ZK-AMA Short S-30 Empire Boat

ZK-AMA. Short S-30 Empire Class Flying Boat. c/n S.886.

Was also registered as: G-AFDA.

This aircraft was the thirty-nineth Empire boat completed and flown by Short Brothers at Rochester, Kent

Ordered by Imperial Airways - October 21, 1937

It was one of three Short S.30s earmarked for operations between Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand by TEAL

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AFDA (CofR 8211) - November 15, 1937

Registered to Imperial Airways Ltd, Victoria Station, London

Completed as an S-30 Empire Class boat with 890 h.p. Bristol Perseus XIIc engines

The fuel capacity was increased to 1,770 gallons

It had an all-up weight of 48,000 lb (21,780 kg) but was later increased to 53,000 lb (24,200 kg)

It cruised at 164 m.p.h. with a still-air range of 1,914 miles / 3,551 km

This aircraft was originally intended to be TEAL's third aircraft ZK-AMC 'Awarua'

When launched onto the Medway it was marked as 'ZK-AMC' and named 'Awarua'

Officially cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - April 22, 1939

First flown as 'ZK-AMC' - May 09, 1939

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) Issued - May 12, 1939

Delivered to Imperial Airways, London - May 12, 1939

The original aircraft name of 'Cumberland' was never applied

To read a condensed history of this aircraft please click 'HERE'

As the organisational structure of TEAL had not been agreed upon at this time the aircraft was stored by Imperial

Airways at Hythe until prepared for delivery to TEAL

To read about the change of identity of this aircraft (c/n S.886) please click 'HERE'

It departed Southampton on the delivery flight to New Zealand - August 16, 1939

It arrived at Auckland on completion of the delivery flight - August 28, 1939

Flight crew: Captains J. W. Burgess, W. Craig

Delivery route: Southampton - Marseilles - Athens - Alexandria - Tiberias - Basra - Jiwani - Karachi - Gwalior -

Calcutta - Rangoon - Singapore - Surabaya - Koepang - Darwin - Groote Eylandt -

Townsville - Brisbane - Sydney - Auckland

To read about the final leg of this delivery flight please click 'HERE' and 'HERE'

Operated Auckland - Suva survey flight (Captain J. W. Burgess) - September 07 - 10, 1939

Operated Auckland - Sydney - Auckland survey flight (Captain J. W. Burgess) - September 24 - 30, 1939

Operated Auckland - Suva - Nuku'alofa (Tonga) - Auckland survey flight - October 21 - 23, 1939

Flew the inaugural Auckland - Sydney service (Captain J. W. Burgess) as AW1 - April 30, 1940

It carried 9 passengers and 7 crew on this flight covering the 1,341 miles in 7 hours 30 minutes

Operated the return service Sydney (Rose Bay) - Auckland as AE1 - May 02, 1940

Officially entered onto New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-AMA - May 02, 1940

Registered to Tasman Empire Airways Ltd, Wellington

Aircraft was named 'Aotearoa' (long white cloud)

This aircraft was fitted with Hamilton Standard full feathering propellers - mid 1942

It was one of only two aircraft to be fitted with such propellers

Flew the final Sydney - Auckland S-30 Empire service - November 07, 1947

This flight marked its 446th Auckland - Sydney - Auckland commercial crossing

Withdrawn from use and stored at Hobsonville, Auckland

'ZK-AMA' and 'ZK-AMC' combined made 1,736 trans-Tasman crossings with 98.72 % completed

The aircraft was ferried to Hobsonville for long-term storage - November 12, 1947

TEAL's chief engineer George Bolt had the honour of carrying out this flight

Sold to Messrs Carter and Mabee by public tender as an obsolete aircraft - June 25, 1948

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) cancelled - July 05, 1948

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - July 05, 1948

Preparations were made to move aircraft to its final resting place at Mission Bay - August 1948

Aircraft was fast taxied from Hobsonville to Mission Bay - August 06, 1948

Rumoured to have gotten airborne for a short distance whilst off North Head, Waitemata Harbour

As the tide had retreated and no beaching had arrived on site the aircraft was towed to Mechanics Bay for the night

It was towed back to Mission Bay - August 07, 1948

Beached on the site of the old Walsh Brothers Flying School at Mission Bay mid-morning

Towed across Tamaki Drive to its final destination - August 08, 1948

It was opened for public inspection with visitors being able to sit in the pilot's seat

Widely reported that it had been refitted to operate as a tearoom but this did not eventuate

Scrapped on site by Dermott & Linn, scrap merchants - October 1950

ZK-AMC. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd Wellington - 'Awarua' in the standard livery at Rochester, May 09, 1939.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-281.)

ZK-AMC. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Follands Yard, Hamble, August 1939.

The aircraft at this stage was wearing the incorrect registration.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-280.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Auckland Harbour, August 28, 1939.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-979.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Hobsonville, circa 1939.

(RNZAF Museum Collection Copyright Image 2545-978.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, circa 1939.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-338.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, circa 1939.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-981.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Hobsonville, circa 1939.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-760.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery over Auckland Harbour.

This was the TEAL publicity image that had been generated from the image of G-ADUT taken during its visit to New Zealand in December 1937.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-277.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, September 1939.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-764.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Suva, Fiji, September 1939.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-766.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, September 1939.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-765.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, September 1939.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-763.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Evans Bay, Wellington, January 01, 1940.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-775.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, May 1940.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-980.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, May 02, 1940.

This was its first commercial service from Sydney.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-714.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, circa 1940.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-768.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, circa 1940.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-770.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the standard livery at Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, circa 1940.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-769.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the revised livery at Auckland Harbour, date unknown.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-279.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the revised livery at Auckland Harbour, date unknown.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-718.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the revised livery at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, June 18, 1945.

This was the 1,000th Trans-Tasman crossing flown by a TEAL flying boat.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-759.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the revised livery at Waitamata Harbour, Auckland, September 1945.

(Whites Aviation Collection Copyright Image 2545-762.)

ZK-AMA. Tasman Empire Airways Ltd - 'Aotearoa' in the final livery at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, November 09, 1947.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 2545-349.)