NZ Civil Aircraft

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

Alpi's last Sunday.

I dropped into see Logan McLean of Alpi Aviation NZ Ltd at his Fernside Fields facility on Sunday the 20th and captured the latest Pioneer 300 Kite arrivals.

ZK-LPC is c/n 5017 and joined out civil register on 15-01-2016. It is Rotax carburetor powered.

Whilst ZK-LPL (c/n 5018) has the fuel injected Rotax engine. It also joined the register on 15-01-2016 with Alpi Aviation NZ Ltd.

Both are stock aircraft and available for delivery.

Meanwhile - outside and up from Manapouri is the Pioneer 300 Kite ZK-LPK (c/n 5014).

This was registered to Alpi Aviation NZ Ltd on 24-02-2015 with an ownership change to the Fiordland Aero Club (Inc) of Te Anau on 04-05-2015 where it joined the Alpi Pioneer 200 ZK-LPA.

All three are the fixed undercarriage 'Kite' variety.

Jungman SE-AIK at Rangitata Island.

Having been noted at many airfields around NZ lately is this Bucker Jungman SE-AIK.

This is Werk-Nr 52 from 1939.

It was first noted at Ardmore back in February 2014 in an all yellow scheme and registered as D-EAZO.

Check out our sister MRC blog at :-

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=D-EAZO

It is known to have been HB-UTK back in the early 1980's.

Our roving reporter Allan Bowman photographed it at Rangitata Island on Monday the 21st.

Tuesday, 22 March 2016

Ashburton traffic this afternoon # 2.

More pics from Allan Bowman.

The Yak 3 ZK-VVS post refuel.

YAkiddy YAKs - people and aircraft.

And YAKing off.

More yakking with Harvard ZK-MJN.

Also awaiting a chance to get to the fuel pumps was the Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-IXG (c/n 10751) of Way To Go Heli Services Ltd.

Ashburton traffic this afternoon # 1.

Allan Bowman captured this collection of aircraft and people at Ashburton this afternoon.

One that gathered its own crowd was the Avro Anson ZK-RRA as seen over the wings of two Harvards and with the Cessna's ZK-BUQ and ZK-DAH behind.

Two more views of Anson ZK-RRA.

The Harvard line up through the smoke haze.

L to R is ZK-MJN, ZK-ENJ, ZK-TVI, ZK-WAR, ZK-ENG and nearest is ZK-JJA.

One of the Yak attack - ZK-PTE.

The Kitfox Godfrey Brothers.

Back in October 2013 Sir Minty did a major posting on the New Zealand Kitfox's.

I have reproduced portions of it here to save re-inventing the wheel.

The Kitfox was developed by Dan Denney in the 1980's as a STOL homebuilt aircraft with folding wings to enable it to be trailered home.

It featured flaperons and a distinctive bump cowl under which it was intended to install a small radial engine. However the radial engine never eventuated and the early Kitfoxes were powered by Rotax 2 stroke engines.

Dan Denney formed Denney Aerocraft at Boise, Idaho to manufacture Kitfox kits, and more than 5,000 have been produced over the years.

The prototype Kitfox I first flew in November 1984. Only 6 were produced but the aircraft proved popular and the Kitfox II soon followed.

This had a wider fuselage and an increased MAUW of 950 pounds (436 Kg).

The Kitfox III followed in 1989 and featured a larger fin and rudder and finally the design was developed into the definitive Kitfox IV with a taller fin and rudder and a MAUW of 1,200 pounds (544Kg). It also had redesigned mixer box arrangement for aileron/flaperon giving more luggage space behind the seats.

Variants of the Kitfox IV included the Kitfox Speedwing with a shorter wing, and the lightweight Kitfox Lite Squared.

In 1992 the rights to the Kitfox were sold to SkyStar Aircraft and they continued with the Series 4, and developed a completely new design called the Series 5 in 1994, which could be built as a tri-gear or a taildragger. This aircraft kept the kitfox philosophy but was designed for larger engines such as Lycomings or Continentals, and also for the Rotax 912. The Series 5 had a MAUW of 1,550 pounds (703Kg). The Kitfox Series 6 and 7 followed, each a further refinement with improvements to the undercarriage, flaps and elevators, and for engines such as the Jabiru 3300. Now there is a version with the Rotec R 2800 radial engine which in a way has gone full circle from the original radial engine which never eventuated. Skystar Aircraft filed for bankruptcy in 2005, and the assets were purchased by a former employee John McBearn in 2006 under the name of Kitfox Aircraft LLC, which is still producing Kitfox kits.

