Heard of COWs?

I guess a few people who follow this blog would know that the first ZK-COW was a Victa Airtourer 115 first registered to the Waikato Aero Club on 4/4/67 (thats 42 years ago!). After a series of owners in Kaitaia, Waikanae, Kaukapakapa and Canterbury it was cancelled on 19/5/98 and now is in the Wanaka Transport Museum.

Meanwhile on 5/57 (thats 52 years ago!) Aeronca Champion 7FC ZK-BUL was registered to Middle Districts Aero Club at Palmerston North. I remember seeing it quite often when I was growing up and I remember it had a duck egg blue/green fuselage. It was cancelled on 6/92.

I don't know if BUL and COW ever met, but on 25/9/01 another ZK-COW was registered. This one was a SG Storm 300 which was built from a kitset by CA and MH Schadler of Waimana which is South of Whakatane in the Western Bay of Plenty. The Storm series of aircraft is manufactured by SG Aviation of Sabaudia, Italy.

I guess the new ZK-COW could be descended from an Airtourer as both are low wing, all metal, sprung steel tricycle gear aircraft with about 100 HP motors. ZK-COW is now owned by The Flying Cow Ltd of Christchurch, and is based at Rangiora.

However in the intervening years, dairy technology advanced and soon a herd of COW clones arrived! All of these aircraft were built by CA and MH Schadler or in one case by RF Van Beek who also comes from Whakatane. For your interest I have posted them below.

ZK-OCW was first registered on 27/1/06 and is owned by R F Van Beek of Whakatane

ZK-WOC was first registered on 16/3/05 and is now owned by R L Walker of Whitianga.

And ZK-WCO first registered on 16/3/05 is still owned by CA and MH Schadler at Waimana.

All of the above photos were taken at SAANZ fly ins at Tauranga in 2004, 2006 and 2008. I scanned these photos into digital format by scanning them on my basic Hewlett Packer printer/scanner and modifying them in Picasa, and I was very pleased with the results. They are better than taking a photo of a photo that I had done before.

There are/were 3 other Storm 300 aircraft in New Zealand and I might post them on another post.

Quiet day at NZRT

Caught three of the locals out to play this afternoon. Above is ZK-CLT2 (C/n 200) the Rans S-10 Sakota of Craig Thomas. A project started in 2006, hitting the register on 04-03-08. This brings back memories of my circuit bashing days at Wellington when the original ZK-CLT had the right of way (size does have a certain amount of right). It being a Bristol Freighter.

Taxiing past with the help of its O-320 engine is this tidy little Cessna 150A ZK-BYM c/n 59079. This one came onto our register in November of 1960. For the last ten years it has been with the ZK-BYM Taildragger Syndicate of Rangiora.

Another long time local at Rangiora is this Piper PA18A-150 Super Cub , ZK-BNX, C/n 18-5453. It received its CofA on 18-04-1957. This started work with Central Aviation followed by stints with several private owners until joining Rangiora Sailplanes Ltd in October 1983. It went to the BNX Syndicate in February 2001.

April fools day Christchurch.

New Zealand Flying Schools "Flagship"Piper PA-34-200 Seneca ZK-NFS , c/n 34-7350165 arrived back in Christchurch yesterday afternoon from Avtek at Timaru where its NZ certification was carried out. Above is a pic of it at Wigram on 26-01-09 just after its arival there as VH-MEP. In an earlier blog I inferred that it was to be repainted in the NZFS colour scheme. It appears that this prognostication was somewhat of an untruth as it still retains its Australian scheme. (I guess there is a lesson there - "Don't believe everything you are told")

Pic below taken this inclement morning. Note the new control tower under construction in the background.

Below. A happening scene at the Canterbury Aero Club. During a break from the lecture room on a non flying morning:- what else can you do ? - give the olde girl a scrub up.

Still registered to Air New Zealand is this Fokker F27-120A Friendship ZK-BXH c/n 10190.
Parked outside today being prepared for its weekend appointment.
It carries the "Engineering Training Service"script on the fuselage below the cabin windows.

It was withdrawn from service late 1989.

Departed ZK-JCV

Rockwell International 112 VH-IDK c/n 488, was ferried into NZ by John Verleun via Norfok Island, reaching Auckland where it was registered to John on 16-05-06 as ZK-JCV2 and was named "Midnight Express". It flew out from Kerikeri to Norfolk Island on the 18th of February(still with John driving it)and on to Bankstown for its new owner Mick Byrne of Perth with whom it became VH-RET on the 26th of March.

Interestingly the first ZK-JCV, a PA28-181 Archer 11, c/n 8090061, was re-registered from ZK-EST by John Verleun. This eventually became ZK-JAC3 and later VH-USV.
John should be well known for his earlier long distance ferry flights in Fletchers etc to overseas customers. I understand that JCV has in fact been used for long distance training flights whilst in NZ.

