One of New Zealand's greatest aviation mysteries will be rekindled at Wings Over Wairarapa 2015, after it was confirmed that Richard Pearse's reproduction aircraft will be one of the feature aircraft.
Over a century after Canterbury farmer and inventor Pearse flew his monoplane - with many suggesting his achievement predated that of the Wright Brothers' first powered flight recorded in 1903 - Auckland's Ivan Mudrovcich will bring his reproduction aircraft to the three-day airshow at Masterton's Hood Aerodrome.
The "Pearse" will undertake engine runs and taxi demonstrations during the event, being held over Wellington Anniversary weekend, January 16-18.
Mr Mudrovcich, a retired automotive engineer, has spent the past 10 years building the engine and the body of Pearse's aircraft - a two-cylinder oil engine mounted on to a tricycle undercarriage, complete with wings made of bamboo and lightweight steel tube covered by linen and having a 13m wing span.
Airshow director Tom Williams said: "We're just part of a large group of people who have been fascinated by the story of Richard Pearse."