As can be seen above, the Kitfox series of aircraft has been continuously developed, getting bigger and carrying more payload, however the Kitfox IV Classic has a length of 18 foot 6 inches (5.6 metres), a wingspan of 32 feet (9.76 metres) and a wingspan of 132 square feet. The speed depends on the engine fitted, but with a Rotax 912 the Series 5 cruises at 110 mph.

We have had 18 Kitfoxes of various models in New Zealand to date.

*******

ZK-KNZ (c/n 798/AACA/2013) is the Kitfox III built by Great Lakes Aviation (Graham Knauf, Graham Taylor and SO Vowles) at Wanaka.

It was first registered on 12/2/91 and first flew at Wanaka on 23/2/91.

I remember that it was a demonstration aircraft, and it was damaged on 16/5/91 when on demonstration to the New Zealand police. It was sold to Albie Birdling of Little River on 22/10/93, however it was not flown for 10 years or so from early 2000.

It was purchased by Paul Godfrey of Rangiora on 10/7/12 and he refurbished it to flying condition. with help from his Brother Michael.

Michael then went and purchased ZK-KIV (c/n 1642) in December 2014, which is a Kitfox IV built by Charles Lamb and Arthur Ainsworth of Christchurch .

This was first registered on 1/12/94. Arthur took over sole ownership on 04/10/05 and it was re-designated as a Class 2 microlight on 11/01/12.

With Michael it has undergone an extensive rework.

Below we see it at Rangiora last Sunday (20th).

In December last year Paul purchased ZK-JFA (c/n 94080051/MAANZ/527).
This is a SkyStar Kitfox IV as built by Alex Taylor of Gore, and was fist registered on 22/3/95. It has a date of manufacture of 22-06-1995 and is Rotax 912 powered.

It is currently getting the Godfrey treatment and is seen below at Rangiora on Sunday (20-03-2016) having its fuel flow checked.

Now that Paul has the SkyStar Kitfov IV ZK-JFA - his earlier ZK-KNZ has been listed for sale.

Paul has previously operated the Thruster ZK-FHK, and still has the Maxair Drifter ZK-XPC.

There is another Denney Kitfox III based at Rangiora - the not that often seen ZK-JWN of Steve Noad.

Wellington back on 17th and 18th February - Air Ambulances

When spending a bit of time at Wellington International, you get to see a busy air ambulance presence to and from around the country, and with a variety of aircraft.

Taranaki air ambulance, Skywest Aviation Ltd's Cessna C 421C Golden Eagle ZK-TAM2 arriving on the 17th,

Then over a period of an hour and a half on the 18th:

Wellington based air ambulance, Air2there.com (2008) Ltd's Beech B 200 Kingair ZK-MYM arrived...

Which resulted in two King Airs on the ramp.

Napier air ambulance, Skyline Aviation Ltd's Beech B 200 King Air ZK-PLK departed...

Then Wellington based air ambulance, Air Freight (NZ) Ltd's BAE Jetstream 3200 ZK-LFW arrived...

And finally, Hamilton air ambulance, Search and Rescue Services Ltd's (of Taupo), Mitsubishi MU 28-30 ZK-KOH departed for points North.

The 18th was quite a blustery day and I wondered how the patients were feeling as their aircraft took off or landed. Still, I am sure it would be better than a really long road journey.

Monday, 21 March 2016

Christchurch back on the 17th

Noted at the Canterbury Aero Club fuel pumps at Christchurch International Airport on Thursday the 17th.

Piper PA-31-310C Navajo C ZK-MJF (c/n 31-7912089) joined Skywest Aviation Ltd of New Plymouth on 27-02-2015.

Its early history is mentioned at :-

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=mjf

Next in line was the Cessna 402C ZK-VAD (c/n 402C-0076) this is the RidgeAir Ltd's example.

This is also a 1979 aircraft which came into NZ from Australia for Vincent Aviation Ltd in March 1997.

