Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat self-launch glider

Power Plant:

One 16 kw (22 hp) JPX two-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

In the 1950s Reginald Todhunter became involved in sailplanes and started a business Glidair Sailplanes at Bankstown, NSW, where he repaired gliders.  In due course he built the prototype of a two-seat flying-wing glider known as the Twin Plank, which was successfully tested at Camden, NSW.  However, it took some little time to obtain certification and it was not placed into production.  This aircraft was later placed in a museum in western New South Wales but is now part of the aircraft collection of the Sydney Powerhouse Museum.

In the early 1980s Mr Todhunter built a single-seat self-launched glider at Noosa, QLD known as the Blue Wren and, with his brother Ernest, took it to the United States where it was entered in a design competition sponsored by the Soaring Society of America.  Later, on return to Australia, the design was developed, It was re-engined with a 16 kw (22 hp) JPX engine with a recoil starter and a new drive system.  Testing revealed it was stable, safe and easy to fly.

The Wren was built of fibreglass and foam with an aluminium tube for the rear fuselage.  In Australia it became VH-KYH (c/n GFA/HB/106).  Mr Todhunter passed away before being able to continue with development of gliders. In due course the glider was exported to New Zealand to Mr Neville Swan of Waitakere in Auckland and was registered as a Class 1 microlight on 20 May 1996 as ZK-JGQ.

Some time later it was fitted with a 27 kw (23 hp) Koenig radial engine with an electric starter and was flown occasionally from the Hobsonville Air Force base.  In June 2000 the aircraft was sold to R B Goodchild of Taupo and was occasionally flown from Taupo.  In October 2011 it was sold to G D Ellery of Taupo, and later again to Mr D Baker of Greymouth.