For those of you not familiar with the AHC, it houses the Great War museum artefacts and airframes belonging to film director Peter Jackson. Opened in December 2007, the AHC's first hall is called 'Knights of the Air' and celebrates the air war and the romantic image of it that has been promoted in print and on film ever since. Contained within are 22 complete or partially complete original and reproduction aeroplanes and an impressive cache of significant items and artwork in display cases.
Among these are some quite historic items, not the usual unknown aviator's uniforms and bits and pieces here; among the collection is one of Eddie Rickenbacker's flight suits, George Guynemer's overcoat, complete with 25 Palme D'Or medals that hang below the rim of the coat, and Wolfram von Richtofen's Nazi era Luftwaffe dress tunic. Also among the assorted treasures are a large number of items related to the most famous ace, the Red Baron, Manfred von Richtofen, including medallions and silverware that used to belong to the man himself. There are also items that were removed from his red triplane that he was shot down in, the famous Dr I serialled 425/17; a reproduction of the scene of the aircraft's looting by Australian soldiers has been recreated as the centre piece of the AHC; a somewhat macarbe scene shows the Baron's body lying prostrate on the ground, while his fur flying boots are yanked from his feet by eager souvenir hunters.
Ignoring the Safe Air Bristol Freighter in a field next to the building, at the entrance to the AHC are a couple of gate guards, one of them a Hawker Hurricane mock up originally built for the feature film 'Battle of Britain' and the other a mock up of a Ju 87 Stuka built by a local enthusiast in his back yard.
The Hurricane is now decorated in the markings of an example supplied to the Soviet Union as part of 151 Wing, RAF in 1941, which was commanded by New Zealander Wg Cdr H.N.G. Ramsbottom-Isherwood.
The Stuka wears the markings of a Ju 87B-2 of I.StG 2.
Within the entrance is a Morane Saulneir G monoplane reproduction built at Omaka and suspended from the ceiling above the shop. Flung from the cockpit is a grapple at the end of a cable. The aircraft is in the markings of Imperial Russia's highest scoring ace of the Great War, Aleksander Kozakov with 20 confirmed victories and depicts one of the more bizarre methods of bringing down an enemy aeoplane in the absense of an effective forward firing gun.
Below is a diagram of the layout of the AHC that visitors can take with them; each aircraft image that follows will be keyed to the illustration.
Immersed in darkness on entry into the main hall, the visitor is drawn to the aircraft display set pieces, each machine bathed in mood lighting and positioned at unusual attitudes. Surrounded by enlarged period photographs, each display area is enhanced by extraordinary detail applied to each set by Peter Jackson's special effects company Weta Workshop in Wellington. I was told that the mannequins that accompany the aircraft are modelled on Weta personnel.
Greeting visitors is the ghostly, unrestored Caproni Ca-22. (1)
Etrich Taube reproduction in a dog fight with a small scale B.E.2c (2).
A crash scene with damaged Morane Saulneir BB two-seater (4).
Airco D.H.2 with a Fokker E III dangerously close to its tail (3).
The Eindekker.
The aircraft repair workshop featuring an original disassembled Thomas Morse Scout (5).
More to come...
