What ever happened to that Vans RV-4. ZK-CRV maybe ?

  Back in about 1987 Gary Conroy and Terry Smith of Hastings submitted drawings/plans for a Vans RV-4 to the NZCAA . These were approved and the project was commenced.

Considerable work on this project was completed but for reasons (unknown to me) the project was sold at about the turn of the century to Robbie Orr of Christchurch.

I came across it at Ashburton in 2009, 2011 and 2013 with Robbie having done some work on it. 
It is interesting to note that in the cockpit photos below - taken in 2009 and 2011 - it has been marked as ZK-ORR.

Robbie Orr at work on his project at Ashburton on 24-08-2009.

The cockpit showing the registration ZK-ORR on 24-08-2009.

Above and below - very kindly pushed out into the sunshine for a couple of photos on 24-08-2009.

In about late 2010 Robbie imported the Dyn'Aero MCR01 ULC and registered it as ZK-ORR

 

Above. On 05-02-2011 it has wings attached and canopy off.

A few months later on 20-07-2011 and still showing the registration ZK-ORR on the panel -

 - and in the background, you can see part of Robbie's Dyn'Aero (the real) ZK-ORR.

On 09-02-2013 at an open day at Ashburton I spotted this notice on the aircraft.

The unfinished project was on sold to Cranleigh Lee in about March of 2013. 

I believe it was stored for some time and that Cranleigh and his team had to do some fairly major work inside one, if not both, wings.

The aircraft was registered as ZK-CRV2 on 27-10-2021 to Cranleigh Lee of Katikati.

Above. ZK-CRV2  at Tauranga in November 2023. A Mark Pattenden photo.

It was first flown from Tauranga by Phil Hooker on 12-05-2025.

For photos of this event see HERE