N.Z. ANTARCTIC SHIP

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28155, 19 December 1956, Page 9

N.Z. ANTARCTIC SHIP

DAMAGED PLANE UNLOADED REPAIRS MAY DELAY ENDEAVOUR (New Zealana Press Association) DUNEDIN. December 18. The departure from Dunedin of the New Zealand Antarctic expedition’s ship. H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour, may be delayed one or two days to make possible repairs to the damaged starboard wing of the Auster aircraft being taken to Antarctica. A decision to delay the Endeavour’s sailing date if necessary was made at an emergency meeting of Sir Edmund Hillary and other members of the expedition soon after the heavilylade- ship berthed at Dunedin tonight before a crowd of about 2000. > The Endeavour was originally E scheduled to sail for Bluff at 4 n.m 1 tomorrow. It is thought these plans ■ will be upset as a result of the damage to the Auster as the Endeavour left her berth at Lyttelton on Monday night. The chairman of the Ross Sea Committee <Mr C. M. Bowden) said tonight: “The advantage of having the plane for reconnaissance would outweigh any short delay. It may still be possible to leave Bluff on Thursdav as planned, but on the other hand one or two days’ delay will be in- » volved. ’ “The ship will definitely visit Bluff, and it will sail from that port for the ; Antarctic on Saturday at the very latest —aircraft or no aircraft,” said I Mr Bowden. If it was not possible j to repair or replace the wing before J then, the incomplete Auster would be taken to the Antarctic, and the wing ‘ would be flown down later. Inspection of Damage • Soon after the Endeavour berthed tonight, a team of Royal New Zealand Air Force fitters from Wigram boarded the vessel to inspect the damaged wing. Within an hour and a half it had been removed and lifted on to the wharf. It was theh taken i' to the R.N.Z.A.F. station, Taieri, to » enable the chief technical officer from Wigram, Squadron Leader. J. Hardy, i to make a detailed inspection. 1 Squadron Leader John Clayton, commander of the New Zealand Antarctic flight, said tonight that the Auster, a Mark 7, was the only one I of its type in New Zealand. Until the wing had been opened up. and the amount of damage ascertained, it would be impossible to say how long it would take to repair it. There were two possibilities: either tu repair the crumpled wing, or try to obtain a new one quickly from Australia, said Squadron Leader Clayton.

Few members of the big crowd on the wharf at Dunedin took more than a casual interest in the bustle of activity round the aircraft. They had come to see the huskies.

A vigorous yelping heralded the arrival of the huskies on the wharf shortly after 8 p.m. They were travelling in 16 double-unit cases on a big articulated truck. The crates were lifted by crane from the truck and placed on the foredeck of the Endeavour.