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News D

B.E.2, Avro 504 and Spitfi re debut at Omaka

NEW ZEALAND AIRSHOW

EBUT APPEARANCES BY three very signifi cant, recentlycompleted New Zealand restorations were the highlights of the superb Classic Fighters Air Show at Omaka, near Blenheim, over the Easter weekend.

Rarest of the three was The Vintage Aviator’s (TVA) Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2f, which had made the fi rst fl ight of a genuine B.E.2 series aircraft for 80-plus

years at TVA’s base at Hood, Masterton, on March 26, with Gene DeMarco at the controls. Built by Napier & Miller Ltd in Glasgow, it was bought from Royal Flying Corps surplus stock in 1917 by the Norwegian Army Air Force. Donated to the Mosquito Aircraft Museum at London Colney in 1982, it went to New Zealand in 1995.

Seven days after the B.E.2 fl ew, Gene DeMarco took Avro 504K ZK-ACU up for its maiden fl ight on April 2, following 25

years’ on/off restoration by Stuart Tantrum. One of six 504s bought by New Zealand in 1925, it originally fl ew as NZPAF202. Its original logbook, found in a second-hand shop in Auckland 12 years ago, proves that among the great aviators who fl ew it were Charles Kingsford Smith and Francis Chichester!

Record crowds of 32,000 saw the show, although caution dictated that TVA’s new F.E.2b (see last month’s Aeroplane) did not make its planned debut.

G A V I

N C O N R O Y

LEFT Brendon Deere’s Spitfi re IX, PV270/ZK-SPI, which fl ew again on March 18 (see News, May Aeroplane), made its debut at Classic Fighters. Here it is being fl own by Keith Skilling during its fi rst air-to-air photo session.

Jacquard ’190 engine-runs before debut

Jacquard ’190 engine-runs before debut

I E S P H OTO G R A P H S

I Q U E A N D R

M O N

ABOVE The menacing FW 190 running-up at Dijon on April 6.

at Dijon-Darois airport,

ON APRIL 6 at Dijon-Darois airport, Christophe Jacquard’s new-build Flug Werk FW 190A-8/N had its ASh-82 engine run up for the fi rst time. The Russian-built powerplant has been overhauled in the Czech Republic, and started fi rst time. First fl ight is expected during the fi rst week of May. Although it will be the third Flug Werk FW 190 to fl y, it will be the fi rst to make a public debut, at La Ferté-Alais on May 30.

time. The Russian-built powerplant

Republic, and started fi rst time. First

week of May. Although it will be the third Flug Werk FW 190 to fl y, it will be the fi rst to make a public debut,

See page 40 for details of our reader-tour to La Ferté-Alais

ABOVE The FW 190A-8/N is painted in the

ABOVE The FW 190A-8/N is painted in the markings of Oberleutnant Horst Hannig’s 190A-4, based near Cherbourg in May 1943.

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AEROPLANE JUNE 2009 “With their superior speed, the Mirages soon closed and Mehmood fi red his guns twice at close range, hitting the

Indian Hunter’s port wing . . .”

French-built Mirage delta jet fi ghters make their mark in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War Page 20

G A V I

N C O N R O Y P H OT O G R A P H S

ABOVE & TOP Gene DeMarco in B.E.2f A1325. The “f” designation was given to existing B.E.2cs that had been modifi ed to B.E.2e standard with unequal-span wings and a new tail. RIGHT Stuart Tantrum fl ying Avro 504K ZK-ACU.

Spitfi re Tr.9 sold

Spitfi re Tr.9 sold

2-SEATER KNOCKED DOWN FOR £1·58M

2-SEATER KNOCKED DOWN FOR £1·58M

BRITISH ADVENTURER STEVE Brooks outbid all comers to acquire Supermarine Spitfi re Tr.9 G-ILDA/SM520 at the Bonhams auction, held at RAF Museum Hendon on April 20. After hovering for some time at £1,550,000 between three bidders — one of whom was from a well-known USA-based foundation — the hammer dropped to Brooks at £1,580,000, just above the pre-sale lower estimate fi gure of £1·5m. When Bonhams buyer’s premium and VAT is added, the price totals £1,739,500. The fi ghter trainer made its fi rst postrestoration fl ight at Thruxton on October 17, 2008 (see News December 2008 Aeroplane), and will now remain in Britain.

USA-based foundation — the hammer dropped to Brooks at

. ARNOLD

PETER R

AEROPLANE JUNE 2009

R I

C H A R D P A V E R

ABOVE LEFT Steve Brooks in front of Hendon’s plastic Spitfi re IX after the auction. ABOVE The Tr.9 over Hampshire in March. Watch out for a feature on it soon.

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