Model Aircraft [Short Sandringham, TEAL ZK-AME]
Maker and role
Short Brothers and Harland Limited, Manufacturer
Tasman Empire Airways Limited, Commissioned by
Production date
Circa 1946
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Object detail
Accession number
1967.58
Description
Model aircraft, Short Sandringham ZK-AME (ex NJ179), with TEAL livery. Four-engine aircraft with a single float per wing. The upper fuselage is painted white and the lower fuselage silver. A teal blue stripe separates the upper and lower decks. The tail has the “TEAL” logo across the fin.
Brief History
Following the end of the Second World War in 1945, several Sunderland planes were converted to be used commercially as civilian flying boats. This model is a representation of one of these.
The actual aircraft (originally NJ179) was built by Blackburn at Dumbarton as a Sunderland Mk III aircraft in 1944. It was transferred to Short Bros & Harland, Belfast for conversion to Sandringham Mk IV Tasman Class in 1946. It was delivered to TEAL in Auckland on September 4, 1946, with its first flight for a TEAL scheduled service on September 17, 1946. ZK-AME, named 'New Zealand', became the first Sandringham to fly to Fiji during May 1947.
ZK-AME made its last TEAL scheduled service on December 19, 1949. It was then sold to Barrier Reef Airways in Australia in 1950 and registered as VH-BRD and renamed 'Princess of Cairns'. It operated between Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns and various offshore islands. After several successful years of flying, the aircraft sank in the Brisbane River after being damaged at its mooring by a ship on September 10, 1952.
The actual aircraft (originally NJ179) was built by Blackburn at Dumbarton as a Sunderland Mk III aircraft in 1944. It was transferred to Short Bros & Harland, Belfast for conversion to Sandringham Mk IV Tasman Class in 1946. It was delivered to TEAL in Auckland on September 4, 1946, with its first flight for a TEAL scheduled service on September 17, 1946. ZK-AME, named 'New Zealand', became the first Sandringham to fly to Fiji during May 1947.
ZK-AME made its last TEAL scheduled service on December 19, 1949. It was then sold to Barrier Reef Airways in Australia in 1950 and registered as VH-BRD and renamed 'Princess of Cairns'. It operated between Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns and various offshore islands. After several successful years of flying, the aircraft sank in the Brisbane River after being damaged at its mooring by a ship on September 10, 1952.
Other name
New Zealand
Credit Line
Short Brothers and Harland Limited et al. Circa 1946. Model Aircraft [Short Sandringham, TEAL ZK-AME], 1967.58. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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