Turbo Dusty at Wanaka.

 Roving reporter CMM recently came across Turbo Dusty mounted outside the National Transport and Toy Museum alongside Wanaka Airport.

It is a replica of the star in the 2013 movie called Planes.

 A trailer for this movie can be seen Here

On the mounting pole you will find a switch which brings life to the engine.

If you study the lower photograph you can clearly make out the shape of a Victa Airtourer.

It is in fact created from Airtourer 115 ZK-COW c/n 166.

ZK-COW has been mentioned several times previously on these pages.

This airframe had reached an advanced stage of construction in Australia before being shipped to NZ and completed by Victa (NZ) Ltd for delivery to the Waikato Aero Club in May of 1967
Below as seen at Hamilton March 1969 with the Waikato Aero Club.

Five more owner/operators had it until by February of 1993 it was with Topflite Aviation Ltd of Rangiora.

During maintenance at West Melton it was found to have a dose of corrosion.

 After removing the fuselage and the top wing skin it showed that it was beyond economical repair.

Photo above at West Melton on 22-09-1995.

Gerald Rhodes acquired it and moved it to his Wanaka Transport Museum where it was noted on display below as 'The Holy Cow' in March of 2002.

I noted it again at Wanaka in April 2012 in much the same condition.

And again (below) at Wanaka in June 2020 by CMM.

***************************************************************8888

Matthew Beaven has sent in the following photo of the 'real Turbo Dusty' as seen in the Smithsonian's Steven F Udvar-Hazy Centre on 31-12-2022.