Newly arrived in New Zealand, Doug Brooker's immaculate dual control Spitfire TR.9 is now confirmed to make its major New Zealand airshow debut at Wings Over Wairarapa 2009.
After the end of the Second World War a number of Mark IX airframes were converted to include a second raised cockpit behind the main one,to become the TR.9. Today only a handful of these dual control trainer aircraft are known to exist.
The aircraft now wears the Desert Air Force colour scheme of New Zealand's highest scoring ace of the Second World War, Wing Commander Colin Gray. A veteran of both the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, Gray eventually went on to score a total of 27.5 victories by the time he returned to England in July 1944. He remained in the RAF after the war, eventually retiring in 1961 with the rank of Group Captain.
This aircraft is the Goodyear built FG-1D Corsair NZ5648, which is the only remaining airworthy Corsair of the 400 delivered to the RNZAF during the Second World War. This aircraft was saved from the (in)famous Rukuhia scrap yard in the late 1950's, and by 1966 had been restored to a taxiable condition. In this state it was displayed at the opening of the Hamilton Airport in 1966. Over the next 16 years it spent time at MOTAT in Auckland, and then was sold to the USA, where it was restored to an airworthy condition and flew once more in 1982.
After spending some twelve years based in the UK with the Old Flying Machine Company, the aircraft returned to New Zealand in 2004, and is now based at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, with the Old Stick And Rudder Company.
With over 14,000 examples of the Curtiss P40 built, it was one of the most important US-built fighters of the first half of World War Two.
Serving in almost every theatre of the war, from the Pacific, Asia, North Africa and Europe, the P40 was variously known as the Tomahawk, Warhawk or Kittyhawk.
During the Second World War, the RNZAF operated 297 P-40 Kittyhawks, most of which were operated in the Pacific theatre, where they were used in a variety of roles, and were credited with downing 99 Japanese aircraft.
The P40 was replaced in front line service by Corsairs in 1944, and they were gradually returned to New Zealand to be used as advanced trainers. Twenty of the P40s were lost in combat, 152 were written off in accidents, and the remaining aircraft were unceremoniously scrapped at Rukuhia in 1948.
This particular P40E (NZ3009) is one of only six surviving RNZAF Kittyhawks, and currently one of two airworthy examples. The aircraft served with 14 Squadron RNZAF during the war, and is now based at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, with the Old Stick And Rudder Company.
Every combatant country in the Second World War had one fighter aircraft that will be readily identified by the majority of people. The ME 109, the Zero, and in the Spitfire we have the most famous of them all appearing at Wings Over Wairarapa.
The next best known, and widely loved, is the superlative Mustang. The Mustang is a regular at Wings and always makes an appearance because of it's undeniable popularity.
While the Spitfire displays sublime lines the Mustang looks like an all in wrestler with muscle like bulges where few other aircraft of it's tenure have.
Although it became one of the greatest American fighters its start was inauspicious, when the early marks operated with the same engine as the mighty Kittyhawk has, a V12 Allison engine, and it proved to be down on performance.
Ironically it was the addition of the English Rolls Royce Merlin V12 (identical to the Spitfires's power unit) that made it American's favourite fighter.
Compare the sound of the Mustang's Merlin with the Spitfire's at Wings Over Wairarapa .
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This aircraft is the Goodyear built FG-1D Corsair NZ5648, which is the only remaining airworthy Corsair of the 400 delivered to the RNZAF during the Second World War. This aircraft was saved from the (in)famous Rukuhia scrap yard in the late 1950's, and by 1966 had been restored to a taxiable condition. In this state it was displayed at the opening of the Hamilton Airport in 1966. Over the next 16 years it spent time at MOTAT in Auckland, and then was sold to the USA, where it was restored to an airworthy condition and flew once more in 1982.
With over 14,000 examples of the Curtiss P40 built, it was one of the most important US-built fighters of the first half of World War Two. 
Every combatant country in the Second World War had one fighter aircraft that will be readily identified by the majority of people. The ME 109, the Zero, and in the Spitfire we have the most famous of them all appearing at Wings Over Wairarapa.
