North American NA88 Harvard 2A* ZK-TVI (c/n 88-14178) has returned to Ardmore from Wanaka following completion of repairs after being damaged in an incident back on 28-03-2016.
It is seen below outside its Ardmore hangar on Tuesday thanks to Keith Morris.
If we go back a bit earlier we see that is was allocated the US serial of 41-33801 followed by the RAF/FAA lend-lease serial of EX828.
This was not taken up as the aircraft was diverted to NZ and became NZ1057 with the RNZAF from 08-08-1943.
It is known to have served with 4 Territorial Squadron between June 1953 and May of 1955 after which it was converted to its Mark 2A* status. It went into storage at Woodbourne about September 1972 until being sold by tender to Engine Support Inc of Florida in June 1978.
Why it did not go offshore I know not but it went to the Silverstream Transport Museum (between Stokes Valley and Upper Hutt).
Above - seen at Silverstream on 22-07-1982.
Charles Darby of Auckland acquired it and moved it to Ardmore in 1988 and then advertised it for sale.
It is seen below at Ardmore in 1988 thanks to Peter Lewis.
Restored - it entered the NZ civil register as ZK-TVI on 18-12-1997 with the Harvard 1057 Syndicate at Auckland and was first flown at Rotorua on 23-12-1997.
(The TVI registration comes from the letter 'T' followed by the Roman letters 'VI' which gives the number '6' giving us 'T-6' which is the US military designation).
Ownership was transferred to Liz Needham on 01-06-2006 and then on 20-09-2012 it was listed to Warbird Adventure Rides Ltd (which is another way of saying, husband and wife team of, Frank Parker and Liz Needham.
It is seen below at Ardmore on 24-02-2016.
After its incident at Wanaka it was looked after by Twenty TwentyFour Ltd.
Check out their site at
http://www.twenty24.co.nz/
http://www.twenty24.co.nz/
Above as seen in the Twenty TwentyFour hangar at Wanaka on 10-02-2017.
Interestingly the picture at Silverstream it has a three bladed prop hub on it.
ReplyDeleteNice round-up as always. Did you swap 'Warbird Adventure Rides Ltd ' and Liz in the narrative?
ReplyDeleteYep ErrolGC. I did get them out of order but the dates were correct. I have re-worded the post.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Good spotting there Mit.
ReplyDeleteWill anybody come out of the undergrowth and tell the story ?
The reason it didn't go offshore was the US company bought a lot of the Harvards but only wanted the engines......then you could buy a very cheap (but engineless) Harvard!
ReplyDelete