ZK-ASJ Chrislea CH-3 Super Ace
(c/n 129)

The
light foreground and hangar doors make this shot look like a
model. I can assure you it is
the real
bird! Originally four Chrislea Super Aces were slated to be
exported to New Zealand
but in the event only
two, ZK-ASI and this one, made it onto the register. ZK-ASK and
-ASL
were cancelled. (See
my narrative on Super Ace VH-BRO
for possible reasons as to why the
option on these
latter two was not taken up). It had a crash landing
somewhere in the early 1950s
and was laid up for a
while. It was then exported to Australia in 1959 becoming VH-BAE
(the
second aircraft to
bear this rego). It was finally withdrawn from active use
in 1974 and wound up
at the Drage Airworld
Museum in Wangaratta, Victoria.