Bevan Dewes and I am the current owner of WP861 (N861WP) based in Masterton.

As seen above the aircraft has fabulous provenance. 

WP861 was the first aircraft Prince Philip flew during his flight training in 1952-3 he flew 16hrs 35 mins in this aircraft including his basic stage flight test. The other chipmunk Prince Philip flew was WP912 which is now in the RAF Museum Cosford.

I have been lucky enough to acquire over time several letters from previous Captains of the Queens flight, Owners of WP861, even Prince Philip himself.

I also have the aircraft's RAF movements card and copies of Prince Philip's logbook for the period of his training.

I am certainly very lucky to be able to be the 'care taker of this significant aircraft.

I hope to eventually repaint the aircraft into its original RAF colour scheme it has at the time Prince Philip flew it.