Photograph:
The Yeoman Hanes 250 as ZK-CDI (c/n 110) in New Zealand (Tony Arbon)
Country of origin:
Australia / New Zealand
Description:
Three-seat light touring monoplane
Power Plant:
One 186 kw (250 hp) Continental IO-470-R six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.36 m (34 ft)
- Length: 8.07 m (26 ft 6 in)
- Height tail down: 2.43 m (8 ft)
- Wing area: 16.58 m² (178.5 sq ft)
- Cruising speed at 70% power: 211 km/h (131 mph)
- Stalling speed with 20 degrees flap: 93 km/h (58 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 206 m/min (675 ft/ min)
- Empty weight: 862 kg (1,900 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,148 kg (2,530 lb)
History:
The one and only example of the Yeoman Hanes 250 aircraft was built initially at Bankstown, NSW, by Yeoman Aviation as a single-seat agricultural monoplane, a Model 250R Cropmaster, and was registered as VH-DEQ (c/n 110) on 28 January 1964 to the manufacturer for testing. It was subsequently exported to New Zealand, arriving in Invercargill where it was registered on 20 February 1964 to Farmers Aerial Topdressing as ZK-CDI. At that stage it was painted overall white with red trim.
The aircraft was operated in the agricultural role, being based at Invercargill, but also operated in the Gore, Balaclutha and Melton areas. During January 1965 Hunter McEwan made a demonstration tour of New Zealand with the aircraft. It was withdrawn from service at Hamilton in 1967 and sold to Hanes Engineering of Horotiu on 17 October 1968.
Its new owner, Ivan Hanes, sought to convert it to three seat touring configuration and obtained the services of an Air New Zealand engineer, John Frost, who re-designed the aircraft with a new larger canopy and three-seats one behind the other. Bill Smith and Brian Wager were involved in stress calculations, the aircraft emerging in 1969 as the Yeoman Hanes 250. At this time it had been decided the fabric covering ailerons should be metal covered.
The machine operated for some years with its owner until sold to Frank Pike on 6 November 1989, then being placed in storage at Dairy Flat out of Auckland after being damaged in an accident in the early 1990s. It was eventually sold and exported to Wagga Wagga, NSW where it arrived in 2001. Work commenced on restoration by Messrs F Burke and D James, registration VH-FBC being allotted on 5 December 2001.