Australian Biplane - George Mackenzie Silver Wings

[Apophenia]

I thought I'd share this. Not an unbuilt project but, for fellow non-Australians, will likely be quite obscure.

While searching for details on Australian Charles Daniel Pratt (of Pratt Bros., Geelong), I stumbled across an image of a biplane (attached). Fortunately, the photo was accompanied by the caption: "Plane built by G. Mackenzie, Geelong Aerodrome 1927 By C Pratt(R)".

-- https://www.fyansford.com/charles-daniel-pratt

This 'C Pratt' was, of course, Charlie Pratt who was also a well-regarded local photographer. A little digging revealed that 'G. Mackenzie' was George Mackenzie of Pella (near Rainbow, VIC). That came from a Google snippet of an AHSA Newsletter article: "... called at Rainbow & met George Mackenzie 'Silver Wings' and offered him a job at Geelong." [1] And, it turned out, Silver Wings was the name of the photographed Mackenzie biplane. This one-off aircraft was built by George Mackenzie in the hay shed at his Pella property circa 1921.

-- https://www.airhistory.net/photo/407248/No-Reg

I haven't seen it but there is also a book: George Mackenzie of Pella by Kevin M. O'Reilly. [2] That book's running title is George Mackenzie: from Rainbow to Belmont Common Geelong. If more anecdotal evidence was needed, the book's front cover reads: “The farmer’s son who designed and built his own aeroplane in a hay shed and gave a lifetime of service to aviation at the Belmont Common Aerodrome Geelong”.

David C. Eyre on the aeropedia site provides details of the Mackenzie Silver Wings.
-- https://aeropedia.com.au/content/mackenzie-silver-wings/

Despite being unregistered, the Mackenzie Silver Wings was test-flown on 12 Oct 1921 by a "Captain Whittingham of the British Imperial Oil Co" who promptly crashed the prototype. On 26 April 1922, the repaired Silver Wings was taken up by "Mr P J Pratt, with Mr Mackenzie as passenger". That pilot was, of course, Percy Pratt - brother of Charlie and partner in Pratt Bros. [3] (Edit: Or was that pilot really C.D. Pratt? See reply #4)

Apparently the Mackenzie Silver Wings flew very well but was construction from non-aviation grade materials. As a result, the aircraft was never assigned a registration. However, George Mackenzie was offered that job at Geelong and obviously the biplane came with him, since "further testing took place at Belmont Common in 1926". That testing obviously continued since the photo attached was taken at Geelong in 1927.

Eyre also provides specifications for the Silver Wings:

- 1 x 70 hp Renault V-8 air-cooled [4]
- Wingspan: 8.1 m (26 ft 6 in)
- Length: 6.94 m (22 ft 8 in)
- Max speed: 113 km/h (70 mph)
- Cruising speed: 97 km/h (60 mph)
- Empty weight: 680 kg (1,500 lb)

A final note on a more trivial issue. One George Mackenzie (1897-1941) was a well-known rowing coach in Australia (including for the 1936 Olympic team). This George Mackenzie started rowing with the Barwon Rowing Club in Victoria. The Barwon River bounded the Belmont Common aerodrome site on its north and eastern edges. Could this be the same George Mackenzie? The location and his approximate age are right.

________________________________

[1] That snippet is for a dead link (https://www.ahsa.org.au/newsletter/FAHSA_Newsletter_v29_n1_2013-03.pdf).
If there are any members of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia here, a log-in can get you to a pdf copy of the AHSA Newsletter, Volume 29, Number 1, March 2013.
-- https://ahsa.org.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AHSA_Newsletter_v29_n1_2013-03.pdf

The article in question is: Charles Daniel Pratt - A Quiet Achiever by Kevin O’Reilly

[2] George Mackenzie of Pela, Kevin M. O'Reilly, self published, Dingley Village, VIC, 2019. In 2016, O'Reilly also published Charles Pratt of Belmont Common: a life in the air: Geelong's pioneer aviator, aerial photographer and flying instructor.

[3] At the time, 'Pratt Bros.' was properly the Aircraft Manufacturing Supply Company of Australia - formed at Geelong in January 1920 by the two Pratt brothers and an L. Clark.

[4] Eyre mistakenly says "liquid-cooled engine". The British-built, air-cooled V-8 was called either a 'Renault 70 hp' or a 'Renault Type WB'. The better-known RAF 1A was derived from the Type WB.

 

[Apophenia]

Kevin M. O'Reilly's self-published book George Mackenzie of Pella (aka George Mackenzie: from Rainbow to Belmont Common Geelong) was mentioned above. The next obvious question is: Have any SPF members read this book? If not, does anyone know how copies can be obtained?

I noted a copy of an earlier O'Reilly book - Flyers of Time: Pioneer Aviation in Country Victoria - The First Fifty Years - A Collection - sold at auction for A$100. [1] That's a fair bit o' cash for an unknown article ... especially if 'A Collection' just means a collection of semi-random photos of oldie airplanes. It'd nice to know for sure.

So, who has more details?

________________________________

[1] A signed copy of 2016's Charles Pratt of Belmont Common: A Life in the Air - Geelong's Pioneer Aviator, Aerial Photographer and Flying Instructor was also on offer. -- https://auctions.treloars.com/lots/...-flyers-of-time-in-country-victoria-one-other

 

[Maveric]

Thank you for shareing this rare aircraft with us. I am very attached to you for this.

 

[woodville]

This aircraft is dealt with in Keith Meggs book "Australian-Built Aircraft & The Industry" Volume 1 Book 2. Gotthilf ('George') McKenzie was born in 1896 at Woorak (Victoria) & was of German ancestry. He was still alive in 1948, so was not the same George McKenzie as the rowing coach.
Construction of the Silver Wings commenced in August 1919 & the first flight attempt was made on 11th October 1921 (not the 12th). Apparently Captain Whittingham was not a qualified pilot & completely botched the take-off resulting in the ensuing crash (Whittingham was uninjured).
The rebuilt aircraft was successfully flown on 22nd April 1926 by Charlie Pratt (not Percy according to Meggs), Mckenzie was the passenger. The machine was sold in 1933-34 & was made airworthy again after a period of disuse. It had flown 25-30 hours up to this time & after it's sale was flown for at least another 15 hours before it was finally scrapped & burnt in 1936-37.
Specifications given by Meggs agree with the figures given above & additionally he gives a landing speed of 35mph & a chord of 6 feet.

 

[Mark H]

As at 1973, George Mackenzie was in possession of the propeller of Silver Wings, and the engine donated to Noble Park Technical School.
Ref:’The Story of Pella’ Ian O. Maroske,1975
ISBN 0 959828 0 9