2003 marks the centenary of flight; 100 years since the Wright brothers of Ohio achieved sustained and controlled flight in an aeroplane. The Whittakers’ Wings over Wairarapa Air show on 25-26 January will be the first major air show of this centenary year, featuring a range of aircraft from an original Bleriot monoplane of the pioneering era, fighters of the Second World War, and helicopters and jet aircraft of today. As spectators at Whittaker’s Wings over Wairarapa watch the low-level flight of the fragile 1908 Bleriot monoplane, they can share the vision and wonder of the aeronautical pioneers a century ago. The industrial revolution of the 19th Century, founded on iron, coal and steam power, transformed engineering and construction around the world. But men of many countries dreamed of building light, powerful engines and powering aircraft into the air. By the time the 20th Century opened, petrol engines, steel, and new light materials meant that manned flight seemed possible.

The first to fly
Richard Pearse of South Canterbury was the first New Zealander who tried to fly. An extraordinary inventor and home-taught engineer, he built his own petrol engines on his own farm, constructed an aircraft of his own design, and undoubtedly achieved powered takeoffs in 1903 and subsequent years. However, he was a loner who left few records and had few witnesses to his endeavours. Sadly his trial and error efforts influenced no-one, and the key issue for successful powered flight - stable control in the air - remained out of reach to Pearse. Even in the US, a government-supported project by Professor Samuel Langley of the Smithsonian Institution ended in failure; controlled and sustained flight required more than just brute force for take off.

And that was the specific achievement of the Wright Brothers. From 1899 they taught themselves to fly in gliders, studied wings and propellers in a primitive wind tunnel, and kept meticulous records as they studied the problems of flight. They proved that the secret for controlled flight was an inter-linked control system so that an aircraft could both bank and turn if it was to be steered safely and remain in stable flight. They built their own light-weight but sufficiently powerful piston engines and adapted their biplane with rudders, elevators and wing warping (today aircraft use ailerons) to achieve their goal. On 17 December 1903 they successfully flew their aircraft, conducting four flights with the longest covering 260m. The following year in an improved ‘Flyer’ the brothers showed they could fly regularly, turn and fly in circles, and extend their duration in the air. The Wrights’ achievements were largely dismissed by the Press and government officials (the first account of their flights was published in a bee keepers’ magazine in 1905!). Yet by September 1907 their ‘Flyer No.3’ met or exceeded the requirements of the US Army for a military flying machine. Suddenly the world paid attention and efforts to build other and more powerful aircraft began.

Meanwhile in Europe, pioneers - largely, but not solely, in France - were also attempting to achieve powered takeoffs and, by trial and error, learn the secret of control in the air. (Which illustrates that Richard Pearse’s achievements in this country, though ultimately limited, were in fact up with the best then achieved world wide). The first powered manned flight in Europe took place in late 1906, by Alberto Santos-Dumont. After the Wrights demonstrated their Flyer No 3 at Paris in 1908, European aviation began to advance rapidly. Louis Bleriot had already achieved short hops in his monoplanes, then in the northern summer of 1909 he competed against two other pioneer pilots for the challenge of flying across the English Channel. On 25 July 1909 he made a 37 minute flight across the Channel to Dover, landing safely; the era of ‘firsts’ and record-breaking had begun.

For the next five years (until World War One) aviation for the general public largely an exciting entertainment was mostly funded by prize money and a sense of sporting achievement.

The Fighters
In the hundred years following the first successful manned flight, aviation has changed immensely. Inevitably it has been the pressure of war that has forced the pace of technological progress. By 1939 when the Second World War began, the great powers had all accepted that air power was integral to military success. The 1940 Battle of Britain was an air battle with strategic impact, as the RAF (including many pilots from New Zealand) defeated the German air offensive and prevented Hitler’s planned invasion of England.

Yet the Hurricanes and Spitfires of RAF Fighter Command were fully stretched; the British also sought additional fighters from the US aircraft industry. One of their first choices was the Curtiss P-40 fighter, an aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps (there was no separate US Air Force then). The US Army called any fighter a ‘pursuit’ aircraft, hence the ‘P’ in the P-40 designation.

