Peter Jackson's Curtiss

Aircraft in New Zealand

Hi

[QUOTE=Dave Homewood]Thanks guys. I missed the beginning of the news item so wasn’t too sure of the Beech thing. Thanks Dave. Is it flying? I didn’t know there was any in NZ outside of Motat. QUOTE]

If you live in New Zealand and would like to know whats flying here, get a copy of Classic Aircraft in New Zealand. It’s a new book that covers almost 50 types flying here. (Photos aren’t bad either)

Alex…..
www.warbirdsovernewzealand.com

There are at least three Argosy airframes in the UK, and IIRC one in the USA.

Bruce

Well, once again I have been proven wrong, I should stop quoting info told to me because I’m making a right fool of myself this week. It was a guide at a local Blenheim museum who told me that the one preserved at Woodbourne is the last in the world. I had heard that before from other sources too but I assumed a local museum guide would be right.

On investigating I have just found this link with photos of the three UK examples, so i take back what I said (assuming they are still all intact and not since broken up).

http://www.oldprops.f9.co.uk/Argosy.htm

Where is the US-based example? Did it actually operate in the USA?

The one at Woodbourne, near Blenheim now sits behind a cafe and looks quite lovely. One of the SAFE Air examples became rather famous in the 1970’s when flying to or from the Chatham Islands a TVNZ crew on board filmed a UFO flying alongside. They even scrambled a couple of RNZAF Skyhawks but no-one was able to work out what the object was. Probably some US experimental plane I guess.

The “Kong” biplanes had fixed gear and a seperate cockpit for the gunner/observer, IIRC.

There were actually three models of Curtiss Helldivers. The one Nermal has is the second model.

According to my copy of the Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, the first Helldiver was the F8C-4 (Curtiss Model 49). The photo in the book shows it has fixed gear, so it may well be the one that’s meant.

(Interestingly, in the original film one of the pilots is played by the producer Merian C. Cooper, who had been a pilot in WWI and the Russo-Polish War…)

Cheers

Alistair

Argosy at Cosford

Memories of radar calibration in the early 1970s, when I was the only passenger!

There are at least three Argosy airframes in the UK, and IIRC one in the USA.

Bruce

Remember that it was the reporter who said the word Helldiver, not Sir Peter. He simply mentioned Curtiss in the piece of the report I saw. Maybe the reporter got it wrong. Or maybe the planes in the original book were Helldivers? Do the dates tiw in between the plane and the book/film?

Either way it’ll be a nice replica for Omaka to have. Pity they won’t have it actually flying for the film but Peter said that it’ll be used on a rig in front of a blue screen so it’ll look like it is flying. Should be good.

DaveM2, have you any photos of the Fleet 16? Sounds interesting. Omaka is a real go ahead place these days. When i lived at Woodbourne in 1989 it was basically just gliders and Cessnas, so i never bothered to visit the place. I was pleasantly surprised by the activity there when I finally got along there this year.

Are there any plans to restore or even possibly fly that Bristol Freighter at Omaka? The one at Nelson looks lovely but the Omaka example is a little more tired (nowhere near as sad as the Ardmore one though 🙁 It is decidedly had it!

Is the Omaka example owned by the same group that owns the Argosy? I cannot believe that is now the world’s only one left. I used to love watching SAFE Air’s pair of whistling wheelbarrows come in and out of Woody. I’m surprised that one of the other two airframes SAFE had didn’t go to a UK museum rather than being scrapped. Thank goodness one of the three survived.

The “Kong” biplanes had fixed gear and a seperate cockpit for the gunner/observer, IIRC.

Great looking aeroplane – family resemblance very strong! But I think NOT the original King Kong aircraft – have a look at the movie trailer (you only get a brief glimpse – should be a good test for this forum).

http://www.videodetective.com/home.asp?PublishedID=4110

Looks similar in style – Nermal

Lockheed

Dave

Yes the Lockheed flies quite regularly ..I hope to get a ride at some stage since I am a now based here . The aircraft flew the people involved with the Omaka Museum project up to Wellington to meet Jackson and Anderton upon the announcement that the Govt. funding came through . Ground breaking for the first stage should be in a month or so. Additionally I just helped put the wings on the latest arrival , a 1941 Fleet 16… a very nice biplane , and the first time one has been at Omaka since 1938.

Dave

Forgiven 😉

Hi, I just put up the earliest Curtiss Helldiver I could find, but this was a one-off so it was certainly not the type used in the original “King Kong” Sorry if I misled you!

Thanks guys. I missed the beginning of the news item so wasn’t too sure of the Beech thing. Thanks Dave. Is it flying? I didn’t know there was any in NZ outside of Motat.

And is that older Helldiver definately what was flown in the original film?

I’ve been a long-time fan of the original Kong movie, and don’t remember the biplanes looking like that :confused:

Looking forward to seeing what Peter Jackson comes up with, though!

First Curtiss Helldiver

A-4 Helldiver 1930 = Civil version of XF8C-8 for use by Asst Secy of Navy David Ingalls as a command ship [NC984V], USN s/n [A8845]. Later became XO2C-2, then XF8C-7.
(source. Aerofiles)

The ‘Beech 18 ‘ , was actually a Lockheed 12 which is based here at Omaka and owned by Pat Donovan . Been around for a couple of years.

Dave

Hi again Dave

Yep there was an earlier Helldiver although not that long before. Again i am sure some knowledgeable soul will post before I get to my books tonight but from memory it was a metal fuselage Biplane and fairly advanced in design

Kindest regards
John