Most Remembrance Day observances held around the world on the 11th of November each year tend to focus on the huge loss of life during the great land battles on the Western Front during the First World War (1914-1918). But this war also marked the first significant use of aircraft in a combat role and many pioneering aviators lost their lives during the conflict, alongside their earth-bound comrades. It's with this in mind that The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL) holds a flying display of WW1 aircraft to commemorate Remembrance Day in November every year, at Masterton in New Zealand.

This year a line up of nineteen full size World War One-era aircraft took to the skies, including an original 1917 Bristol Fighter F.2b (one of only three currently airworthy worldwide), three authentic new-build Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a’s, the only airworthy R.A.F. F.E.2b in the world, and a record four rotary engine powered machines (for New Zealand, at one show). Additionally a variety of vintage and replica motor vehicles from the era, a replica World War One tank and anti-aircraft gun and some authentically clad re-enactors helped visitors to the show feel like they were stepping back in time.

These events are a great way for TVAL to introduce new aircraft to the public, and the past few years has seen the November show used to debut the three R.A.F. S.E.5a’s, the Albatros D.Va and the R.A.F. F.E.2b among others. This year was no different with two newly completed aircraft appearing for the first time—the Fokker D.VIII and the Sopwith Snipe. Both these aircraft are powered by rotary engines with the Snipe being equipped with an original Bentley BR.2 while the D.VIII is powered by a newly built reproduction of the German Oberursel UR.2 engine.

As with the previous reproductions/reconstructions created by TVAL, these two aircraft have been built using original techniques and materials and have been built to be as authentic as possible. The fact that the company has gone to the extent of recreating the Oberursel engine from scratch highlights that the goal is not only to produce aircraft that look the part, but also ones that perform, and sound exactly like their forebears of 90+ years ago.

While the company continues to build 'new' World War One aircraft, the flying collection currently boasts a number of significant replica aircraft as well. These include a Fokker D.VII and Pfalz D.III that were originally built for the motion picture ‘The Blue Max’ in 1966, a rotary engine powered Nieuport 11 built in the USA by respected builder Joe Pfeiffer, and the Sopwith Camel sporting the colour scheme of New Zealand ace Capt Clive Collet which is powered by an original Gnome rotary engine and also contains several other original parts.

In addition to the new builds and the replicas, the collection also currently features three original World War One aircraft: the Rolls Royce Falcon powered Bristol Fighter F.2b, the Gnome rotary powered Avro 504k (which was originally brought to New Zealand in the 1920s), and the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2f which was one of several aircraft sold to the Norwegian Air Force in 1917. This latter aircraft also features a reproduction engine built from scratch by TVAL, in this case the RAF 1a .

The existence of this growing collection of replica and original WW1 aircraft based at Hood Aerodrome, and increasing public awareness and interest in this first aerial conflict, has prompted TVAL to organize several events each season, loosely modeled after the regular events held at Old Rhinebeck in the US, and Shuttleworth in the UK. An evening display in mid-late January every second year (alternating with the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow) commemorates the Joyeux Noel incident at Christmas 1914 when an unofficial truce broke out at the front lines. The final show of the season each year is held between late March and the 25th April, and is designed to commemorate ANZAC Day which is celebrated on the 25th April every year in both New Zealand and Australia.

Allan Udy & Alex Mitchell, Contributing Editors
Historical Aviation Film Unit
info@aviationfilm.com

Contributing Photographer: Alex Mitchell - New Zealand

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