Historic run for Pearse monoplane

TEST RUN: Pilot Neville Hay, standing beside a replica Pither monoplane. He will taxi the Pearse monoplane on the day.

Pieces of aircraft in the living room, an overheating engine and home-made fuel have all been part of the journey that Aucklander Ivan Mudrovcich and his reproduction Richard Pearse aircraft have made to become a showpiece at this year's Wings over Wairarapa air show.

Mr Mudrovcich, a retired automotive engineer, has spent the past 10 years building a replica of the Canterbury farmer's controversial aircraft, which some say pre-dated the first flight of the Wright brothers in December 1903.

Richard Pearse is said to have flown his monoplane in March 1903, nine months earlier than the famous pair.

Mr Mudrovcich's mission has not been without difficulty.

"It's a helluva job to start it. We had to use Start Ya Bastard," said Mr Mudrovcich.

Start Ya Bastard is the brand of an Australian made instant engine starter.

The fuel has to be mixed from kerosene, ethanol and paraffin to replicate what was used more than 100 years ago.

"Richard Pearse had to go to the chemist to buy his fuel," said Mr Mudrovcich.

Once it has started, its running time is short and the engine gets dangerously hot.

"We've had eight minutes out of it. We have a rule after it has run that we don't go near it for a quarter of an hour," he said.

When not in use, the dismantled aircraft is stored at home.

"I keep it in the garage at home. I also keep parts of it under the bed, in the living room, everywhere," he said.

The replica takes up most of a small hangar at Hood Aerodrome and consists of an engine on a wooden tricycle undercarriage. The 13m wingspan is made of bamboo and steel tubes covered with linen. It is registered as a microlight and has a licence number, ZK-RPT. Whether it can actually fly is unknown.

"Can it fly, will it fly, that's the question," said air show director Tom Williams. "It's still being tested to meet CAA conditions."

In the meantime the replica will be displaying what it can do this weekend, within limits.

"We haven't explored its capabilities and we are reluctant to fly it here. We will be firing it up and maybe taxiing it," said pilot Neville Hay. "Never fly higher than you can jump."