The Curtiss Corporation (started by Glenn Curtiss, the great and bitter rival of the Wright Brothers) had been building a variety of aircraft for many years, and in the late 1930s they applied a new, powerful V12 liquid-cooled engine to their existing ‘Hawk’ fighter design. It led to a comparable aircraft to the Spitfire, Hurricane or Messerschmitt 109: fast, well armed and effective. Most importantly it was available when it was needed, just as the war was about to become a global conflict. The British named their P-40s the Tomahawk, and later models the Kittyhawk (in honour of the location of the Wright Brothers’ first flights), the US adopted the name Warhawk. Many were sent to Egypt to equip the Desert Air Force (which supported the 8th Army) while others were sent to India, China, Australia and the Soviet Union. In 1942, after the fall of Singapore, some P-40s were allocated to New Zealand, where No 14 SQN RNZAF was forming at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton.

The P-40 was a workman-like aircraft, without the manoeuvrability of the Spitfire (let alone the Japanese Zero fighter which it faced in the Pacific) but capable of absorbing punishment from enemy fire, and of carrying heavy bomb loads as a fighter-bomber. The RNZAF was allocated 293 P-40s (in total some 14000 were built) and formed seven fighter squadrons. The Kiwi squadrons all served in the Islands, as the Allies fought up the Solomons' chain from Guadalcanal to Rabaul. During 1943-44 the Kittyhawks of the RNZAF Fighter Wing shot down 99 enemy aircraft. The Kittyhawk on display at the air show was originally operated by the RAAF over New Guinea, where it suffered a forced landing in the jungle. Discovered nearly 30 years ago, it was recovered and just two years ago restored to flying condition.

As early as 1940 the RAF had also sought additional factories for the P-40. They approached North American Aviation, the company that was building the famous Harvard trainer. Would they build additional P-40s for the RAF? Instead, North American offered to design and build an even better fighter; the sceptical British gave them just 120 days to do so.

When the new fighter, the P-51 - named the Mustang - flew in 1941 the British ordered it immediately. The US added their orders and the aircraft proved its value for ground attack in North Africa, Italy and Burma. Then in 1943 the original engine was replaced with the Rolls Royce Merlin, which gave the fighter better performance at altitude and improved range. Just at the time that the German air force (the Luftwaffe) was making it too costly for the Allies to bomb Germany, the Mustang proved that fighters could escort the bombers all the way to Berlin. In the first few months of 1944 the Mustang made the difference for defeating the Luftwaffe, and cleared the way for the Normandy landings.

The Mustang fought in the Korean War and remained in service in many countries. Here in NZ during 1951, the Air Force equipped four Territorial Air Force squadrons, one in each main centre, with the P-51. Our Mustangs remained in service until 1955 when the TAF was disbanded. The Mustang on display at Whittaker’s Wings over Wairarapa is an ex-US Air National Guard aircraft, which was imported into NZ by Sir Tim Wallis and is now owned by Graeme Bethell. It wears the colours of the Christchurch TAF squadron.

The Mustang and the P-40 Kittyhawk typify the piston-engine fighters of WWII. Air power was crucial to the course of the world war and these two aircraft helped to shape modern history.

In Russia, WWII is remembered as the ‘Great Patriotic War’. For nearly three years the Luftwaffe maintained air superiority over the Eastern Front. By 1943 the tide of war in the air began to change as a new generation of Russian fighters entered service - including the first of the famous Mig fighters and, from the little known LaGG design team, increasingly powerful Lavochkin fighters. A rare Lavochkin La 9 is being restored in Auckland and it is hoped that the newly-finished fighter may also be on display at Masterton.

The Ocean Patrollers
New Zealand is an island nation, surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean. Whether searching for storm damaged yachts, or enemy submarines, maritime patrol aircraft need long range, good endurance and reliability. The historic Convair Catalina and today’s P-3 Orion on show at Whittaker’s Wings over Wairarapa (25-26 Jan 2003) both demonstrate those qualities - and have years of service to prove their value.

