Jack COOK Islands
Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:20 am
Wending our way back to the UK from New Zealand my wife and I have stopped at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands for a couple of days. Nothing much of military or WWII interest here but today we took a short domestic flight north to the island of Aitutaki , a volcanic formed atoll with a surrounding reef and beaches to die for. Two very long runways, a third the length of the Island, seemed a little over the top for the few hundred inhabitants of the Island and it seems they were built by the ‘Seabeas’ in 1942 and were about as far south a s ‘Uncle Sam’ came in this area.
So my question is, who can tell who or what operated from here in WWII and Jack Cook, have you, please, any period shots from this Island in you wonderful collection?
Spotted in a back garden/yard, the mortal remains of the front end of a DC-3. Not a veteran of WWII but an aircraft used in the film called ‘The silent one’. The aircraft was chopped , it seems, to make a wind machine to generate a 'Hurricane' for one of the scenes. Can anybody tell us any more about this?
PeterA
So my question is, who can tell who or what operated from here in WWII and Jack Cook, have you, please, any period shots from this Island in you wonderful collection?
Spotted in a back garden/yard, the mortal remains of the front end of a DC-3. Not a veteran of WWII but an aircraft used in the film called ‘The silent one’. The aircraft was chopped , it seems, to make a wind machine to generate a 'Hurricane' for one of the scenes. Can anybody tell us any more about this?
PeterA
Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:13 am
Perhaps the following is that for which you seek (from Kiwi Aircraft Images):
ZK-AZA (c/n 27144/15699 ex 43-49833 NZ3531) C-47B Delivered to the USAAF on January 16, 1945 prior to being passed to the RNZAF at Whenuapai on February 19. Served with 40 Squadron until May 24, 1946 when it was placed in storage at Woodbourne. Officially struck off charge on May 31, 1947. Sold to NAC on September 17, 1951, the aircraft was registered on October 16 and operated as 'Parera'. The aircraft was converted to skyliner status in September 1963, being operated as 'Rotorua'. The aircraft was sold to James Aviation on February 1, 1973 and converted for ag-work. James Aviation's fourth Ag-Dak commenced work on March 5, 1973. The aircraft was withdrawn from service on October 1, 1979 and laid up at Ardmore. It was purchased by Dwen Aeromotive in July 1983, but plans for a restoration fell through. In November 1983 the aircraft was dismembered for use as a wind machine by a film production and shipped to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. The tail and wing panels were scrapped. Parts were reported to have been shipped to the USA, but I have seen the forward fuselage, centre section, undercarriage, nacelles and other parts in Aitutaki as recently as 1996.
ZK-AZA (c/n 27144/15699 ex 43-49833 NZ3531) C-47B Delivered to the USAAF on January 16, 1945 prior to being passed to the RNZAF at Whenuapai on February 19. Served with 40 Squadron until May 24, 1946 when it was placed in storage at Woodbourne. Officially struck off charge on May 31, 1947. Sold to NAC on September 17, 1951, the aircraft was registered on October 16 and operated as 'Parera'. The aircraft was converted to skyliner status in September 1963, being operated as 'Rotorua'. The aircraft was sold to James Aviation on February 1, 1973 and converted for ag-work. James Aviation's fourth Ag-Dak commenced work on March 5, 1973. The aircraft was withdrawn from service on October 1, 1979 and laid up at Ardmore. It was purchased by Dwen Aeromotive in July 1983, but plans for a restoration fell through. In November 1983 the aircraft was dismembered for use as a wind machine by a film production and shipped to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. The tail and wing panels were scrapped. Parts were reported to have been shipped to the USA, but I have seen the forward fuselage, centre section, undercarriage, nacelles and other parts in Aitutaki as recently as 1996.
Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:32 am
Throw a couple skulls on sticks to go with that one! That HURTS!
Robbie
Robbie
???
Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:40 am
Mike Bates is going to scan all my slides which include lots of shots od SP, SWP & CP island airfields. We'll see if it's there?
Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:21 am
Airplanes? Who needs airplanes? 
Give me a week or two on that beach, I need a vacation.
Give me a week or two on that beach, I need a vacation.
Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:33 am
Those first two photos just about ruined my day, but thanks for posting them! 
Looks like a dream vacation for sure!
Looks like a dream vacation for sure!
Re: Jack COOK Islands
Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:13 am
PeterA wrote:
Sorry, but it'll never fly
Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:55 am
Was that an example of the extremely rare Douglass DC-3Cv Phaeton (convertible)? I heard Douglass dropped the concept, but Boeing revived it for Hawiian aircraft...
???
Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:10 pm
That's the official Navy test vehicle for historic preservation
Re: ???
Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:47 pm
Jack Cook wrote:That's the official Navy test vehicle for historic preservation
Naw...can't be. It's not properly preserved in salt water
Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:00 pm
Robbie Roberts wrote:Was that an example of the extremely rare Douglass DC-3Cv Phaeton (convertible)? I heard Douglass dropped the concept, but Boeing revived it for Hawiian aircraft...
OUCH!
Jerry
????
Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:07 pm
I can hear Dickey G calling now................
Amelia baby we're coming.....we're coming
Amelia baby we're coming.....we're coming
Re: Jack COOK Islands
Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:31 pm
Tony C wrote:Sorry, but it'll never fly
Sure it will.
"Dakota to the Sky"
'Give us 7 million quid or we'll scrap it!'
Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:12 pm
DanK,
Many thanks for the aircraft details.
Mike Henniger,
Here is a map of the Island located at about 17's lattitude. You should be able to identify the shape of the Island on Google Earth. The area in red, on the inboard side of the road, is where the aircraft is located
I just loved the 'old world' style of security at the airport....it had none.
In years gone past apparently, the lagoon was a staging post for the grand days of Trans Pacific aviating by flying boat.
PeterA
Many thanks for the aircraft details.
Mike Henniger,
Here is a map of the Island located at about 17's lattitude. You should be able to identify the shape of the Island on Google Earth. The area in red, on the inboard side of the road, is where the aircraft is located
I just loved the 'old world' style of security at the airport....it had none.
In years gone past apparently, the lagoon was a staging post for the grand days of Trans Pacific aviating by flying boat.
PeterA
Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:45 pm
About time somebody tried out a tricycle gear Dakota!