The aircraft in the grounds of Founders Park is a Bristol Freighter, known as the Merchant Buccaneer, a classic reminder of an era of Cook Strait Transport heritage, being the last of the Bristol model freighters flying in the Straits Air Freight Express (SAFE) Fleet. The Merchant Buccaneer has been on Bristol Green at Founders Park since 1986, arriving by road without it's wings and then put back together.
These British-built freighters together with SAFE AIR hold a special place in New Zealand Aviation History, having worked the strait from 1950 until the 1970s, and providing regular services to the far flung Chatham Islands. The route was between Kapiti airport and Woodbourne airbase until the Rongotai airport was completed. Used throughout Europe for similar tasks, the New Zealand environment inspired a modification which was an international first and the precursor to modern aviation freight loading systems. This was called a Cargon.
The cargon system was devised to take palletised freight directly in and out of the Bristol's massive front doors from trucks on a modified railway flatcar. The reported turnaround time for loading and unloading was 10 minutes. Thus freight was transferred between the rail networks of the islands with efficiency. This system continued supporting Strait shipping services even after the advent of roll on roll off rail ferries.
Another kiwi inspired innovation was the addition of removable passenger pods, for noise reduction and comfort, complete with windows which lined up with the aircraft windows. The second model of these was based on the interior of passenger liners and was reported to be quite comfortable. SAFE Air bought a fleet of these craft, some being ex-Pakistan airforce, and also operated Argosy propeller freighter aircraft to and from the Chathams.
SAFE is still an entity, having been bought by Air New Zealand in 1990, ceasing flying operations and moving into aircraft maintenance, growing it's staff to 350 until 2015 when it was sold to Airbus.
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