Polikarpov Po 2 ZK-POL at Ardmore 3-5-2019 and Another Earlier Example

The Red Star Aviation Trust's recently restored Polikarpov Po 2 was out in the sun at Ardmore yesterday:

A colourful scene outside Aero Technology hangar.  ZK-POL2 (c/n 046) bears the very small numbers 641-046 on the fin.  You can see more photos of the aircraft on our sister blog MRC Aviation, at: https://mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2019/04/polikarpov-po-2-takes-flight-updated-21.html


However this is not the first Polikarpov Po 2 we have had in New Zealand, as can be seen from this photo from the 2003 Classic Fighters airshow, also at Omaka, held over Easter 2003. This aircraft (c/n 0094) was owned by Pat Donovan.  It was kept on the ground by paperwork at the airshow but it did taxy along the crowd line.  It had the registration ZK-POZ reserved for it but I assume that it did not fly in New Zealand as it was never officially registered.  Later in 2003 it was exported to England where it was registered G-BSSY for the Shuttleworth Collection with whom it is still current.