The largest city on New Zealand’s spectacular South Island, Christchurch, is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Amongst its many visitor attractions is the RNZAF Museum, located on the site of the former airfield of Wigram which closed as an active airfield in 2009. Wigram can be regarded as the birthplace of the RNZAF and remains a site overflowing with history.
The Air Force Museum opened in 1987, when Wigram remained an active RNZAF base. The Air Force ceased flying activities there in 1995, and the airfield finally closed to flying in 2009 for redevelopment. Although there are plans to build housing on the site of the airfield, the control tower and some of the hangars will remain.
The main part of the museum is housed in three of the original hangars – the first of these houses the museum’s collection of restored aircraft and entrance is free of charge. It is also possible to visit the remaining hangars, which house the restoration workshops and storage areas, but there is a small charge for this guided tour.
On arrival at the museum, I was keen to take the storage and restoration tour, but unfortunately I had arrived just after it had started. However the staff were kind enough to allow me to join the rest of the group on the tour, so I got to see the whole collection.
The tour began with the restoration hangar, where the current projects are being worked upon. The two main projects at the moment are an Airspeed Oxford and a Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. The Kittyhawk was the backbone of the RNZAF fighter force from 1942-44, so represents an important project for the museum. The museum’s aircraft is actually a former USAAF P-40F, which belly landed on the island of Vanuatu during a training exercise in 1942. Originally fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, the restoration programme at the museum has involved replacement of this engine with an Allison V-1710, to represent the P-40E version operated by the RNZAF. There is obviously still a long way to go, but the work done so far is to a very high standard.
Alongside the Kittyhawk is the Airspeed Oxford, a training aircraft which served in New Zealand in large numbers as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Under this scheme, pilots from Commonwealth air arms were trained well away from the conflict in Europe. The museum’s aircraft was built for the RAF, but spent many years in civilian ownership as an Airspeed Consul and was acquired by the museum in 2004. It will be a long term restoration project, but an important type in the history of aviation in New Zealand.
The final restoration project is very much a long term one - to produce a complete example of the Vickers Vildebeest biplane - a type operated by the RNZAF in the years before WWII. The project uses parts recovered from various Vildebeest wrecks, along with parts from the related Vickers Vincent which was operated at the same time. The biggest problem faced by the restoration team is a lack of original blueprints for the aircraft, meaning they have to rely on recovered parts, period photos and drawings and the original maintenance manuals. This is undoubtedly a long term project, and currently consists of a bare fuselage frame, but it will eventually result in the world’s only example of this unusual type.
Moving on from the restoration hangar, the next destination on the tour was the museum’s storage hangar. There are a large number of interesting aircraft in here, all crammed in to make the maximum use of available space. Dominating the floor space are two medium transport types, the HS Andover CC.1 and the type it replaced, the Bristol Freighter. The Freighter served the RNZAF between 1952 and 1977, and operated throughout the Pacific region and as far afield as Thailand and Singapore. The Andover fleet was acquired second hand from the RAF, with the museum’s aircraft being the former XS600 with its previous operator.
Around these aircraft there are a large number of smaller aircraft on display, along with some larger aircraft stored in a dismantled state. These include a former USAAF Consolidated Catalina, which will one day be restored to represent the 56 Catalinas operated by the RNZAF, which were still in service in 1954. Also stored in a dismantled state is a former RAF EE Canberra B(I).8. The aircraft was acquired some years ago to represent the aircraft operated by the RNZAF, most of which were sold to India on retirement.
The British influence continues with aircraft on display such as the BAe Strikemaster, de Havilland Devon and Vampire. The Strikemaster served as a light attack and training aircraft until 1992 when it was replaced by the Aermacchi MB339. The Devon served as a navigation trainer and also as a “hack” for senior officers to allow them to maintain their flying qualifications.
An unusual exhibit for the museum is a USAF Cessna O-2. This aircraft has been restored to represent similar aircraft flown on forward air control (FAC) missions by RNZAF pilots during the Vietnam War.
