Seen at the airshow today

[JayBee]

The lower style rear canopy was originally produced by the Russians during WWII.
AFAIK it used a standard single seater sliding hood for the second seat.

Jim

[Captain Canada]

Nice Beavers 

Great shots around the floats too.

[KiwiZac]

Very nice Beavers! The red-RNZAF-schemed one flew a STOL demo...with the wind it was practically a VTOL demo! The operators of the amphib Beaver also have a floats-only one and fly tours and taxi services around Auckland. I'll do it one day. And thanks Capn! For an iPhone camera I'm pleased with the results.

Nick's right. This version is often referred to as the Grace Canopy after Nick Grace (whose widow and children still fly their Mk.IX ML407). I prefer it to the IAC-style bubble based on looks. The owner Doug Brooker flew a lovely restrained display in her on the day. A mate is groundcrew on it...and always seems to enjoy telling me about his latest taxi ride or flight! Here's a model I built of MH367 from a Matchbox 1/72 kit a while back:

[PR19_Kit]

I've seen '407 a number of times and it doesn't look QUITE the same as the NZ one. I can't put my finger on what's bugging me, but I'll get there.

[KiwiZac]

MH367: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Supermarine-509-Spitfire/2534132/L/&sid=212a9a7750aaf61b31cfa00e5bcc7da5

ML407: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Supermarine-509-Spitfire/1457137/L/&sid=d1b6166c97c4959199edde018e8be28b

Perhaps it's that "ours" has cannon and blisters installed? Incidentally, ML407 served in (and wears the colours of) an RNZAF squadron.

[PR19_Kit]

The lighter paint scheme on '367 makes the depth of the 'bridge piece' of the canopy more obvious. On '407 it's so dark you don't notice where the canopy stops and the structure starts so much.

[KiwiZac]

Good point, that could be it.

This weekend The Vintage Aviator Limited - Sir Peter Jackson's WW1 aircraft restoration/construction company - is having the first of its monthly flying weekends at its Hood Aerodrome base, about 3.5hr from me. I'm going but not sure if it'll be Saturday or Sunday - totally weather dependent (WIND!). I'll share photos if anyone's interested? I was hoping to see the DH.4 but apparently it's still having engine issues, so I'll have to make do with the original Camel and a Hanriot as well as the others!

[NARSES2]

Good point, that could be it.

This weekend The Vintage Aviator Limited - Sir Peter Jackson's WW1 aircraft restoration/construction company - is having the first of its monthly flying weekends at its Hood Aerodrome base, about 3.5hr from me. I'm going but not sure if it'll be Saturday or Sunday - totally weather dependent (WIND!). I'll share photos if anyone's interested? I was hoping to see the DH.4 but apparently it's still having engine issues, so I'll have to make do with the original Camel and a Hanriot as well as the others!

Lucky so and so  Be interested in any pictures

[KiwiZac]

Sunday's the better day weather-wise...but Saturday has an evening "show" if nothing/little flies during the day...decisions, decisions!

[KiwiZac]

Saturday it was!

Some background. The Vintage Aviator Limited is a New Zealand company which restores and builds World War 1 aircraft, the vast majority to airworthy condition. This weekend was the first of their monthly Flying Weekends, an opportunity for the public to check out the collection and for the pilots to get current again and practice displays for future airshows.

The wind was too bad for much to fly on Saturday, but I still went away happy. I saw one of the aircraft I was hoping to - the original Hanriot HD.1 - but unfortunately the newbuild Airco DH.4 is having engine issues so wasn't seen outside. One of the pilots told us there are also two Fokker Eindeckers in the works. Exciting stuff!

This is the unassuming public hangar from the carpark. They have two other hangars onsite (that I know of) but there cameras are forbidden and entry is by invitation.


And when you walk in:




The aforementioned Hanriot, a 1918 original and a sweet-looking little number:



The original Be.2f restored by the late Stuart Tantrum. This is the oldest DH-designed aircraft flying anywhere. She turns 99 next year:


The Be.2c - I love the skids.





The very lovely new Be.2, subtype and rego unknown to me:






These three flew on Saturday along with an Se.5a. The DH.5 is the only representative example anywhere, the Tiger Moth is used for training pilots for the collection, and the new-build Albatros D.Va has a lovely-sounding original Mercedes up front.:


The Nieuport XI performed an engine run while a friendly pilot - whose name I missed - explained everything we were seeing.



Then John Lanham (former Canberra and Skyhawk pilot) took seven of us on an informal flightline tour, letting us get up close and personal (and unlimited photo-taking opportunities) as well as educating us on type histories and what each is like to fly. It sounds like the Bebe is a delight, likewise the Se.5a, whereas the E.V/D.VIII is a tricky little so-and-so.




Unlike the TVAL mini-airshows of the past, the two resident WW2 fighters stayed put in the hangar. Both are smaller up close than I remembered! It was great to have a close-up look at them and pay silent tribute to them both. They are former RNZAF machines and for a while were the only airworthy examples from our wartime force - we had 424 Corsairs and 297 P-40s, now there are two and four respectively still flying.







And finally, the people. I recognised a handful of pilots including Bevan Dewes (youngest current WW1 pilot - he's not yet 25!), seen here topping up the D.Va with oil while Keith Skilling (known for his Corsair and Mosquito displays) guides him. There were a number of ground crew around also, but the pilots all doubled as crew anyway so it's hard to know who's who!


So while yesterday was the flying day by all accounts, I still had an excellent day on Saturday. I totally recommend coming along to one of these.

[NARSES2]

Glorious  Thank you very much indeed Zac  , you are a very lucky man. Love the Be 2c, Nieuport  and the DH 5 in particular

[KiwiZac]

The DH.5 is a little disappointing because it has a Lycoming flat-four so it doesn't look right from the front or sound right from any distance or angle, but it IS the only full-scale DH.5 anywhere! The first time I saw it (Easter 2005) it flew with a DH.2, which was awesome. Sadly the DH.2 is now in a museum, otherwise I'd be getting excited about an Airco formation of it, the 5 and the new build DH.4.

The Nieuport has a Le Rhone rotary which sounds and smells fantastic (and is apparently a delight to fly) - it's tiny, I couldn't fit in it if I tried, I'm sure - and the Be.2c is the second of five or so Be reproductions built by TVAL. They're very quiet and I think would be fun for cruising around, but forget combat!!

Sunday was definitely a flying day by all accounts, and they even wheeled out the newly-restored Camel for photos...posed next to their Camel replica. Cool stuff!

[KiwiZac]

I'm going to TVAL's January flying event this Sunday - the last one was the weekend immediately after Christmas so gave it a miss - and the weather is looking great. Anyone for photos?

[kerick]

I love the Be.2 pics with the sunlight coming through the wing fabric.
Thanks for posting this.

[Captain Canada]

What a great collection Zac ! I'd love to go there....some day !