Bristol Fighter

With the calendar counting down to Easter, another looming first flight at Omaka is the long slumbering Bristol Fighter ZK-BHS, star of the 1981 Charles Bronson / Lee Marvin movie 'Death Hunt'. Tracked down in deep storage in the USA by the Blenheim based Classic Wings Magazine team, the big biplane was shipped to New Zealand with several other derelict aircraft, and has been quietly recommissioned over the past few years.

Like most such projects, it has taken longer than expected to reach completion, the solution to some last minute engine niggles proving elusive, much to the frustration of her owners Jeff Brooks and Graham Orphan.

Image: Graham Orphan at the controls of the Omaka-based Bristol Fighter.

However after much dedicated effort by restorer Garry Stuart, the solution has been found and the last items have been ticked off the list. The aircraft is now running sweetly and is ready for her first flight in four decades as soon as the weather starts to improve.

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About Yealands Classic Fighters Omaka: The airshow is the main fundraising event for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, located in Blenheim, Marlborough NZ.