Question time # 41

I nice easy one for a start:-
1. Who manufactures this engine. ?
2. What model is it ?
3. What series is it ?
4. What is it installed in ?

No correspondence will be entered into .
& I've run out of chocolate fish.

Trivial Pursuit of sorts!

While admiring the photos Sir Minty captured over the weekend I spotted a flag on the winglet of Dynamic WT9 ZK-EWW and wondered to myself what it was all about.

A quick Google retreived another search engine, Wikipedia, and this drew me to conclude the flag was as depicted above. It is the Civil Air Ensign of New Zealand and dates back to 16 November 1938. According to Wikpedia, it is is usually flown from buildings associated with the civil aviation administration and it may also be flown by airlines. Does anyone know of this ensign adorning other aircraft in recent times?

The sun brings them out.

A really nice sunny down Christchurch way had many aircraft outside. Some that don't see the light of day very oft. Above is Tiger ZK-BCO after I had just partaken of my first ever biplane fight. Des Lines was kind enough to take me up from his Swannanoa strip. ZK-BCO is with the BCO syndicate and first flew after its latest rebuild on 31-12-2007.

At Rangiora the very dusty Zodiac CH601-HD ZK-ZED, c/n 3897, belonging to Don Free was out :- not to fly but to allow the Cessna 120 ZK-XTX , c/n 11759, out to take to the air. The owner is going to have the exterior tidied up during the coming winter; probably retaining the same general colour scheme (as applied by his father) and thinking about changing the Maule tailwheel back to a Scott model.

A stranger in our midst was the Pitts S-2A Special ZK-PIT, c/n 2020. Don't know where it came from & don't know where it went ! Last I heard it was at Napier with Sean Husheer, but it was pleasing to see it back down South.

Also exposed to the light for the first time for yonks was the Nostalgair N3 Pup ZK-FSK , c/n NZ001.

Chipmunks where squirreling about. Don Penniall's DHC-1A1 ZK-CVM2 c/n 34, came out to play and flew away; Whilst Jim Chapman popped in with his -1A1 ZK-ARL, c/n 61 [pic further below]. A third Chipmunk still lurked in Pat Scotters hangar. This was the recently registered ZK-CPY2. [See earlier blog on this one].

Rans S-10 Sakota ZK-CLT2 , c/n 200, was out getting a charge.

The rough part about the whole afternoon was when Jim Chapman jumped down out of his Chipmumk and thinking that I was Greaybeard !!

Gasoline Alley closed - Mangaweka

The Gasoline Alley service station and cafe at Mangaweka has closed its doors.
Pic above taken on 19-03-09.
I wonder what will happen to the "Cookie Time Monster" ZK-APK ?

ZK- Appended

Boeing Stearman E-75 N1391V as noted at Ashburton on 06-02-2009 during the SAA flyin. It became ZK-RDK on 17-03-09 using the initials of the new owner Richard David King. My initial search finds that it was built for the US military and carried the USAAF serial 42-17001 before becoming 61042 with the USN. On release from military service it eventually became N1391V. It carries the false markings of 41-61042 (based around its old US Navy serial of 61042). [Additional info and corrections most welcome]

Commonwealth CA-25 Winjeel VH-WHZ which has been lurking around at Taupo for some time has finally hit our register as ZK-WJL (Winjeel) for G C Aviation. This is of 1955 vintage and was A85-404 with the RAAF until 1979 before joining the Australian civil register as VH-WHZ on 20-03-1981. This registraton was cancelled on 19-04-2002 for its export to NZ.

I believe that this colour scheme was never worn by this aircraft whilst it was in RAAF service, but added at a later stage in its civilian career.

ZK- Pending

Piper Aztex VH-MTY c/n 27-7654137 as seen in this less than ideal shot at Tauranga on 16-03-2009. Another one for Sunair and likely to become ZK-MTY.

Also at Tauranga on the 13th this DHC-2 Beaver VH-AQA c/n 1467 is under remanufacture by Frank Wright and is looking at becoming ZK-AQA. But it will be a day or two yet.

Tucked away in a dark corner of a hangar at Drury is this damaged Diamond DA40 Diamond Star N196DC with c/n 40-373. It was damaged on 10-05-2008 when it veered of the runway and into a ditch during a crosswind landing. Total airframe time is 601 hours. It was cancelled from the US register on 04-08-2008. Obvious damage is forward of the cockit, the wings, and the rear fuselage broken. A great project for some fibreglass whizz's

A very interesting Corby Starlet under construction at Rangiora. Norton powered. A real facinating project. More on this one later.