Fragment from a Walsh Brothers Aircraft, New Zealand Flying School [De Havilland DH6 90HP]
Maker and role
New Zealand Flying School (Walsh Bros. & Dexter) Limited, Attributed to
The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited, Manufacturer
Production date
Aug 1920
See full details
Object detail
Accession number
1990.19
Maker
Production period
Description
Portion of Walsh Brothers 90 HP De Havilland aeroplane.
Small piece of wood, possibly resembles window surround. Handwritten sticker identifies this as "Portions of Walsh Bro's. 90 H.P. / Havilland aeroplane. First / to fly over Wellington City. / Pilot Captain Russell. / Arrived at Wellington Aug 1920". Possible connection to Walsh Brothers deHavilland plane in collection.
Small piece of wood, possibly resembles window surround. Handwritten sticker identifies this as "Portions of Walsh Bro's. 90 H.P. / Havilland aeroplane. First / to fly over Wellington City. / Pilot Captain Russell. / Arrived at Wellington Aug 1920". Possible connection to Walsh Brothers deHavilland plane in collection.
Brief History
This small piece of wood is from an early airframe flown by the New Zealand Flying School. Adhered to the fragment is a paper label with a handwritten inscription:
“Portions of Walsh Bro's. 90 H.P. / Havilland aeroplane. First / to fly over Wellington City. / Pilot Captain Russell. / Arrived at Wellington Aug 1920”
It transpires this fragment is from a New Zealand Flying School plane that toured the country during 1920. It was captained by Captain Richard Russell (1896-1920), who had also been a pilot during WW1. Captain Russell toured the North Island on a NZ Flying School promotional tour for passenger flights. The tour was well received by local communities, and the aircraft, a De Havilland 6 made several “first landings” in regions where paddocks had been cleared for landing purposes.
On August 19, 1920, the DH6 was flown by Captain Russell from Palmerston North to Wellington. Accompanying him on the flight was Mr MH Oram (later Sir Oram). The plane departed Palmerston North at 1030am and reached Wellington shortly after 1230pm. After landing at the Hutt Valley Racecourse, Captain Russell took off again in the afternoon and flew across Wellington Harbour and over the suburbs. This flight was the second flight over Wellington, the first being undertaken in 1914 by Captain JWH Scotland, in a Caudron plane. The tour of Wellington lasted around six weeks, and after this the DH6 was returned to Auckland and put into storage.
In 1990, this aeroplane fragment was gifted to MOTAT by a long-time MOTAT Aviation volunteer. It remains a tangible link to the earlier pioneers of flight in New Zealand.
“Portions of Walsh Bro's. 90 H.P. / Havilland aeroplane. First / to fly over Wellington City. / Pilot Captain Russell. / Arrived at Wellington Aug 1920”
It transpires this fragment is from a New Zealand Flying School plane that toured the country during 1920. It was captained by Captain Richard Russell (1896-1920), who had also been a pilot during WW1. Captain Russell toured the North Island on a NZ Flying School promotional tour for passenger flights. The tour was well received by local communities, and the aircraft, a De Havilland 6 made several “first landings” in regions where paddocks had been cleared for landing purposes.
On August 19, 1920, the DH6 was flown by Captain Russell from Palmerston North to Wellington. Accompanying him on the flight was Mr MH Oram (later Sir Oram). The plane departed Palmerston North at 1030am and reached Wellington shortly after 1230pm. After landing at the Hutt Valley Racecourse, Captain Russell took off again in the afternoon and flew across Wellington Harbour and over the suburbs. This flight was the second flight over Wellington, the first being undertaken in 1914 by Captain JWH Scotland, in a Caudron plane. The tour of Wellington lasted around six weeks, and after this the DH6 was returned to Auckland and put into storage.
In 1990, this aeroplane fragment was gifted to MOTAT by a long-time MOTAT Aviation volunteer. It remains a tangible link to the earlier pioneers of flight in New Zealand.
Marks
Portions of Walsh Bro's. 90 H.P. / Havilland aeroplane. First / to fly over Wellington City. / Pilot Captain Russell. / Arrived at Wellington Aug 1920 Inscribed
Media/Materials
Credit Line
New Zealand Flying School (Walsh Bros. & Dexter) Limited et al. Aug 1920. Fragment from a Walsh Brothers Aircraft, New Zealand Flying School [De Havilland DH6 90HP], 1990.19. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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