Manufacturer

NZ Aerospace Industries

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In the late 1950s several FU-24 operators; James Aviation, Thames Aerial Topdressing and Robertson’s Air Services, formed Air Parts (NZ) Ltd at Hamilton Airport to provide aftermarket sales and service to FU-24 operators. Also in the mid 1950s Aero Engine Services Ltd (AESL) was formed to provide Engine and component overhaul facilities in support of the FU-24 program.

These businesses continued on until the 1960s when things began to change for the both of them. In 1965 Air Parts (NZ) Ltd secured the manufacturing rights to the Fletcher FU-24 and began producing detail parts and FU-24 aircraft locally. In 1967 AESL secured the manufacturing rights to the Victa Airtourer and also began detail and aircraft production locally. Both companies then enjoyed some years of expansion and development.

AESL provided the catalyst for the next change. In the early 1970s it had developed the CT-4 Airtrainer out of the prototype Victa Aircruiser and successfully secured contracts to supply the Airtrainer to the RAAF and RTAF. As a result of this, there were moves to get the New Zealand Government involved and merge Air Parts (NZ) Ltd and AESL into a new strong entity.

New Zealand Aerospace Industries Ltd (NZASIL) was born in 1973 with a 50% Government shareholding, (25% Air New Zealand and 25% National Airways Corporation), with the other 50% shareholding remaining with the previous companies shareholders such as James Aviation.

NZASIL started off well and successfully marketed both lines of Aircraft all around the world. Peak production was reached in 1975 with the delivery of 36 CT-4 Airtrainers and 14 FU-24s a total of 50 aircraft for the year.

Things quietened down several years later when CT-4 production slowed and all that remained was short run FU-24 production.

Pacific Aerospace Corporation, (PAC) was established in July 1982, following the purchase of the assets of New Zealand Aerospace Industries. James Aviation took a 50% interest in Aero Engine Services Ltd in 1955. James Aviation also had a shareholding in Air Parts when it was formed in 1957 to market the FU-24.

Nyuxtikov, Mikhail Alexandrovich

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Mikhail Alexandrovich Nyuxtikov (In Russian: Михаил Александрович Нюхтиков) was born in Chardzhou (now Türkmenabat), Turkmenistan, near the border with Uzbekistan, on June 16, 1906. In this city he finished middle school.

In 1927 he completed the Leningrad military-theoretical school of pilots and in 1928 he finished his training at the Kacha Military Higher School of Pilots (KVAShL) named AF Myasnikov in Sevastopol, where he continued working as a flight instructor.

During these years in Kacha, Mijail Nyuxtikov, together with his brother Konstantín, developed a set of gliders with the support of aeronautical circles of interest, so popular at the time.

From July 1933 Nyuxtikov was transferred to the NII VVS, participating as a test pilot in the tests of the Túpolev TB-1, TB-3 and Boljovitinov DB-A bombers. On November 10, 1936, aboard the Boljovitinov DB-A and with 10,000 kg of cargo, he reached 7032 meters in height, setting a new world record.

In 1938 he participated in the Battles of Lake Jasan and a year later in the Battle of Jaljin Gol against the Japanese. In 1940, together with PM Stefanovsky and VI Zhdanov, he was selected to test the models developed by the specialists imprisoned in the TsKB-29 NKVD, corresponding to the completion of the entire test program of the Túpolev “103” that would become the famous Tu-2 bomber.

From 1941 he participated as a pilot in the Great Patriotic War, working on the adaptation to the Tu-2 in combat units.

At the end of the war, he initially worked in the VVS and then went on to the OKB of Túpolev, being in charge of the tests of transcendental models such as the Tu-95 or the Tu-114 passenger plane. In this plane he made several historic flights to Javarosk, Paris, Beijing and New York.

As a test pilot he had 232 aircraft and 15 gliders to his credit.

By resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 1, 1957 and for his merits in the preparation of military technique, showing courage and heroism, he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In April 1963 he retired, dying on May 5, 1998 in the city of Zhukovski, near Moscow.

Awards and distinctions:
Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of Turkmenistan
Twice Order of Lenin
Three times Order of the Red Banner
Twice First Tier Order of the Patriotic War
Twice Order of the Red Star
Order of the Badge of Honor
USSR Honorary Test Pilot

In Chkalov village (Shiolkovo), in building 7 on Lenin Street there is a plaque on the wall that recalls that Mikhail Alexandrovich Nyuxtikov lived there between 1945 and 1952.

Aeronautical production:
N-1 “Kachiniets” – Nyuxtikov’s first glider built in 1929 and used as a trainer at the Kacha school.
N-2 “Sevastopoliev” – Lightened development of Korolyov’s SK-3 built in 1930 for training purposes.
N-3 “Motyliok” – Glider produced by the Sevastopol circle of interest under the direction of Konstantin Nyuxtikov between 1932 and 1933.
N-4 – Flying wing type glider started in 1932 in the Kacha circle of interest. It was not finished.

NuVenture

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2009: 4184 W. Kelley • Fresno, CA 93722, USA.

NuVenture was formed for the express purpose of preserving and promoting the Questair designed Venture Model 20.
NuVenture has four immediate goals:

  1. To continue the availability of this very fine airframe kit to the amateur aircraft builder. Continental engines and McCauley propellers will continue to be available to builders on an OEM basis.
  2. To continue the availability of replacement parts to current owners and builders of the Venture Model 20. While no specific support is envisioned for the Questair Spirit, parts common to both the Venture and the Spirit should be available.
  3. To seek proper solutions to mechanical discrepancies which have surfaced in the years since the Venture Model 20 was introduced. These solutions will involve appropriate engineering and extensive testing.
  4. To provide for construction information assistance to current and future builders.

NuVenture is headquartered at 4184 W. Kelley in Fresno, California, 93722. The company factory and warehouse are currently located in Visalia, California. It contains the original Questair fabriaction equipment as well as the tooling required to produce the aluminum and steel parts of the airframe. There is currently enough inventory to construct several complete airframes.

Nova

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Nova are based in Innsbruck in Austria, and from there they design and test gliders from sites in the Inn Valley. They’ve been involved in paraglider manufacture since the end of the 1980s, and have a number of very successful models in their history. The designer is Hannes Papesh.

1998: Bernhard Hofel.str.14, A-6020 Innsbruck, AUSTRIA

Paraglider manufacturer