The Second World War was an oceanic war - for allied troops to get to the battlefields, allied troopships and transports had to carry men and supplies across the world’s oceans. The sea was the hunting ground for U-boats and surface raiders, and it was over the sea that the Catalina proved its worth. An RAF Catalina found the Bismarck in the Atlantic, US Navy Catalina’s spotted the Japanese fleet approaching Midway Island, while many downed pilots and torpedoed sailors owe their lives to the search and rescue capacity of the ‘Cats’.

The distinctive shape of the Catalina flying boat reflects its designers’ ingenuity. The high wing lifts the engines clear of spray when landing or taking off from the sea, while the squat fuselage provides good visibility to the crew, yet rides well as a boat when afloat. The long straight shape of the wing gives high lift and holds ample fuel, while the retractable wing tip floats give stability afloat and reduce drag in the air. It was not fast (crews joked they needed calendars rather than watches) but it could stay in the air up to 20 hours. These qualities of the Catalina meant that it was produced in larger numbers (over 4000) than any other flying boat ever; in 1938 even the Soviet Union agreed to build the Catalina under licence.

New Zealand gained its first Catalinas in 1943 when No 5 and 6 SQN of the RNZAF were re-equipped with the flying boats. Our ‘Cats’ were built in California and Canada (five factories across North America were building the big flying boats) and they were based in Fiji, operating from the New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Tonga and Guadalcanal. Symbolising the Pacific flavour of RNZAF Catalina operations, Baron Vaea (later to become Prime Minister of Tonga) was one of our Catalina pilots - the first Tongan to fly in the RNZAF.

The RNZAF continued to operate Catalinas after WWII, based in Fiji and at Hobsonville until 1954. The Catalina’s versatility meant it also remained widely in use around the world, often as a water bomber fighting forest fires, or as a tourist aircraft. The Catalina taking part in this year’s air show was purchased from a tourist charter operator in Zimbabawe. It is now repainted in RNZAF colours, commemorating the wartime operations of the big flying boat.

In contrast the P-3K Orions of today’s RNZAF are continuing in the military role they were first designed for in the early sixties. The Cold War had emphasised the importance of anti-submarime operations, and the RNZAF acquired its Orions in 1966. These long range, high endurance aircraft have taken part in naval and air exercises around the globe, flown for disaster relief and on many search and rescues. Perhaps the ‘finest hour’ for No 5 SQN was the 1994 Queens Birthday search and rescue when over a dozen yachts were damaged or sunk by a sudden storm while on a yacht race to Tonga. EPIRB beacons simplified the search task - although one yacht with no beacon was spotted by a sharp eyed crewman - but the ‘mothering’ role of the aircraft, keeping the yachts under observation and reassuring their crews until ships could close for the rescue, was vital. Over four days the Squadron flew a dozen 15 hour missions; an extraordinary feat.

Since then, the Kiwi P-3s have been structurally rebuilt and refitted for another 20 years of service. Soon they will undergo a mission-systems modernisation, replacing the 1980s and older electronic equipment on board. There is no obvious replacement for the Orion (some years ago a proposed ‘P-7’ for the US Navy never got off the drawing board). The RNZAF is leading the world with the management and maintenance of its Orion fleet and other air forces are now following New Zealand’s example. Our modernised Orions will remain a mainstay of the RNZAF, playing a full role in regional security, multi-national operations and patrolling New Zealand’s own vast EEZ for many years yet.

The Fast Jets
The jet engine created a revolution in aircraft design. Today’s air travel industry, with giant jumbo jets crossing the oceans in half a day or less, would have been impossible without the power and speed made possible by the jet engine. The jet engine was developed in secrecy before and during WWII. Several countries had workable jet engines under development, but only Germany and Britain had functional jet fighters in service before the war ended.

Following the success of the British Meteor twin jet, the RAF accepted the de Havilland Vampire, a small day fighter designed around the company’s own jet engine and four 20mm cannon. To assist engine efficiency and to avoid a long tailpipe, the Vampire was built with no rear fuselage; instead, the rudder and elevators were carried on twin booms extended from the back of the wings. It was an effective concept, and the de Havilland company were to retain it for their later Venom and Vixen fighters.

The Vampire was popular with fighter pilots and it went into widespread service with the RAF and other air forces. In 1951 the RNZAF acquired Vampires, and a year later deployed No 14 SQN to Cyprus where they flew Vampires as part of New Zealand’s contribution to Commonwealth defence commitments. No 75 SQN was also equipped with Vampires and the small fighter remained in RNZAF service until the late sixties (although Canberra bombers had replaced it as New Zealand’s front line strike aircraft).

