This is a series of long-shots I guess, but…
Can anyone out there please tell me what became of the following aircraft that have connections with my research into Cambridge aviation and aviators?
Avro Avian ZK-AAN which was owned ny the Goodwin-Chichester Company in New Zealand. This was a company part owned by Sir Francis Chichester, and one of the plane’s regular pilots was Sir George Bolt, an aviation pioneer. See more here
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/George%20Bolt.htm
De Havilland DH60 Moth ZK-ABP in which Ted Harvie made the first flight from North Cape to Bluff in one day in New Zealand. He also set a New Zealand altitude record in probably the same plane. Some reports say the aircraft belonged to the Western Federated Flying Club, but in his own book about his and other pioneering flights, Ted states it was his Moth. Did he later purchase it? He kept a Moth in Cambridge later in the 1930’s at our little arodrome, was this it?
And was this one of the several Moths impressed into RNZAF service during the war? (I said this was a long shot… but there may be a Moth fanatic out there with some info on it perhaps).
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Ted%20Harvie.htm
Avro 10 VH-UXX “Faith In Australia” This was a British licence build of the Fokker Triplane except with different engines and a few mods. Charles Ulm began international postage services between New Zealand and Australia in this aircraft, and in December 1934 it was apparently flown over and possibly into Cambridge. What became of this plane? Was it preserved like it’s sister-ship the Southern Cross? Does anyone know if the log books survive anywhere?
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Faith%20In%20Australia.htm
If anyone has any clues on these aircraft’s fates after the points mentioned in the webpages, I’d be happy to hear. Thanks.
By: mark_pilkington - 22nd August 2004 at 15:56
AJ
The Airways Museum picture of Southern Moon states “In the background is an aircraft wearing the marks VH-UGB. These marks were allocated to a Curtiss JN-4D ‘Jenny’ – although the aircraft in the photo does not appear to be one.”
The aircraft in the picture is definately not a Jenny, and I am not sure if the original print is clearer than the web image but the UGB would seem to be open to interpretation? It is definately a large DH type, bigger than a DH60 or even DH9 (large/high rear fuselage) I think that might actually be one of the DH-50A’s VH-UER?
regards
Mark Pilkington
By: Dave Homewood - 22nd August 2004 at 13:38
Thanks Mark. What a great shame. I wonder, has any archeaology been carried out in that swamp since?
By: mark_pilkington - 22nd August 2004 at 13:24
“Faith in Australia”
“Faith in Australia”, the Avro X “Southern Moon” purchased by Ulm in 1933 when the ANA Business with Kingsford Smith failed, had its wing modified by L J Wackett (of CAC fame) and was used by Ulm in his own trailblazing flights.
Ulm was lost in a trans pacific flight in the Airspeed Envoy “Stella Australis” in 1934, “Faith in Australia” survived derelict until 1942 when it was bulldozed by Americans into the swamp at the end of Townsville aerodrome , along with other old aircraft, in response to pending japanese air attack.
regards
Mark Pilkington
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August 22, 2004 at 12:00 pm