Country of origin:

New Zealand

Description:

Two-seat light sport biplane

Power Plant:

One 22 kw (30 hp) Anzani air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

This biplane was one of a number of light training aircraft, which was described as a fully-aerobatic two-seat conventional tractor biplane, built by the Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company at Sockburn near Christchurch. In many ways it was similar in appearance to the Sopwith Tabloid. It made its first flight on 17 January 1919. Messrs C M Hill, the Chief Flying Instructor, and Mr J G Mackie, the Company’s engineer, were involved in its design and construction.

As occurred on a number of occasions at that time, the design was set out in chalk on a black-painted wall of one of the hangars. It has been said the drawings were still seen on the wall of the hangar 20 years later. At that time the Biplane was fitted with a 22 kw (30 hp) Anzani radial engine which had previously been fitted to one of the flying school’s Caudron aircraft. The main spars were built of Ash and the wing struts were cedar,  bracing wires being encased in cedar. Whereas the Caudron had wing-warping, this aircraft had ailerons and the wings had a small amount of dihedral.

The first flight by Mr Hill revealed a good rate of climb. The aircraft was light on the controls and the only alteration to the aircraft after testing was a change to the trim as, when flown hands-off in level flight, it tended to slowly climb.

Plans were made to fly to Invercargill and give demonstrations at a number of other centres. On 18 January 1919  Mr Hill made a 28 minute flight from Sockburn over Christchurch with Mr E S Fleming in the passenger’s seat. A height of between 610 m to 914 m (2,000 ft to 3,000 ft) was reached during the flight and further flights were made that day.

Plans were put in train to give a display at Dunedin on 8 February 1919 and a passenger was to be carried to Timaru, where it would be refuelled and carry another passenger to Oamaru. Town mayors at Waimate, Timaru, Invercargill and a number of other towns, were to be offered flights. In some areas a public holiday was to be declared, and requests were made for special trains to be put on to bring local people to see the aircraft. A number of people booked flights. Mr Hill stated he was of the view that one day farmers would own their own aircraft.

However, the demonstration flights never took place as the Biplane (the only name by which it has been known) crashed on 1 February 1919. On this occasion the aircraft was to fly over the Addington and Riccarton racecourses and Mr Hill was to make a demonstration of the machine over the Riccarton racecourse. The aircraft took off from Sockburn at 3.11 pm and flew over the racecourse at low altitude before climbing to perform a loop when a crack was heard, the wings collapsed and the aircraft crashed, the pilot being killed. One report stated that piano wire had been used for the flying wires. Mr Hill was the first person to be killed in an aircraft crash in New Zealand, although Captain Charles Lorraine was killed in a hot-air balloon named ‘Empress’ on 2 November 1899.