The Royal New Zealand Navy operates helicopters from its vessels, but responsibility for maintaining these helicopters is taken by the RNZAF. It is fitting therefore that the museum has examples of the Westland Wasp and the type which succeeded it, the Kaman SH-2 Sea Sprite. The Sea Sprite remains the current RNZN helicopter in the form of the SH-2G. In advance of the delivery of the SH-2G, the Navy flew second hand SH-2Fs for four years, and the example on display is one of these interim aircraft.
With the restoration tour complete, it was time to visit the museum proper. My guide commented that I had done things the wrong way round by viewing the stored types first, but in fact it worked well as it helped me appreciate the rest of the collection and the high quality of the work involved in restoring the aircraft.
Entrance to the museum proper is through a brightly lit atrium area in which several aircraft are dramatically displayed. Dominating the room is an example of the last true fast jet operated by the RNZAF, the A-4 Skyhawk. Despite progressive upgrades which meant that they remained capable aircraft, the Skyhawk fleet was retired in 2001 when the government controversially disbanded the RNZAF combat force. The aircraft on display is in fact an ex-US Navy A-4L, which was immaculately restored to represent an early A-4K in RNZAF service. The aircraft carried the markings of NZ6207, an aircraft which was lost in an accident in October 1974 and is displayed carrying a representative war-load of rockets and bombs.
Also displayed in the atrium are an early de Havilland Vampire fighter and a Tiger Moth, both suspended from the ceiling. In a nice touch, dummies wearing RNZAF pilot uniforms from various different eras are posed together as if discussing their respective aircraft and capabilities.
Moving into the main museum hangar and the first thing which struck me was how dark it was – very dark indeed! The museum makes use of atmospheric lighting of its aircraft, which is actually very effective, even if it does make some of the collection difficult (or in the case of the Canberra impossible) to photograph.
All the aircraft on display are restored to the highest possible standard and are all relevant in some way to the history of the RNZAF. Earliest aircraft on display is an Avro 626, which was acquired by the RNZAF in 1935 and operated from Wigram with 1 Flying Training School as a trainer. It was withdrawn in 1943 and passed into civilian ownership and continued flying until being placed in storage in 1958. It was acquired by the Museum in 1980 and restored to flying condition, operating with the RNZAF Historic Flight until engine problems resulted in it being grounded.
From the WWII era there is a fine collection of aircraft, including a Grumman Avenger, Supermarine Spitfire, North American Mustang and a Lockheed Hudson. The Avenger is a genuine ex-RNZAF aircraft, which was delivered in 1943 as one of the first batch of aircraft to arrive. It served as a crew trainer and did not see operational service. After use as a target tug post war, it later spent time as a gate guardian aircraft before being acquired by the museum and restored.
The Spitfire was not a type operated by the RNZAF, but was flown by many Kiwi pilots during WWII, whilst serving in the RAF. The aircraft on display is a late model LF.16E built in 1945, which came to New Zealand in 1963 and spent many years mounted on a plinth near Christchurch airport. It was later exchanged for a replica and acquired by the museum and restored. It now carries the markings of an aircraft operated by 485(NZ) Sqn in 1945.
The Lockheed Hudson was acquired by the RNZAF as a maritime patrol and strike aircraft and served throughout the Pacific theatre. Once again, the aircraft on display is a genuine ex-RNZAF aircraft which was delivered in 1941 and served mostly with 4 Sqn in Fiji. After the war it was disposed of by the RNZAF and sold to a farmer who used the aircraft as a storage shed and chicken coop! It was acquired in the mid-1980s and restored to the markings it carried while based in Fiji with 4 Sqn.
One of the really outstanding things about the displays in the museum is the use of figures and equipment to create context for the aircraft. For example, the Hudson is displayed as if undergoing maintenance, with the aircraft up on jacks with panels open. The Spitfire is depicted as being prepared for an operational sortie, with the pilot conversing with an armament technician who is working on the aircraft’s cannon. In conjunction with the subdued lighting, this makes for an extremely atmospheric experience.
Further aircraft on display include an Avro Anson, North American Harvard and Douglas C-47, with the most modern type being a Bell UH-1 Huey. The Huey remains in service with the RNZAF and the fleet has seen deployments to several overseas trouble spots in support of the Army. The aircraft on display was acquired from the US Army in 1994 and represents a generic UH-1 in service with 3 Sqn.
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