Air New Zealand Fokker F-27-100 & the National Toy and Transport Museum, Wanaka

This Fokker 27 looks a bit odd, doesn't it? Firstly, it's got gear now! All created by yours truly (it's not the greatest, but I'm fairly satisfied with it. If you wish to make better gear, message me on discord, 𝓟𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖚#9902, I have plenty of reference images*). Where were we? Oh yeah! Secondly, it has no tail!. Why is this?

Well, welcome to the National Toy and Transport Museum, located just a few kms outside Wanaka, right next to Wanaka Airport. Before I talk to you about this wonderful museum, the reason it has no tail is because it is located indoors in a hangar, and it would've been too tall with the tail attached. There might be other reasons, idk.

Anyway, the National Toy and Transport Museum features other awesome aircraft, such as an ex-Air Chathams Convair 580 ZK-CIB, Ex-Eagle Air/Air NZ Embraer 110 ZK-ERU that was formerly located in Tauwhare, near Cambridge in the North Island, until last year, a de Havilland Dove ZK-RNG, an AN-2, and a MiG-21. But also one of the aircrafts there is a Fokker 27-100. This particular aircraft, ZK-BXH, was retired and stored at Christchurch Airport as a trainer plane until 2012, when it was transported by road to Wanaka. It received a fresh new coat of paint, and was placed on display. You can go inside of it, and there are a few seats left over onboard. It's very cool, and I was lucky enough to go and visit this museum just 2 weeks ago! And it was incredible!

Let's go into the history of ZK-BXH now, shall we?

This particular airframe started her life in mid-late 1961 in the Netherlands with the test registration PH-FDE, and was the 90th Fokker Friendship built. She made it to Aotearoa on 30th of November that same year, and entered onto the NZ register as ZK-BXH a day later. The plane started flying for NAC, and was named 'Koropio'. However in September 1963, she was leased to East-West Airlines of Australia due to NAC having excess capacity. She hopped across the ditch that same month and took on the registration VH-EWH. She flew with East-West until mid-January 1965. She continued flying for NAC until NAC and Air New Zealand merged together on 1 April 1978. She was withdrawn from use and stored in Christchurch on 8 April 1978. She was sold to American Aircraft Company on 6 November 1992, and was intended to be leased to JetLease Inc and subsequently subleased to Goa Way Airlines of India, however due to the age of the aircraft, by this point 31 years old, it was not taken up.

So she remained on the ground at Christchurch airport in an all-white livery with blue Air New Zealand titles and a blue Koru on the tail, used as a training aircraft for Air New Zealand Engineering Services. Then, in 2012, she found a new life. The National Toy and Transport Museum in Wanaka announced that they were taking up ZK-BXH. Throughout June and July she was dismantled piece by piece, and on 12 August 2012, ZK-BXH was finally transported by road 400 kilometers to the National Toy and Transport Museum. She was repainted into her final livery that she wore whilst in service with Air New Zealand, and was also put back together and put on display, where she still remains today.

ZK-BXH: 1961 Fokker F-27-100 | Air New Zealand | Currently: Preserved and on public display at the National Toy and Transport Museum in Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

*I also have close up pics of a de Havilland Dove, Aero Commander, a ton of close up pics of the Convair 580, and some of the EMB110 so again, feel free to message me if you would like to see these pics and what ones.

Also Ik I said I'll be more active with Kiwiana, but in my defense I've been busy, so shhhhhh!

Also fun fact, I have been on this aircraft, but sadly did not fly on it because it is the museum. I wish I could fly on a Friendship, I wonder if there's any pax operators left that still operate F27s. Let me know if there is please!