1955 RNZAF Transport Wing Bristol Freighter NZ5912 at RNZAF Station Wigram. Purchased as replacement aircraft for NZ5905 which had been sold to SAFE. (Aircraft history below.)
Image by Gary Danvers
Image from the Des White personal collection.
Source credit: Photo Image No: DWNZ5912a
Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Some Rights Reserved
fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/
NZ5912 was the only RNZAF Bristol Freighter that had a full door to floor level access to the rear compartment where the the batteries and Elsan toilet were located.
History
Bristol Freighter NZ5912 c/n 13218
Dual flight controls.
Allocated G18-194 to Bristol Aeroplane Company 17 Mar 1955.
Arrived Whenuapai on delivery from United Kingdom 31 Mar 1955 and Brought on Charge as NZ5912 with No. 41 Squadron.
Radio call sign ZMZBO.
Purchased as replacement aircraft for NZ5905 which had been sold to SAFE 2 Feb 1954 and became ZK-BEO.
To No. 41 Squadron 12 May 1955.
To SAFE – engines replaced 9-30 May 1955.
Loaned to SAFE from 14 Dec 1957 registered as ZK-BVI.
CoA issued 16 Dec 1957.
Returned to RNZAF as NZ5912 and allocated to 3 & 41 Sqns 31 Mar 1958.
Registration ZK-BVI cancelled 8 Apr 1958.
Incident during ‘Operation Scorpion’ – engine failure while enroute Udorn to Korat 12 July 1962.
Returned to NZ after 41 Sqn is disbanded – Singapore to NZ 7-14 Dec 1977.
Withdrawn From Use at Whenuapai 14 Dec 1977.
Registered to Dwen Airmotive NZ Ltd as ZK-EPH 17 Aug 1978.
Ferried Whenuapai to Ardmore 31 Aug 1978.
The aircraft left Ardmore, NZ 2 Mar 1981 for its 86-hour ferry flight to the UK.
Cancelled from NZ register 2 Apr or 6 May 1981.
Registered to Instone Air Line Ltd based at Stanstead as G-BISU 6 May 1981.
Used by Air Atlantique for North Sea oil operation support 1986-87.
Withdrawn at Coventry due a major overhaul and passed to Duxford Aviation Society on loan 4 Nov 1987.
To Trans Provincial Airlines, Terrace, BC, Canada in 1988.
UK registration was cancelled 20 Dec 88
Ferried to Canada from Duxford departing 8 Dec 1988, arriving at Edmonton on 25 Jan 1989.
Incident: Directional control lost on takeoff from Johnny Mountain B.C. 28 May 1989.
Registered as C-FDFC 2 Feb 1989.
Directional control was lost on take-off from Johnny Mountain, Canada 28 May 1989.
Flown by Trans-Provincial Airlines until the company ceased operations in Mar 1993.
Purchased by a group of British Airways employees in 1993 and flown to England in Sep 1994.
Displayed at Heathrow and at Cranfield.
18 Jul 1996 Crashed on takeoff from Enstone after stalling at 50 feet – a swing developed on takeoff and crew applied elevator to avoid control tower and spectators resulting in stall at 50 feet -port wingtip touched ground and undercarriage collapsed as aircraft slewed onto the grass severely damaging the aircraft, 8 POB incl 2 crew – 3 passengers injured.
Written off.
www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzbristolfreighter.htm
www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/b170list.html
1977 NZ5912 returned to NZ after 41 Sqn is disbanded – Singapore to NZ 7-14 Dec 1977
Extract from Sqn Ldr Marbeck’s Log Book:
Dec 5 ’77 – NZ5912 under Sqn Ldr Marbeck flew in a ‘Kiwi Black’ formation for disbandment Parade .7hrs in Singapore then on to fly the final trip home to NZ:
Dec 7 Tengah to Bali – 6.6hrs
Dec 8 Bali – Broome – 4.9hrs
Dec 9 Broome – Alice Springs 5.2hrs
Dec 9 Alice Springs – Adelaide 5.1hrs
Dec 10 Adelaide – Hobart 4.8hrs
Dec 11 Hobart – Invercargill 6.1hrs
Dec 11 Invercargill – Wigram 2.4hrs
Dec 13 Wigram – Woodbourne 1.5hrs
Dec 13 Woodbourne – Wellington .6hrs
Dec 13 Wellington – Ohakea .8hrs
Dec 14 Ohakea – Hamilton 1.6hrs
Dec 14 Hamilton – Whenuapai .6hrs
40.9 hrs worth of touring.
rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/9964/bristol-freighter-40000-r…
After retirement from the RNZAF ex NZ5912 and NZ5913 also went on to become movie stars in a 2-set DVD series filmed in Canada (1992-1997) showing operations between the base at Bronson Creek and Wrangler, BC.
Flying the Bristol Freighter Mk.31 Hawkair DVD Preview PART 1 (1992-1994)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iza0UrW2ca0
Flying the Bristol Freighter Mk.31 Hawkair DVD Preview PART 2 (1994-1997)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q145LfAp3iQ
A thread on the ‘Flypast’ magazine forum mentions the mortal remains of G18-194, NZ5912, ZK-BIV, NZ5912, ZK-EPH, G-BISU, C-FDFC, still resided at Enstone in 2010. The Freighter’s tailcone, vertical tail, stabilizer, both engines, both bent props, cowlings, undercarriage and nose doors are in two separate hangars at (one of them is locked most of the time). The flight deck sits on the driveway of the owner near the airfield, under tarps. The wings and crushed centre section of fuselage are behind the open hangar.
forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?104185-Enstone-Bit…