Ryan STM ZK-BEM at Ardmore

Another classic aircraft out in the sun at Ardmore last Monday was Ryan ST-M S2 ZK-BEM (c/n 489). It has a very long and interesting history.

It is painted in the colours it wore with the Netherlands East Indies military in 1941 where it operated for at least some time on floats. The NEI had ordered a total of 108 ST-M aircraft which were delivered in 1941 but in March 1942 the Japanese invaded the island of Java and destroyed many of them. However, 34 of the aircraft managed to escape the destruction and were hastily shipped to Australia where they entered service with the RAAF. S-53 (c/n 489) was one of these aircraft and it was bought on charge with the RAAF in June 1942 as A50-13.

Following the end of the war it was purchased by Brown and Dureau Pty Ltd of Melbourne and registered VH-AGS. A succession of Australian owners ensued with it being struck off the register several times but then restored. One of these times was when it was involved in a mid-air collision with a Tiger Moth at Albury, NSW, which necessitated the rear fuselage being replaced. Finally it ended up with James Whiteman of Sydney on 30/11/53, who named the aircraft Rebel II.

James Whiteman shipped the aircraft to Auckland where it arrived in May 1954. It first flew here as VH-AGS as it was involved in a forced landing on Takapuna Beach still wearing its Australian registration on 17/5/54 The forced landing was caused by an engine failure while being flown by James Whiteman. A replacement Menasco engine was sent from Australia and was installed by engineers at the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere. It was cancelled from the Australian register on 25/5/54 and appeared on the New Zealand register as ZK-BEM on 14/9/55, still owned by James Whiteman and still named Rebel II as in the above undated photo.

Soon after being registered in New Zealand, on 15 /10/55, it was purchased by Alex H Blechynden of Matamata who was the Chief Flying Instructor of the Piako Aero Club at that time. Further ownership changes saw ZK-BEM being owned by CD Price of Auckland from 11/8/58, and later by C Fry of Auckland, then by J Tuohey of Auckland from 1/9/60.

As can be seen by this photo, the aircraft was looking a bit worse for wear in the paint department. It was eventually retired to a hangar at Ardmore over the period 1960 to 1967 needing extensive repairs. During this time it passed through several more owners, including P Sheffield of Clevedon from 2/4/62 and later in 1962 by Clem O'Neill, then in 1963 by Miss KN Quinn of Papakura and finally by Kerry Newman. He cancelled ZK-BEM from the register on 19/7/67 and donated the by now derelict aircraft to MOTAT, with a proviso that it be restored to flying condition. It was later restored to static display by MOTAT

By 1985 the aircraft was undergoing restoration at North Shore as shown in the above photo taken on 5/1/85.

In 1994 an agreement was made between MOTAT and the New Zealand Warbirds Association for the Association to restore the aircraft to flying status in return for exclusive use of it for 10 years. ZK-BEM was re-registered on 19/11/98 to the Ryan Syndicate of the NZ Warbirds Association, and it was test flown on 13/12/98 by the Warbirds President Trevor (TT) Bland. The aircraft suffered major engine damage and was forced to make an emergency landing on the Clevedon Polo Field on 29/8/04 after which it languished again until funds were raised for a replacement LOM Prague M332A engine with which it flew again in March 2012.

It is now 75 years old!

A Bonanza of a day

Captured at Rangiora on 20-02-2016 were several of the Beech Bonanza family.

Receiving a little attention was the Beech F33A Bonanza ZK-EDS (c/n CE-956) from the local Bonza Partnership.

From nearby Fernside Fields came the Beech 35-C33A Debonair ZK-MEC (c/n CE-167) which has been with Morrow Engineering Co Ltd since being imported in late 1986.

ZK-RNT (c/n E-1019) is a Beech A36 Bonanza and has been registered to Russell N Taylor (hence the registration) since August of 1983.

Below is the Beech V35B Bonanza ('V' as in V tail) ZK-EDJ (c/n D-9224) which is listed with Keith Neylon of Invercargill but is now Rangiora based.

Meanwhile (below) at Christchurch International the Beech A36 Bonanza ZK-DPT2 (c/n E759) has been parked up for a few days.

This has been with Enfield Contracting Services Ltd of Mount Maunganui since April of 2007 having initially been with the Tauranga Aero Club (Inc) from April of 2003.