Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Single-seat light touring aircraft

Power Plant:

One 34 kw (45 hp) Anzani six-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

The Austin Whippet was designed by J W Kenworthy, and was built in 1919 by the well known British automotive manufacturer, Austin Motors Co Ltd at Longbridge, UK. Powered by a 34 kw (45 hp) Anzani engine, it was aimed at operation by the private owner. Construction was a steel tube fuselage with fabric covering, and wooden wings which were able to be folded for storage.

Only five examples were built. The prototype K-158 / G-EAGS –(c/n AU.1) first flew in July 1919. The next two examples were exhibited at the Olympia Aero Show in London, UK in July the following year, one becoming G-EAPF (c/n AU.2), the second of these G-EAUZ (c/n AU.3) going to Argentina. The latter was known to have survived up until 1928.

At this time Mr Reuben A Dexter, an American, Director of the New Zealand Flying School at Kohimarama, ordered two examples (c/ns AU.4 and AU.5), these being the last two built. Mr Dexter at about that time became the local agent in New Zealand for American-built Cadillac cars. He later acquired the Austin car agency. He imported the two Whippets in 1921 which were assembled and flown by John Seabrook AFC.

These two aircraft made many pioneering flights, one, G-EAGS, flying off the Kohimarama Beach at Mission Bay in Auckland on 17 May 1921. It was also flown from Auckland to Hamilton where it landed on Ruakuru State Farm. There were reports it crashed on take-off from a field at Mission Bay, was repaired and later took off from the beach. It was delivered to Mr H H Shaw of Hamilton, said to be the first private owner of an aircraft in New Zealand. Demonstration flights were made by Sqdn Ldr M C McGregor in the region, and it was also shown at the local Winter Show. It was sold by Mr Shaw to a theatrical company. It is believed it was towed by vehicle to its new destination but its fate after that is not known.

At one stage there was a rumour that the aircraft was flown under some of the bridges on the Waikato River near Hamilton but it is not known if this was true.

Racing car driver Mr Reginald Coleman obtained one in 1930 of the two from someone in Palmerston North but hit power lines and crashed at Palmerston North on 22 January 1925. Afterwards, in a damaged condition, it was sold to Toby Bennett of Kai-Iwi, but it was again damaged and the registration was cancelled on 1 August 1935.

One of the aircraft was stored at Wanganui until 1928 when it became a stage prop with a touring theatre company. It was rebuilt in 1931 for W R Bennett, becoming ZK-ACR, being flown a couple of times by Captain Les H Brake. It was last reported at Kai-Iwi in the 1940s.

Only one of these aircraft was registered, the other not carrying a New Zealand registration. Some records seem to indicate ZK-ACR was c/n AU.2 but the two New Zealand aircraft were c/ns AU.4 and AU.5, c/n AU.2 remaining in the United Kingdom as G-EAPF and being still extant in the UK in 1929. ZK-ACR was said to have been sold to someone in Christchurch and there have been rumours that it is still in existence.