British classic restored in New Zealand

摘要

The Air Force Museum of New Zealand has almost completed the restoration of Airspeed Oxford I PK286. After 14 years of work, amounting to more than 33,000 man hours, the Oxford will soon be ready for static display. It is also the last major restoration project to be undertaken by the museum for the foreseeable future - its focus will now shift towards conserving and maintaining its existing collection. Built in 1945, PK286 was too late to see operational service with the RAF during World War Two, so was sold back to Airspeed and converted to the civil Consul configuration in 1946. It spent the next two decades serving with various civilian companies as G-AIKR before being purchased by the Canada Aviation Museum in 1965 and put into storage.