Warbird Information Exchange

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

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 The aircraft was withdrawn from service on October 1, 1979 and laid up at Ardmore.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.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Throw a couple skulls on sticks to go with that one! That HURTS!

Robbie

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?

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Don't touch my junk!!

Airplanes? Who needs airplanes?

Give me a week or two on that beach, I need a vacation.

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"They done it, they done it, damned if they ain't flew." December 17, 1903

Those first two photos just about ruined my day, but thanks for posting them!

Looks like a dream vacation for sure!

Sorry, but it'll never fly

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...and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in Space cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!

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...

That's the official Navy test vehicle for historic preservation

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Don't touch my junk!!

Naw...can't be. It's not properly preserved in salt water

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Rob

OUCH!
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

I can hear Dickey G calling now................
Amelia baby we're coming.....we're coming

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Don't touch my junk!!

Sure it will.

"Dakota to the Sky"

'Give us 7 million quid or we'll scrap it!'

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

About time somebody tried out a tricycle gear Dakota!