This Hawk was built as a Kittyhawk IA for the British under Lend-Lease, and received the USAAF
serial number 41-25158 in addition to the RAF-assigned serial, ET482. After the USA entered the war,
ET482 was one of many aircraft destined for foreign nations to be appropriated by the US Government.
She was initially allocated to the 68th Fighter Squadron, but was subsequently transferred to the
RNZAF in April of 1942 and assigned the RNZAF serial NZ3009. She saw service with 14 Squadron,
17 Squadron, and 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit which was based at Ohakea.

After the war NZ3009 was sold for scrap and languished in the famous Rukuhia scrapyard until rescued
in 1959 by a group of teenagers led by Charles Darby. These young lads had scraped together enough
money to buy an airplane, and apparently NZ3009 was chosen simply because it was closest to the yard's
gate! NZ3009 was loaned to the Museum of Transport & Technology in Auckland, NZ where it was
restored for static display using parts from a number of airframes, including the wings from NZ3202.

At some point another P-40, NZ3039, was traded to MoTaT for NZ3009, with the latter being acquired
in the early 1990s by Ray Hanna for his 'Old Flying Machine Company'. Initial restoration work was
undertaken by Pacific Aircraft Ltd. However this outfit went south in 1996-7, and the future of NZ3009
seemed uncertain. But Warren Denholm, formerly Chief Engineer and Manager at Pacific Aircraft,
who had formed Avspecs Ltd. with his father Colin, negotiated with Ray Hanna to complete restoration
of the Hawk, which had since been moved to the RNZAF Airbase at Whenuapai. Garth Hogan, who had
acquired the assets of Pacific Aircraft and formed Pioneer Aero Restorations Ltd., 'loaned' a number of
his newly-acquired staff to help out... in Warren Denholm's words, "Hogan allowed some of the staff
he had taken over from Pacific to have leave without pay to work with me and complete the rebuild".

Work at Whenuapai came to a close in December of 1997, when NZ3009's first post-restoration flight
took place with John Lamont behind the stick. The Hawk was then relocated to Rotorua, Avspecs' original
base of operations, where she was prepared for paint and a final wrap-up of the project. In 1999 the
P-40 went to the UK where it stayed for a number of years, flying as part of OFMC's Breitling Fighters
team, before returning to New Zealand in 2004. After Ray Hanna's death in 2005, NZ3009 was acquired by
current owner James Slade for his 'Old Stick & Rudder Company' at Masterton, New Zealand.

Curtisschmitt, or
Hawke-Wulf?

In 2002 NZ3009 was used for filming of a flick called 'Waiting For Dublin', masquerading as a
WWII Luftwaffe fighter. She is seen here at Duxford in October of 2002, her movie 'make-up'
looking a bit worse for wear. 'Waiting For Dublin' will be covered in a future update.


Richard Crockett photo - Larger Image (See more of Richard's photos here)

Warbirds Over Wairarapa 2005


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image


Colin Hunter photo - Larger Image

Warbirds Over Wairarapa 2007


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image

Classic Fighters 2007

More photos of NZ3009 from this event can be seen HERE...


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image

RNZAF Ohakea Open Day 2008


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image


A.R. Jenks photo - Larger Image

More photos of and information about this P-40 can be found on the following pages:

P-40E/41-25158

Curtiss P-40E in Detail

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