New Zealand Percival aircraft

I suppose that really, I ought to have said that it an aircraft purporting to be G-ADPR.

In April 1991, we transited MSP en route to/from California with North West Airlines. Hanging in the terminal there was a replica (I assume) of “Spirit of St Louis”. I had a personal interest in that aircraft as from1966 to ’69, I worked for Pan-Am in London. Lindbergh was a regular visitor. I’d like to claim I’d met him but I just happened to be on duty when he came into the Dispatch room before his trip home.

Yes, Aeronca 100 ZK-AMW ex VH-UXV, VQ-FAJ

I posted coverage on it elsewhere in this forum.

Thanks. OK now I remember, just didn’t make the connection.
Bill

Yes, Aeronca 100 ZK-AMW ex VH-UXV, VQ-FAJ

I posted coverage on it elsewhere in this forum.

Nice recent pics of AQZ. Thanks for posting them. Without wishing to contaminate this thread! but is that an Aeronca C2/C3/100 poking its nose into the RH frame of one of the pics?
Regards
Bill

Proctor 5 ZK-AQZ – addendum II

During a further visit to Hood airfield in January I was able to photograph ZK-AQZ on one of its rare outdoor appearances.

Still not a sunny day, but at least no rain this time.

Enjoy!

Prospector ZK-PWZ – addendum

During my recent trip south I was able to visit Hallett Griffin’s base at Kairanga and inspect the E.P.9.

The aircraft is currently unairworthy, as there is corrosion in part of the port wing structure – apparently a minor matter that will soon be rectified, I am told.

Kairanga 4Nov2014

Want to have a look inside?

The rear cabin has plenty of headroom, you can stand upright in there.

Nifty plaque on the cabin door gives a bit of the history

Hallett’s signboard gives rather more coverage

Thanks to Ray Deerness for the intro, Hallett for allowing me access, and his especially right hand man – the nothing-is-too-much-trouble Alex Kaandorp who spent a couple of hours dragging aircraft in and out of hangars so I could get the photographs.

Proctor 5 ZK-AQZ – addendum

Earlier this month I was able to contact Tom Williams and arrange acces to the SVAS hangar at Masterton so that I could check out their Proctor 5 ZK-AQZ.

It was, unfortunatly, a thumping wet day so only interior photos were possible.

The Proctor is said to be currently airworthy, though apparently has only been taxiied in recent years as it has a bit of a maverick reputation amongst the available pilots.

ZK-AQZ has been for sale for a few years, but has not yet attracted anyone with both the interest and the money.

Hood airfield, Masterton, 6Nov2014

The Percival company logo previously on the fin has been replaced by the SVAS version

Details of ‘Spirit of Wairarapa’ script

As you would expect, the interior is complete, but the upholstry now looks suitably worn

My guide for the visit, SVAS member Jeremy Traill. Came out on a really bad weather day, and was quite patient while I pottered around. Thanks Jeremy and Tom.

I am now away for a few days tracking the spoor of Prince ZK-BMQ.

That clears that up.

Thanks Viscount. I must confess I didn’t think Wkipedia would have info on the Prince!

Proctor 5 ZK-AQJ – addendum

Thanks to John Geary, i was recently able to visit his workshop and inspect this aircraft.

The last time it flew was apparently the Paraparaumu-Ardmore delivery in 1972, and it has been stored ever since. It retains the same green and white scheme as it wore during its Wellington days.

The aircraft is relatively complete, but I am told that there are currently no plans to work on it.

Ardmore 27Oct2014

Where the red car now sits was apparently the spot occupied by Proctor 5 ZK-AVW before Don Subritzky acquired it.

It looks a fairly hazardous trip up there, but as all you guys and girls are paying me danger money (yeah, right) I bravely set forth

Yup, made it up into the office without breaking a leg.

Ozplane, the P.50 Prince 3 came with factory fitted alternative nose cones, long and short. Have a look at the wikipedia entry detailing Prince marks. There was also the P.54 Survey Prince with an extended nose to carry a camera.

Proctor 3 ZK-APG – addendum

As indicated above, John Geary acquired the remains of this Proctor and has them stored in his Ardmore hangar.
The intention is to utilise these parts in the proposed Vega Gull rebuild.

I am still looking for any information at all on the 1960 incident at Masterton that terminated the flying career of this aircraft.

Proctor 1 ZK-ALS – addendum

The rudder of ZK-ALS has survived and is now in the possession of Don Subritzky.
Found under a house in the residential suburb of Mangere. No doubt someone’s souvenir.

