I stumbled…

What a splendid response.

Many thanks.

Mark

AKM was rebuilt by Myles Robertson in 1977 – all new wood – he basically built a new aeroplane and transferred all the metalwork over. He also rebuilt ZK BFP, (see avatar),which wore an identical colour scheme. This plane is now in the USA, where Myles sold it in the early 80’s. The only real differences were that AKM had a single fuel tank and BFP had dual fuel tanks.

As for the Moth Minor…

This aircraft first flew from Hatfield on the 11th of July 1939, and it was originally registered as G-AFON.

It was shipped to New Zealand in late 1939 via Australia where it was offloaded and checked but did not fly. It was entered onto the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register as ZK-AHK and was test flown from Rongotai, Wellington, on the 12th of September 1941.

it was operated by the New Plymouth Aero Club for a year. Though the war had greatly curbed any aeroclub activities, New plymouth had been allowed to continue to train pilots as most of them were moving into the RNZAF after training. One such was Roy Calvert of Cambridge who went on to win three DFC’s.

However eventually the war menat that this aero club training ceased and the Moth Minor was then impressed into the RNZAF with Unit 18 Rongotai for a cost of 700 pounds on the 12th of October 1942.

It then entered service with No.22 Squadron, at Wigram on the 16th of January 1943. This was an Army Co-operation Squadron flying mainly Vincents out of nearby Norwood and I expect this was used for communications duties.

It was later allocated to the Communications Flight at Rongotai on the 19th of February 1943. This Flight was basically set up to support RNZAF headquarters which was in Wellington City, with an assortment of communications aircraft for officer and men to travel around the many stations with. The Flight grew and became No. 42 (Communications) Squadron, one of the few wartime squadrosn that continues to serve today.

After the war this aircraft was sold back to New Plymouth Aero Club from RNZAF Woodbourne (then being used as a storage facility for aircraft no longer required) on the 15th of July 1946. it retunred to the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register as ZK-AKM on the 12th of November 1946.

It was sold on to a H. Wood. Then it sold to the Otaki and Districts Aero Club in 1960 before becoming inactive. Sold again to J. Moon and B. Farrell, of Woodbourne in 1961. To D. Lilico in 1966 and based at Ardmore. It was cancelled from the register 1974.

The machine was rebuilt and re-registered as ZK-AKM and was flying again in April 1977. Changing hands it was registered to G.S (Stan) Smith, H. McNair and R Stanley, of Albany 08 December 1983. The last change of ownership was to Stan and Gillie Smith, North Shore Airfield, Dairy Flat, Auckland, where it is currently airworthy and wear’s it’s wartime scheme with postwar registration codes.

More on the Harvard, it was originally NZ918, receiving this serial after being shipped to New Zealand aboard the “Limerick” in May 1941 as one of the first batch of Harvards to arrive for the Empire Air Traininf Scheme.

It was assembled at RNZAF Station Hobsonville, where it was brought on charge on the 20th of May 1941. It then went on to serve at No.1 Service Flying Training Scholl at RNZAF Station Wigram, at Christchurch, and then No.2 SFTS, RNZAF Station Woodbourne, at Blenheim. So this aircraft would have trained a great number of the RNZAF’s fighter pilots, and no doubt pilots who went onto other roles too.

Following the war it was converted to an instructional airframe as INST135 for Compulsory Military Training students at RNZAF Station Taieri, near Dunedin. Later it was transferred to Hobsonville.

The aircraft was sold to Bennett Aviation Ltd., Te Kuiti for two hundred pounds on the 3rd of April 1950. Bennetts bought up loads of Harvards, most of which were scrapped, but some were saved and a few were transformed into the Bennetts Airtruck, an agricultural aircraft. See my forum for the full history of this and photos of Bennett’s scrapyard Harvards.

Luckily the Harvard was purchased by the Pahiatua Jaycees (a community group who were Junior Chamber of Commerce) and they installed it in the childrens playground at Pahiatua in November 1963.

In 2003 Pahiatua raised money to spruce up the aircraft. If you’re travelling through NZ it’s well worth a diversion off the main State Highway One to pahiatua to take a look at this unique slide. It’s on the main road into town when heading north to south.

Great photos Peter, please post them onto the NZ forum too.

It is interesting to see the Pahiatua slide used to wear the modern RNZAF colours. Nowadays it’s in the wartime scheme. It’s one of the few Harvard MkII’s left in NZ. It’s also the last of many Harvards that made their way into NZ playgrounds. Most of the others are now being rebuilt to fly, but I hope they don’t touch the slide, it’s a classic icon of an otherwise uneventful town.

Stan Smith still flies the Moth Minor regularly.

The Moth Minor photos are at North Shore (then Dairy Flat) north of Auckland, NZ. Possibly with Stan Smith in the back seat. The Aircraft is still there in the same paint!

Here is a link to one in NZ, though it looks a bit different, could there be two?

No that looks like it. There was at least one Canadian Harvard in a playground in Canada, which was taken down a few years before I was in the area, so I didn’t actually see it myself, and I took 2 + 2 and made 5! 😀

Is there a waiting list to get one?!?

Here is a link to one in NZ, though it looks a bit different, could there be two?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vchera/751575898/in/set-72157600053711019/

I thought that Harvard was in Canada, not NZ…

Not sure though.

Ah! The little known Texan/Harvard waterbomber under developement!:eek:

Yes – you can see why they had to remove the prop! But the best thing about this experimental model was the undercarriage. When lowered for landing, in order to permit sufficient clearance for the scoop, you can see why it acquired the provisional name of the Texan Daddy Longlegs! As the designer once said – Fiesler Storch, eat your heart out!

Ah! The little known Texan/Harvard waterbomber under developement!:eek:

I want a slide like that for my kids!

😉

Bruce