Saturday 16 June 2012

Zenith CH 100 Mono Z's of New Zealand

The next type of single seat homebuilt to appear was the Zenith CH 100 Mono Z. We have had only one Zenith Mono Z in New Zealand to date, and I think it is unlikely that we will have any more.

The Zenith CH 100 Mono Z was designed by Chris Heintz in the early 1970's.  Chris Heintz was an aircraft designer who had worked for Avions Robin in France before emigrating to Canada.  The CH 100 was a single seat version of his earlier CH 200 of which we have had several in New Zealand.  It featured a large cockpit and removable wings, and could be fitted with engines from 55 HP to 100 HP.  The prototype first flew in Canada on 8/5/75.  Chris Heintz formed Zenair to market plans and kits for his homebuilt aircraft designs, and kits for the CH 100 were sold up to 1988.

The Mono Z had a wingspan of 22 feet (6.71 metres) and a length of 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 metres).  Its empty weight was 630 pounds (286 Kg) and MAUW was 960 pounds (435 Kg).  The stall speed was 48 mph and maximum speed was 125 mph.

The photo is from the Keith Morris collection.

Zenith CH 100 Mono Z ZK-FSH (c/n AACA/609) was built by N F Reid and J A Nagelkerke of Christchurch and was first registered on 16/2/89.  From the Rolls Royce badge on the forward fuselage I assume it had a 100 HP O-200 engine.  It is photo'd here at the fogged-out 1993 AACA flyin at Rangiora.  It was cancelled on 7/5/99 and sold abroad - does anyone know where it went?


6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Having become dissolutioned with light aviation after the deaths of too many AACA members, many of them personal friends, Neville disposed of ZK FSH in pieces to a fellow club member on the condition that it should never fly again. The last I saw of the " FiSH " was it's tail feathers as it was trundled down the road strapped to a trailer.
    Regards
    David Read

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  3. Having become dissolutioned with light aviation after the deaths of too many AACA members, many of them personal friends, Neville disposed of ZK FSH in pieces to a fellow club member on the condition that it should never fly again. The last I saw of the " FiSH " was it's tail feathers as it was trundled down the road strapped to a trailer.
    Regards
    David Read

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just happen to see that this airframe has resurfaced at Rangiora Airfield and is to be reregistered as ZK-DME.....The "Fish" was a great aircraft to fly and with help of some great Canterbury aviators did many trips over the Canterbury plains. But as a single seater the limitations made me to pull out and Neville did not fly himself allowed others to fly but after a few incidents he removed the "permit to fly" and have the aircraft stored. But I can not recall the "never to fly again" condition... I myself will go and have a look at Rangiora to see the Mono-Z progress.
    J A (Hans) Nagelkerke

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  5. Hello Hans, I like to get in contact with you if possible and this message gets to you. I am just about buying an unfinished CH100 and searching for someone who has experience with this early Zenair design. My email adres is g.klaaysen@gmail.com (NL)

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  6. The Mono-Z, still at Rangiora, has been fitted with a tow-hook and re-engined with a Honda Jazz to which it is intended to fit an Aerocharger turbo to bring it up to 150 hp at 6000' to be used as a low cost, low running cost, tow plane for Youth Glide. The wheel-base has been lengthened, the better to deal with uneven ground.

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