It still retains its fabric covering, paint is James’ red with the white stripe.
‘ZK-‘ on one side, ‘ALS’ on the other.

Nice to know the effort is appreciated.

Presumably the nose on ZK-BYO was fitted from new, as the aircraft went from the factory straight to the Tanganyika Government as survey platform VR-TBD.
Someone knowledgable in aerial survey worrk may be able to add useful comment.

Thank you very much for this intriguing thread. I always wondered how a Prentice got in to the Wanaka museum and now I know. I used to live in Blackpool and remember the EP9s being assembled. It was a slightly ill-fated design wasn’t it? I also have a connection to the Provost as I own and fly an NZ built Airtourer. The connection is that Henry Millicer was the designer of both aircraft and looking at the Provost in the Shuttleworth Collection recently it was clear to see the similarities.i.e the wing planform, the “straight” fin and rudder and the tailplane placement. It’s as if the Airtourer is a 75% scaled down version of the Provost. One final comment is do you have any idea why the Prince “DYO” had a Pembroke nose? It doesn’t seem to have the Pembroke wings so I wonder why the nose was fitted?

Vega Gull ZK-AFI/ZK-AKV – addendum

I have now spoken to John Geary, and he tells me that after the Vega was damaged at Otematata it was taken to Aerotech at Timaru. It was condemned there. The fuselage went to Howies’s property and was stripped and burnt. The wings were taken by Bruce Murray and broken up.

John visited both sites and recovered what he could of the remains.

He now possesses enough fittings from both the Vega and from Proctor 3 ZK-APG and has sufficient technical information to carry out his plan to eventually build/rebuild the Vega Gull.

Bravo, Peter. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your updates here and at WONZ and I predict it will be a valuable resource.

Thanks for posting and for the research that went into it. Reads very much like ‘a labour of love’ Interesting to note that NZ seems to have acquired almost the full set of Percival types over the years. I well remember the Jean Batten Gull at Old Warden in the early ’70s. It was, I think no longer airworthy at that time.
Best wishes
Bill

That covers all of the Percival aircraft that have operated in New Zealand.

There will be an addendum, as I have arranged to visit a couple more owners and of course there is always the bit more information that arrives just after the relevant posting.

This has been a much more complex task that what I originally envisaged, and has taken up more than a year. The work has been made possible by quite a number of people.

In the meantime, those I wish to thank for information and assistance include Marcus Bridle, Don Noble, Allan Wooller, Dave Paull, the late Leo White, the late F J (Popeye) Lucas, the late Arthur Bradshaw, Don Subritzky, John Geary, Stan Smith, John Hill, the late Bill Pennelligan, Bruce Gavin, Jim Mungall, Geoff Goodall, John King and a few others who wish to remain anonymous. Thank you all.

In 1954 the Burmese Government bought 12 Provost aircraft, armed, for use in the ground attack role. These were designated Provost T Mk.53s. At a later date a further 28 were obtained, and the Provosts were serialled in the UB201 – UB240 range. The survivors were among a selection of Burmese military aircraft that were sold at auction in 1999.

Provost T-53 c/n PAC/F/451 was built in August 1959 and flown out to the Union of Burma Air Force as a new aircraft. Initially allotted the serial UB232, this was later amended to 2232. Withdrawn from active service in 1977 having flown 2832hrs it then passed into the possession of the Air Force Museum at the Mingaladon air base in Myanmar where it remained until 1998. At the 1999 auction it was among the aircraft sold to David Gouldsmith who traded as part of the Golden Aviation Partnership based at Cassville, Missouri, in the USA.

Brendon Deere from New Plymouth bought this Provost and the Spitfire Mk.IX PV270/UB242 from Gouldsmith and both were shipped to New Zealand. Work proceeded to restore the Spitfire to airworthy condition while UB232 remained stored in its shipping container at Feilding. The registration ZK-PPD was initially reserved for the Provost, but this reservation later lapsed.

As there were no plans to restore the Provost, it was passed on to the Ashburton Aviation Museum by Brendon Deere. After many years and still in its original container it arrived at Ashburton in mid-2012.

The Provost has now been restored to static display standard and repainted to represent its original ground-attack role as UB232. It may be viewed at the museum.

Percival Provost Mk.53 UB232 as displayed in the Ashburton Aviation Museum, 21Jan2014

Photo: Dave Paull

UB232 posing outside in the Ashburton sunshine, 11Oct2014

Acknowledging its ground attack role, UB232 displays underwing ordnance