However the Vampire represented the first generation of jets; in terms of technology Vampires were little different from their piston-engine contemporaries. The Germans had led the world in researching into swept wing jet aircraft; after the war the Russians and Americans quickly exploited that knowledge. In the the Korean War the UN partners were shocked by the performance of the new Russian Mig 15; the swept wing fighter was superior to many Western fighters. The Americans quickly deployed F-86 Sabres to Korea to counter the new Soviet fighter.

Meanwhile in Britain, priority was given to developing the new Hawker fighter, the Hunter. Designed by Sir Sydney Camm, designer of many classic fighters, the new Hunter featured a powerful axial-flow turbojet, the Avon, four heavy 30mm cannon and swept wings. The graceful Hunter became Britain’s most successful jet fighter, it entered service in 1954 and remained in front line service for nearly two decades. Cold War tensions led to several NATO nations, as well as India and Singapore, buying Hunters. And in each crisis over the next decade the RAF invariably deployed Hunter squadrons: Suez, Lebanon, Confrontation, Kuwait and Aden for example. By the 1990s it still remained in operational service in Switzerland and Singapore. The Hunter on display was previously one of the Singaporean fighters. Today (with the demise of the Air Force Skyhawks) it is the fastest aircraft in New Zealand. Sadly, the British did not develop the Hunter to its full potential; in contrast both the American F-86 and the Russian Mig 15 fighters were further developed, eventually into the supersonic F-100 Super Sabre and its Russian equivalent, the Mig 19.

However continued ‘limited wars’ such as Vietnam meant that even a jet trainer, the two seat Cessna T-37 could be adapted for combat. The A-37 Dragonfly (also to be displayed at Wings over Wairarapa) was ideal for ground attack in a limited war with no enemy air threat. The three jet fighters on at Hood Aerodome this month illustrate the evolution of fighters from 1945 to 1970. The jet engine also transformed commercial aviation. An RNZAF Boeing 727 jet transport at the air show will show off the power and elegance of today’s jetliners.

The Helicopter
The helicopter is an integral part of aviation history. Today helicopters are essential for deer hunting, conservation and aerial topdressing. In East Timor, RNZAF Iroquois helicopters were vital to the NZ Battalion’s peace enforcement and border security role.

When the familiar thock thock thock of an Iroquois helicopter resounds over the crowd at Whittaker’s Wings over Wairarapa, it will bring back more than 30 years of memories. Thanks to the Vietnam War and countless movies and TV shows, the Iroquois has come to symbolise the modern helicopter and its role in supporting troops or undertaking Search and Rescue. The RNZAF Iroquois on display first entered service in 1966 and since then these versatile helicopters have flown in the Antarctic, from ships and throughout New Zealand, as well as in Malaysia, East Timor and the Pacific islands.

Attempts to fly helicopters were made as early as 1908, but it was Igor Sikorsky, a Russian aviation pioneer who migrated to the United States, who first solved the problems of controlling the rotors and achieving stable vertical flight. The rotor is in essence two rotating ‘wings’ which create lift by moving through the air in the manner of a conventional wing. However the secret of control and forward flight is to control the whole ‘disc’ formed by the rotating blades, to allow forward flight. This means the helicopter pilot has to operate a ‘collective’ control as well as the conventional joystick.

The Korean War proved the battlefield value of helicopters then the Vietnam War confirmed the helicopter’s place in modern conflict. The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, or ‘Huey’ as it became known within the military, was designed and developed in the late 1950s. The larger UH-1H version came off the production lines in 1966 - the RNZAF was the first foreign customer for this version of the Iroquois.

While the RNZAF operates some of the oldest Iroquois in the world, they also have the brand-new Seasprite helicopters for operation from our frigates. It is anticipated that one Seasprite will also be on display, showing its power, manouverability and its weapon load. Maritime helicopters are integral to modern naval operations and this month, one Seasprite is deployed on operational service in the Arabian Sea aboard HMNZS Te Kaha.

Copyright SVAS 2003