Todhunter Blue Wren

Despite being registered as a microlight, it is really the prototype of what was hoped to become an amateur-built self-launching glider, built from a design that was originated by Reg Todhunter in Australia in the mid 1950s. Construction work begun in early 1980 and the aircraft first flew at Tocumwal, NSW, on 08-07-84 under a permit to fly issued by the Gliding Federation of Australia. It was then air freighted to California to take part in a homebuilt sailplane design competition insti-gated by the Soaring Society of America. The fly-off took place at Tehaehapi over 1-3 Sep-tember 1984 and was won by the Rutan Soli-taire. The aircraft was imported into New Zea-land in 1996 by Neville Swan, following the death of the de-signer.

Although a glider, the aircraft was registered as a microlight in New Zealand (ZK-JGQ). The initial engine (a JPV PUL 425 horizontal twin 22 hp ) was replaced by a Koenig 3 cyl of 24 hp.