Sunday 5 May 2019

Polikarpov Po 2 ZK-POL at Ardmore 3-5-2019 and Another Earlier Example

The Red Star Aviation Trust's recently restored Polikarpov Po 2 was out in the sun at Ardmore yesterday:

A colourful scene outside Aero Technology hangar.  ZK-POL2 (c/n 046) bears the very small numbers 641-046 on the fin.  You can see more photos of the aircraft on our sister blog MRC Aviation, at: https://mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2019/04/polikarpov-po-2-takes-flight-updated-21.html

The Shvetsov 5 cylinder radial engine looking very shiny!

The aircraft will be based at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka.

However this is not the first Polikarpov Po 2 we have had in New Zealand, as can be seen from this photo from the 2003 Classic Fighters airshow, also at Omaka, held over Easter 2003. This aircraft (c/n 0094) was owned by Pat Donovan.  It was kept on the ground by paperwork at the airshow but it did taxy along the crowd line.  It had the registration ZK-POZ reserved for it but I assume that it did not fly in New Zealand as it was never officially registered.  Later in 2003 it was exported to England where it was registered G-BSSY for the Shuttleworth Collection with whom it is still current.

5 comments:

  1. I remember a photo of "POZ" flying in a biref, Stop Press! article in Classic Wings magazine and then seeing news of its export one or two issues later. I'll try track it down.

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    1. I can't find my box of later CW mags but Peter Lewis noted a test flight at Omaka on 15/05/2003 in a post at the Key Publishing Forum.

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  2. Hi there Handbag. I was aware of a possible test flight and that is why I used the wording "I assume" as I also noted that it was never registered here. I guess it could have flown under its US registration.

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  3. Contributing to the "colourful scene" in the opening photograph is the Auckland Gliding Club Pawnee ZK-CEB, away from its base at Drury.

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  4. I have been reliably informed that
    "it flew twice at Omaka and it seemed to go very well - but was offered to the Shuttleworth Trust almost straight away".

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